Editing Guthrum (section)

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{other people}}
{{short description|King of East Anglia from 879 to 890}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image        = Æthelstan II Guthrum, silver penny; struck circa 879–890.png
| caption      = Silver [[History of the English penny (c. 600 – 1066)|penny]] of Guthrum (as Æthelstan), struck {{circa|879/80}}–890.
| succession   = [[King of East Anglia]]
| reign        = 878–890{{sfn|Lapidge|Blair|Keynes|Scragg|2001|pages=508&ndash;509}}
| predecessor  = [[Æthelred II of East Anglia|Æthelred II]]
| successor    = [[Eohric of East Anglia|Eohric]]
| birth_date   = c. 835
| birth_place  = Denmark
| death_date   = c. 889/890 (aged approximately 55)
| death_place  = [[East Anglia]], England
| religion     = {{plainlist|
*[[Norse paganism]]
*Christianity (after 878)}}
}}
'''Guthrum'''{{efn|Also spelled '''Godrum''' and '''Guthorm'''; also known as '''Æthelstan''', '''Athelstan''', or '''Ethelstan'''}} ({{langx|ang|Guðrum}}, {{circa|835}} – c. 890) was King of [[Kingdom of East Anglia|East Anglia]] in the late 9th century. Originally a native of Denmark, he was one of the leaders of the "Great Summer Army" that arrived in [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] during April 871 to join forces with the [[Great Heathen Army]], whose intentions were to conquer the kingdoms of [[Heptarchy|Anglo-Saxon England]]. The combined armies were successful in conquering the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of East Anglia|East Anglia]], [[Kingdom of Northumbria|Northumbria]], and parts of [[Mercia]] and overran [[Alfred the Great]]'s [[Wessex]] but were ultimately defeated by Alfred at the [[Battle of Edington]] in 878. The Danes retreated to their stronghold, where Alfred laid siege and eventually Guthrum surrendered.

Under the [[Treaty of Wedmore|terms of his surrender]], Guthrum was obliged to be [[baptism|baptised]] as a Christian to endorse the agreement and then leave Wessex. The subsequent [[Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum]] set out the boundaries between Alfred and Guthrum's territories, as well as agreements on peaceful trade and the ''[[weregild]]'' value of its people. The treaty is seen as the foundation of the [[Danelaw]]. Guthrum ruled East Anglia under his baptismal name of Æthelstan until his death.{{sfn|Downham|2007|p=79}}