Father – unknown
Mother – unknown
Spouse – Unmarried
Children – No Children
841 (around)
Edmund was born in East Anglia.
855 (during)
Edmund became King of East Anglia.
865 (during)
A huge Viking force known by the Saxons as The Great Heathen Army, led by Ubba, Ivar the Boneless, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, Halfdan and Guthrum, landed in East Anglia but quickly moved north.
866 (during)
It is likely that Edmund joined forces with King Aethelred of Wessex to repel the Danes.
869 (during)
The Great Heathen Army, now led by Ivar the Boneless and Ubba, returned south and attacked East Anglia.
869 (during)
The Vikings offered to leave East Anglia in peace if Edmund would rule as their vassal and renounce Christianity. Edmund refused to give up his religion.
869 (20th November)
Edmund attempted to fight the Vikings but they tied him to a tree and shot him with arrows until he died. He was then beheaded and his head thrown into a river. Some sources give his year of death as 870.
869 (during)
Edmund’s head was located and he was buried in East Anglia. Legend states that those looking for his head heard a voice saying “here, here” which led them to the head.
902 (during)
Edmund’s body was moved to Bedricsworth which was renamed Bury St Edmunds. A shrine was built and it became a place of pilgrimage.
902 (after)
Saint Edmund became the patron saint of England until King Richard I made Saint George the patron saint of England.
Published Jan 30, 2019 @ 1:40 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2018 – 2020). Edmund, King and Martyr of East Anglia 841 – 870. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/edmund-king-and-martyr-of-east-anglia-841-870/