York Minster

The Minster

The York Minster, also referred to as The Minster and now officially the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is a cathedral in York, England, considered to be one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe.

History

On 1 November 866, while King Ælla of Northumbria attended mass at the York Minster during the All Saints' Day festival, the Great Heathen Army under the command of Ivarr the Boneless attacked York. A soldier who witnessed the arrival of the Northern hoard burst into the church to warn the king, who calmly asked about their numbers. Hearing there were about a hundred Vikings attacking, he ordered his chief of guards to behead the heathens and have their heads hung on the city walls.

As the Vikings gained the upper hand in the resulting battle, Ælla abandoned his people and escaped the city. Ultimately, the Vikings emerged victorious and captured York, whereupon Ivarr claimed the Minster. It was there that he declared to the army that they were replacing the rulers of the land, like the Anglo-Saxons had done before them.

Circa 874, the Viking shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir of the Raven Clan travelled to the church to search for religious texts which were being safeguarded by the priests from the Red Hand and Order of the Ancients member, The Firebrand. By the time she arrived however, the Red Hand had already taken control of the building and began burning the texts. Entering through the church tower, Eivor arrived on the second floor and witnessed Abbess Ingeborg push a priest into a pile of burning books, revealing herself as the Firebrand. Eivor subsequently left the building to pursue Ingeborg before she could continue her work.

Sometime after these events, Eivor returned to the Minster and explored its surroundings, recovering a treasure hoard map and a tungsten ingot.

Gallery

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  York Minster as it appears in Blood Brothers

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers