| Ælla | |
|---|---|
 Ælle kills Ragnar Lothbrok, illustration by Hugo Hamilton | |
| King of Northumbria | |
| Reign | AD 862–867 |
| Predecessor | Osberht |
| Successor | Ecgberht |
| Born | c. 815 |
| Died | 21 March 867 (aged 51–52) York,Northumbria |
| House | Northumbria |
Ælla (orÆlle orAelle,fl. 866; died 21 March 867) wasKing of Northumbria, a kingdom inearly medieval England, during the middle of the 9th century. Sources onNorthumbrian history in this period are limited, and so Ælla's ancestry is not known, and the dating of the beginning of his reign is questionable.
In addition to theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ælla is also mentioned inScandinavian oral sources, such as theNorse sagas. According to the latter, Ælla captured thelegendary Swedish-Danish Viking kingRagnar Lodbrok and put him to death in apit of snakes. The historical invasion of Northumbria by theGreat Heathen Army in 866 occurred in retaliation for Ragnar's execution, according toRagnarssona þáttr (The Tale of Ragnar's Sons). While Norse sources claim that Ragnar's sons tortured Ælla to death by the method of theblood eagle, Anglo-Saxon accounts maintain that he died inbattle atYork on 21 March 867. Concerning the Norse claim,Roberta Frank reviewed the historical evidence for the ritual in herViking Atrocity and Skaldic Verse: The Rite of the Blood-Eagle, where she writes: "By the beginning of the ninth century, the various saga motifs—eagle sketch, rib division, lung surgery, and 'saline stimulant'—were combined in inventive sequences designed for maximum horror."[1] She concludes that the authors of the sagas misunderstood alliterativekennings that alluded to leaving one's foes face down on the battlefield, their backs torn as carrion by scavenging birds. If this is to be believed, then it is easy to surmise that the mention of his death via the blood eagle is in fact a description of his death on the battlefield, which would make both accounts of his death consistent.
Ælla became king afterOsberht (Osbryht) was deposed. The beginning of his reign is traditionally dated to 862 or 863 but evidence about Northumbrian royal chronology is unreliable prior to 867.[2] His reign may have begun as late as 866.[3] Almost nothing is known of Ælla's reign;Symeon of Durham states that Ælla had seized lands at Billingham, Ileclif, Wigeclif, and Crece, which belonged to the church.[4] While Ælla is described in most sources as atyrant and an illegitimate king,[5] one source states that he was Osberht's brother.[6]
TheGreat Heathen Army, composed mostly of Danish, Norwegian and Frisian Vikings, landed in Northumbria in mid-866 and had capturedYork by 21 November.[7]
Subsequent events are described by historians such asSymeon of Durham,Asser andÆthelweard in accounts that vary only in detail. According to theHistoria Regum Anglorum, following the invasion of the Danes, the previous "dissension" between Osberht and Ælla "was allayed by divine counsel" and other Northumbrian nobles. Osberht and Ælla "having united their forces and formed an army, came to the city of York" on 21 March 867.[8] A majority of the "shipmen" (Vikings) gave the impression of fleeing from the approaching Northumbrians. "The Christians, perceiving their flight and terror", attacked, but found that the Vikings "were the stronger party". Surrounded, the Northumbrians "fought upon each side with much ferocity" until both Osberht and Ælla were killed. The surviving Northumbrians "made peace with the Danes".[5]
After this, the Vikings appointed a puppet king of Northumbria, namedEcgberht.[9]
TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle does not name the Viking leaders, but it does state that "Hingwar and Hubba" (probablyIvar andUbba) later killed KingEdmund of East Anglia.[10] Ubba was also named as a leader of the army in Northumbria byAbbo of Fleury and by theHistoria de Sancto Cuthberto. Symeon of Durham lists the leaders of the Viking army as "Halfdene [Halfdann], Inguar [Ingvar], Hubba, Beicsecg, Guthrun, Oscytell [Ketill], Amund, Sidroc and another duke of the same name, Osbern, Frana and Harold."[11]
Ælla has been identified as the brother ofOsberht of Northumbria.[12] According to an Anglo-Norman genealogy, Ælla had a daughter named Æthelthryth and through her was the grandfather ofEadwulf of Bamburgh, "King of the Northern English" who died in 913.[13]
According toRagnarssona þáttr, the army that seizedYork in 866 was led byHvitserk,Björn Ironside,Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye,Ivar the Boneless andUbba, sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, who avenged his death by subjecting Ælla to theblood eagle.[14] However, Anglo-Saxon sources claim that Ælla and Osberht died in battle at York, with theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle stating that "both the kings were slain on the spot".[15]
Ivar the Boneless, who plays a major role in both Norse and Anglo-Saxon accounts, is sometimes associated with the Viking leaderÍmar (Old Norse:Ívarr), aKing of Dublin mentioned in theIrish annals. Scholar Dorothy Whitelock regards this association as unlikely, however, because Ímar's father is usually said to beGofraid of Lochlann and his brothers are usually named asAmlaíb Conung andAuisle. As Dorothy Whitelock notes, the namesÍvarr andÍmar were "not uncommon" in Norse societies.[16]
Hector Boece relates that two Northumbrian princes, Osbrecht and Ella, took the castle atStirling.[17]
Aella, King of Northumbria, has a major supporting role inGeoffrey Chaucer'sThe Man of Law's Tale.
Ælla was played byFrank Thring in the filmThe Vikings (1958) as the main antagonist.[18]
A character broadly based on Ælla is played byIvan Kaye in theHistory Channel's drama seriesVikings (2013), though it is set nearly 70 years before the real Ælla's reign.[19][20] The show gives no indication that this Ælla had usurped his throne, and he is shown to have reigned in Northumbria for more than 15 years.The show also gave Ælla a daughter,Judith, who takes the historical role ofOsburh, as the mother ofAlfred the Great. The character's name seems taken fromJudith of Flanders, Alfred's stepmother, but doesn't share much more.[21] In the fourth season, he executes Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok by throwing him into a pit of snakes, and he is executed in retaliation by Ragnar's sons via the blood eagle.
InThe Last Kingdom, a historical novel byBernard Cornwell, Ælla appears very briefly as a minor character at the beginning of the book. He, along with Osberht and Uhtred, a fictional Ealdorman of Bernicia, lead a Northumbrian army to repel invading Danes at York. The battle ends disastrously for the Northumbrians when the Norse army feigns a retreat, and Ælla dies on the field.[citation needed]
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Northumbria 866–867 | Succeeded by |