Battle of St Bride

 

1010 Battle of St Bride 
Douglas, Lanarkshire 
Malcolm II, King of Scotland bt Danes 

 

Further details would be welcome.

 

Research note:

Have the following two encounters been conflated to produce the synopsis, above?

•  After the dreadful massacre of the Danes, on St. Bride's day, November 13th, 1002, Sweyn, the king of Denmark, determined to revenge this dreadful carnage, and the next year razed Exeter to the ground. On king Etheldred's approach, the Danes retired; but being reinforced, sailed with their whole fleet to Norwich, which they entirely burnt and destroyed: so that the origin of the present city must take its date after this event—no part of the ancient town escaping the general conflagration. In 1004 the Danes, being repulsed, returned to their ships, leaving Norwich quite desolate, which continued so for six years, till 1010, when they returned and settled here.

•  The battle of Mortlach was fought in 1010 by King Malcolm the 2nd against the Danes. The Vikings approached from Carron House on Speyside four miles to the West of Duftown and camped at a place called Little Conval, while King Malcolm's army had come from the East via Glen-fiddich and camped on the other side of the river at Auchindoun. The two armies met near the monastery of Mortlach beside a river called the Dullan Water which ran in between the two armies. The battle took place near the Giant's Chair and the monastery of Mortlach. The Giant's Chair is a bit cut out of a rock that looks like a chair fit for a giant.

Catching sight of the assembled Vikings the Scots attacked with more hast than sense! Three of their leaders were killed, the three leaders were Kenneth, Thain of the Isles: Dunbar, Thain of Laudian and Graeme, Thain of Strathern. They became rather confused and fell back a little. At this critical moment King Malcolm fell on his knees facing the chapel and prayed to God and St. Moluag for victory. In return the King vowed to build a cathedral church on the site of the chapel to testify that with God's support, Scotland had been defended. In fact he made the chapel three spear lengths longer. (a spear length is four metres). The Scots attacked again and the Vikings retreated. King Malcolm is supposed to have thrown the Danish general Enetus off his horse and strangled him. The Scots pursued the Vikings up towards Balvenie Castle with great slaughter by the victorious Scots! Afterwards in the grounds of the castle they dug the grave pits where the dead bodies were thrown.

 

See also:
•  St Bride

This page was last updated on 12 October 2021

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