The Battle of Brunanburh was fought in 937 by Æþelstan King of the English against an alliance of Olaf III Guþfriþsson King of Dublin, Constantine II (Conn) King of Scots and Eugenius I (Eogan / Owen) King of Strathclyde. The English had the victory. It was one of the most decisive victories of the period, and yet we know little of it. The only contemporary English source is a poem inserted into some texts of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle.
Sources on the Battle of Brunanburh[]
The best summary of the sources on the Battle of Brunanburh is Alistair Campbell's The Battle of Brunanburh (published 1938).
English[]
- The Anglo Saxon Chronicle: Parker, Worcester, Laud (briefly)
- Æþelweard's "Chronicle"
- Simeon of Durham
- Henry of Huntingdon
- William of Malmesbury
Scottish[]
Welsh[]
- Brut y Tywysogion
Irish[]
- The Annals of Tigernach
- The Annals of Ulster
- The Annals of Clonmacnoise
Norse[]
- Egils Saga
What the sources say[]
Where was Brunanburh?[]
- Main article: Where was Brunanburh?
Alistair Campbell concluded that it is impossible from the sources to locate the battle. Many locations in southern Scotland and Northern England have been suggested.