# Battle of Maldon (991)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/991-battle-of-maldon
Categories: battle

An English army was defeated by Viking raiders in Essex. Within the broader Vikings & Unification period, Scandinavian invasion and settlement transformed the political map while Wessex and its allies built the institutions of a unified English kingdom. This event is placed at AD 991 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The battle became famous through Old English poetry and foreshadowed renewed large-scale Scandinavian intervention.

## Why it matters
The battle became famous through Old English poetry and foreshadowed renewed large-scale Scandinavian intervention.

Ruler at the time: [Æthelred the Unready](https://english-history.com/rulers/aethelred-the-unready)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Battle of Maldon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Battle+of+Maldon&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Maldon](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Maldon)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%28before_1000%29)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Viking Britain topic search](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Viking%20Britain)