Guthrum II

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Guthrum II
king of East Anglia
Reign	902 - c. 917
Died	c. 917
Place of death	Tempsford
Predecessor	Eohric / Æthelwold
Successor	None (territory passed to Wessex by conquest)
Royal House	Norse rulers of East Anglia

Guthrum II (died circa 917) is considered to have been the last Viking king of the kingdom of East Anglia from 902 until his death. However it is now disputed whether there actually was such a person, the history of East Anglia during that period is particularly obscure, and accounts of his reign are based on 19th century sources and there is a lack of clear mention of him in 20th or 21st century sources. He should not be confused with the better known and earlier Guthrum, who fought against Alfred the Great, and who undoubtedly was a historical figure.

If there actually was such a person, then the conventional view is that he renewed the treaty which the earlier Guthrum had put in place with Wessex during the reign of Alfred the Great. However, in 910 the East Anglian Vikings decided to break the treaty and attack Mercia, where they were met, defeated and pushed back into East Anglia and Northumbria by Alfred's children Edward and Athefleda at the Battle of Tettenhall. Guthrum II died at Battle of Tempsford in Bedfordshire when Edward and Athefleda stormed his camp in 916, 917 or 918, and the Kingdom of East Anglia became an earldom subsidiary to the Kingdom of Wessex, which was evolving into the Kingdom of England.