Harman Patil (Editor)

Treaty of Wedmore

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Treaty of Wedmore

The Peace of Wedmore is a term used by historians for an event referred to by the monk Asser in his Life of Alfred, outlining how in 878 the Viking leader Guthrum was baptised and accepted Alfred as his adoptive father. Guthrum agreed to leave Wessex and a "Treaty of Wedmore" (sometimes called the "Treaty of Chippenham") is often assumed by historians to have existed. No such treaty still exists. However, there is a document not specifically linked to Wedmore that is a Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum.

Misinterpretation and confusion

The only reference in the sources to any kind of treaty at Wedmore is the above quotation from Asser. All we know, therefore, is that it was at Wedmore that Guthrum accepted Alfred as his adoptive father and accepted the Christian faith. There was clearly an important element here of Alfred exercising his dominance; however, the source material provides no hint as to the wider implications of this in terms of territory or otherwise.

However, some misinterpretation appears to have arisen, probably from confusing what happened at Wedmore with the later Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum. This led to a "Treaty of Wedmore" as a defining point in Anglo-Saxon history, as suggested by the map. Whilst it is quite possible that land arrangements were discussed at Wedmore, or Aller, or elsewhere, following Edington, there is nothing in the sources to provide evidence for this.

References

Treaty of Wedmore Wikipedia