Scandinavian-Britain

SVEIN AND KNUT 153origin. In 1005 a famine sent the Danes away, onlyto return in 1006 when they ravaged Kent and Sussex,wintered in the Isle of Wight, and next year marchedto Reading and Marlborough; but on payment of^"36,000 they desisted from further attacks for thetime. In 1008 a great fleet was got together by theEnglish, but Wulfnoth of Sussex, being impeachedbefore the king, turned viking, and defied the wholepower of the country.Two fleets arrived at Sandwich in 1009, oneunder Hemming and Eylaf and the other underThorkel the Tall, son of Strut- Harald, jarl of Sjseland,and brother of Hemming. Taking a ransom of^3,000 for Canterbury, they plundered the southcoast, and wintered in their burg at Greenwich. Nextyear they made four raids into the interior, in the firstof which Ulfketil offered an unsuccessful resistanceat Ringmere (near Thetford ?) but as the year proceededthe defence became weaker, until at last the:Witan negotiated for peace at the price of ^48,000.The payment was delayed: meantime Canterburywas attacked it is evident that Canterbury was notin the area affected by the negotiations and thewhole population was held to ransom. It was notuntil the Easter of next year that the first debt waspaid, and the payment celebrated at a feast in whichthe Viking soldiers Thorkel himself, it is said, beingabsentdrank themselves drunk on wine, and draggedarchbishop ^Ifheah to their " husting " clamouringfor the ransom of Canterbury. On his refusal theypelted him with bones from their feast, and one of them