May Williamson: The Non-Celtic Place-Names of the Scottish Border ...

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/lix/ THE BATTLE OF BRUNANBURH
So much has been written in various attempts to locate this battlefield that it seems impossible
to throw any fresh light on the subject. Nevertheless it will be well to examine the evidence
once more, to see whether any credence may rightly be given to those who claim Burnswark
as the site of the battle.
Much confusion prevails in the various interpretations of the chroniclers’ accounts of the
battle and of Æðelstan’s campaign in 934.
In 934 Æðelstan made a determined attempt to stop the continual raiding forays by which the
Scots had harassed the north of England for the past hundred years. He set out up the east
coast, where the Scots were accustomed to obtain help from the Danes, and reached
“Dunfother and Wertermor” (SD, H.R., 93). In the Alia Miracula Sci. Johannis it is
recounted that he paid his respects to St John of Beverley on his way north. The Scots
retreated before him and “transfretaverunt flumen, quod dicitur Scotorum Vadum, ut inter
proprios terminos securius se in bello ad resistendum parare possent” (p.295). A vision of St
Cuthbert came to Æðelstan bidding him cross the Vadum and conquer, which he obeyed, and
returned victorious /lx/ via Dunbar to Beverley. This passage has been taken to refer to the
campaign of 937, but it is clearly an east coast affair. The mention of Scotorum Vadum has
led to the belief that Æðelstan crossed the Solway on this occasion, but this name could apply
to either the Forth or the Solway. Fordoun speaks of the “Flumen de Forth … quod … dicitur
mare Scoticum; fluvium Esk quod dicitur Scotiswath sive Sulwath”, and in the Vita Sci.
Oswaldi there is a reference to the “Scotwad, quod in Scottorum lingua Forth nominatur”.
The editor of the Two Saxon Chronicles Parallel notes that both estuaries received their
names because Scotland proper began on the far side of them, and quotes the above passages
in support of his statement (ASC ii, 267).
On this occasion Constantine, king of the Scots, was put to flight and took refuge with Owen,
king of Strathclyde (Alia Mir, 297). This led to the formation of the alliance against Æðelstan
in 937. Owen and Constantine were then joined by Anlaf Sigtryggsson, Constantine’s son-inlaw,
and Anlaf Guðfriðsson, Norse kings of Dublin. Both had a certain claim to the throne of
Northumbria, which was no doubt regarded as valid by their allies. The former, indeed,
succeeded in obtaining it in 941.
/lxi/ Anlaf Guðfriðsson came across from Dublin with 625 ships (SD, HDE, 76) and
according to Florence of Worcester, entered the mouth of the Humber (Flo Wig, i, 132). This
seems an impossible journey by sea from Dublin, but it may be that one Anlaf brought a fleet
from Dublin to the west coast, while the other led a Scots fleet down the east coast in an
attempt to seize the Northumbrian kingdom while a diversion was created on the other side of
the country. There is, however, no other evidence to bear out this supposition, and so it must
be assumed that Florence was mistaken about the Humber.
Meanwhile Scots, Britons and Norse were massing in the North. The Scots must have joined
the Britons about Dumbarton and marched south by the Roman roads into Dumfriesshire. The
crucial point is: how far south did they come to meet the Norse fleet
Anlaf Sigtryggsson advanced far into England and Æðelstan drew back, “pour mieux sauter”,
before meeting him at Brunefeld and defeating him (WM, GR, 142).