[MR] SMITHSONIAN: Oxford Viking Burial

[Garth G. Groff]

  Noble friends,

The October 2010 SMITHSONIAN features an article entitled "A Viking 
Mystery" by David Keys. The author discusses a mass grave of apparently 
slaughtered Vikings discovered at Oxford. Analysis of the bones shows 
that some of the men bore traces of burns, many had stab wounds to their 
torsos, some show huge skull wounds, and several were beheaded. This 
coincides with historical accounts of the Saxon King Aethelred's "ethnic 
cleansing" of Viking mercenaries on St. Brice's Day, November 13, 1002. 
Surviving texts say some Vikings at Oxford retreated to a church which 
the Anglo-Saxons then set on fire to drive them out, then killed the 
survivors. Grim stuff, but here's the physical evidence of what the 
ancient manuscript says.

This article is well worth reading, and includes three period color 
illustrations, seven modern illustrations and a map. If you don't 
subscribe to SMITHSONIAN, you can certainly find a copy in almost any 
public library.

Kind regards,


Lord Mungo Napier, Shire of Isenfir's Unofficial Librarian