Events
When this emperor died in 814, the unity of Europe died with him.
Who is Charlemagne?
Alfred became king not by inheritance alone, but by endurance—learning in defeat, clinging to faith, and slowly discovering that his calling was not merely to reign, but to preserve the _____ ______ people from extinction.
Who are the "Anglo-Saxon people"?
This "wireless" Danish Viking King grew up as a pagan and converted to Christianity. He is known for uniting Scandanavia.
Who is Harald Bluetooth?
In 962, after John XII crowned him emperor, Otto I forced the pope to swear an _____ __ _______.
What is "an oath of loyalty?"
Aethelstan was personally gifted a scarlet cloak, sword, and belt from _______.
Who is his grandfather, Alfred the Great?
Their defeat by Otto I at the battle of ________ (955) marked a turning point: the end of large-scale Magyar raids and the beginning of settlement, state formation, and Christianization.
What is Lechfeld?
Alfred promoted ________, translated key Christian and classical texts into English, and governed with a conscious sense of Christian kingship.
What is literacy?
When _______ became king in 936, he was immediately tested. Nearly every major duke—including his own half-brother—rose against him.
Who is Otto I?
Sadly, in the time of Otto I's reign, Rome itself was unstable— the _____ was embroiled in scandals, armed factions fought in the streets, popes were installed and deposed by force, and loyalty shifted constantly.
Who is the Pope?
Within a generation, the Magyar raiders became rulers, laying the foundations of the Kingdom of_________.
What is Hungary?
Vikings established kingdoms in York and Dublin
Permanent settlement in Normandy by century’s end
They forced Europe to _________ its landscape: walls, bridges, fortified towns, and local militias
What is to "militarize"?
Æthelstan did not rush to seize power; he waited, negotiated, and secured legitimacy, being crowned only after _______ was assured.
What is "unity"?
This grandson of King Alfred the Great unified England against the Vikings, Scottish, and Irish.
Who is Aethelstan?
This monk preached to and baptized Harald Bluetooth.
Who is Poppo?
Alfred built a network of fortified towns called _______, reorganized the militia so defense was constant, and created England’s first navy.
What are "burghs?"
Harald Bluetooth's son,_______ _____________, would rebel against him and ultimately defeat him in battle.
He would later go on to conquer England.
Who is Sweyen Forkbeard?
This annual bribe, described by the poet Rudyard Kipling, was paid to the Vikings of Denmark by the English in order to keep them from raiding their island.
What is the Dane-geld?
Æthelstan, ruling over a newly unified realm, faced a massive coalition: _______ _________'s Viking host from Dublin, Constantine II of Scotland, and the kings of Strathclyde. Their goal was simple—break England apart before it could fully harden into a nation.
Who is Anlaf Guthfrithson’s?
Otto’s intervention stabilized it—but at a cost. By rescuing the papacy, he also ___________ it, setting a precedent that would later explode into conflict.
What is "subordinated"?
This brother of Aethelstan fought alongside him in battle- personally anchoring morale as the field dissolved into chaos and blood.
Who is Edmund?
This battle did not merely repel an invasion—it ended the dream of undoing England.
What is the Battle of Brunanburh?
"History is not a long and horrible struggle of matter, time, and energy against the entropy of a meaningless universe, but as the perfect ______________ carried through imperfect creatures."
-Egghead, (converted)
What is the "plan of God?"
The youngest and last surviving son of Aethelwulf who became king.
Who is King Alfred the Great?
This Danish king accepted baptism after his defeat at the hands of King Alfred the great and withdrew to the Danelaw.
Who is Guthrum?
Charlemagne's sons—Lothair, Louis the German, and _______ ___ ________—rebelled repeatedly.
Who is Charles the Bald?