and on the Battles of Cynuit and Ethandun. 73 
Ragnar Lodbrok, Healfden seems to have been occupied in con- 
solidating his conquests, and settling his followers on the lands of 
Northumbria; whilst Hubba, almost certainly, and Hynguar, 
probably, had fallen at Cynuit. 
Guthrum’s army was still at Chippenham, when, a few days 
before Whitsuntide, which this year fell on the 11th of May, Alfred, 
encouraged by the recent defeat of the Danes at Cynuit, rallied his 
followers, and entering Wiltshire from Athelney, marched north- 
ward, and attacked the invaders of his country, at a place called 
Ethandun. Here he gained that great victory, by which the 
supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon power was decided. After defeating 
the Danes in a pitched battle, with great slaughter, he pursued 
them flying to their fortress, (no doubt some earth-work in the 
neighbourhood,) where he besieged them fourteen days. After an 
almost unconditional surrender, they entered into a treaty; and 
soon after Guthrum with thirty of the most distinguished of his 
army came to Alfred, and embracing Christianity, received baptism 
at his hands. In none of the narratives, do we find mention 
of any other king or leader, as might certainly have been expected, 
had so celebrated a chief as Hubba either been killed at Ethandun, 
or been in any way immediately connected with these events. 
And here we naturally pause to inquire the site of this celebrated 
battle. That it was at no great distance from Chippenham, seems 
certain; it being expressly stated that the Danes had their quarters 
at that place, both before and after the battle. Camden states, but 
gives no reasons for the opinion, that Edington near Westbury was 
the ancient Ethandun, where this battle was fought; and, in this 
assertion, he finds a strenuous supporter in Sir R. C. Hoare. Gough, 
the annotator of Camden, equally with Sir Richard Hoare, main- 
tains that the fortified earth-work or camp, known as Bratton 
Castle, on the down immediately above Edington, is the fortress 
to which the Danes were pursued by Alfred.!. These views are 
now so generally received as to be incorporated, not only in 
1 Camden, ‘ Britannia,” Ed. 1806, vol. 1, pp. 131. 146,—Sir R. C, Hoare, 
‘Ancient Wilts,” vol. I, p. 56. 
L 
