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70 SCOTTISH ANNALS
937
WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY, GESTA REGUM, VOL. I, p. 142.
[Ethelstan's] last war was with Olaf Sitricson, who had
crossed his boundaries in the hope of usurping the kingdom ;
along with the aforesaid Constantin, again in rebellion.
And because Ethelstan retired advisedly to defeat the
invader more gloriously, 1 the youth, overbold and hoping to
his heart forbidden things, had advanced far into England
leaders of
when at last he was opposed at Brunefeld 2
great skill and by a strong force of knights.
by
. . .
937
SYMEON OF DURHAM, HISTORIA DUNELMENSIS ECCLESIJE,
VOL. I, p. 76.3
In the fourth year after [his invasion of Scotland,] that
is, in the 937th year of the Lord's nativity, [Ethelstan] fought
at Wendun, (which by another name is called At Burnswark
or 4
Brunnanburgh, ; against the son of the former king Godfrey,
Olaf, 5 who had come with six hundred and fifteen ships,
1
According to W. of M., Olaf spied in guise of a harper upon Ethelstan's
camp : H.R., i, 142-143. When Ethelstan retired to draw on the enemy
bishop Werstan of Sherborne pitched his tent on the site which the king had
abandoned and so was slaughtered by Olaf in the night : G.P., 178.
2 One of the variant readings is Bruneford.
" Therefore after thirteen years " [from
3
Ethelw., in M.H.B., 520 :
"
Ethelstan's succession in 926] was fought a fierce battle against the barbarians
in the place Brunnanburgh, whence also even to the present it is
commonly entitled the Great Battle. Then the barbarian troops were everywhere
overcome ; and they no longer had dominion, after those whom he
drove beyond the shores of Ocean. Moreover the Scots bowed their necks,
and the Picts also. ..."
A.S.C., MSS. A, B, C, D, says that they fought " around Brunnanburgh."
"
In the year of grace 945, and the fourth
H. of H., 159, confusedly :
year of his reign, king Ethelstan fought a battle, the greatest of battles, at
Brunnanburgh against Olaf, king of Ireland, who had supplemented his
forces from the nation of the Scots, and of the Danes who dwelt in England."
(The writer has misread the Roman numeral xxxuii as xxxxu.)
4 The name occurs in a variety of forms : (1) Weondune, S. of D., i, 76 ;
Wendune, S. of D., ii, 293 ; (2) Etbrunnanwerc, S. of D., i, 76 ; Bruneswerce,
Gaimar, 1. 3524, i, 147, with variants ; (3) Brun(n)anburh, -byrig, A.S.C.,
A, B, C, D, E ; S. of D. ; Fl. of W. ; Brune(s)burh, H. of H., 159, 160 ;
(4) Brunandune, Ethelw., in M.H.B., 520 ; (5) Brunfort, Bk. of Hyde, 124.
The second of these forms, Burnswark, occurs in a suitable locality,
although it is not the place understood by Fl. of W. or by W. of M., supra.
Place-names show that there was a Danish settlement to the north of the
for the
Solway Firth ; and this would have been a suitable landing-place
Irish Danes. Cf. regarding the extent of Bernicia, supra, s.aa. 547, 731, notes.
5 Both Olaf Godfreysoii (as S. of D.) and Olaf Sitricson (as W. of M.) appear
to have taken part in the war. For Godfrey and Sitric cf. supra, s.aa. 921,
926, notes.