Battle of Ringmere

Battle of Ringmere
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Location Ringmer Result Anglo-Norwegian victory
Belligerents
Norway Anglo-Saxons	Danish Vikings
Commanders and leaders
Saint Olaf of Norway Ethelred the Unready	Thorkell the Tall

52°28′30″N 0°49′30″E / 52.475°N 0.825°E / 52.475; 0.825

The Battle of Ringmere was fought on 5 May 1010. Between an East Anglian contingent led by Ulfcytel Snillingr and a danish army under Thorkell the Tall Norse sagas recorded a battle at Hringmaraheiðr; Old English Hringmere-hǣð, modern name Ringmere Heath.^[1] In his Víkingarvísur, the poet Sigvat records the victory of Saint Olaf, fighting alongside King Ethelred^[2]

Enn lét sjaunda sinni
sverðþing háit verða
endr á Ulfkels landi
Ôleifr, sem ferk máli.
Stóð Hringmaraheiði
(herfall vas þar,) alla
Ellu kind (es olli
arfvǫrðr Haralds starfi).

Yet again Óláfr caused a sword-assembly [BATTLE] to be held for the seventh time in Ulfcytel’s land, as I recount the tale. The offspring of Ælla [= Englishmen] stood over all Ringmere Heath; there was slaying of the army there, where the guardian of Haraldr’s inheritance [= Óláfr] caused exertion.^[2]

John of Worcester records that the Danes defeated the Saxons. Over a three-month period the Danes wasted East Anglia, burning Thetford and Cambridge.^[1]