This song is about the Viking invasion of Britain in the A.D. 800's. It was at this time when Christianity was just about to become the dominant religion of all the kingdoms on the island... and then disaster struck. The so-called "Danes" (from Norway actually!) invaded from the north-east coast and subdued region after region, reintroducing the pagan ways of old. Villages were torched, churches and libraries were demolished. As kingdom after kingdom collapsed, civilization in Britain was threatened. The viking rulers forced the people to pay a tribute tax, the "Danegeld", making them the "overlords" of Britian. The lone hold-out was the south-west Kingdom of Wessex (West Saxons) lead by Alfred the Great. They were the only people stopping the vikings from reaching "the western shore". Here Christian culture was preserved, and eventually the pagans were driven from Britain and/or introduced to Christ.
This song is about the Viking invasion of Britain in the A.D. 800's. It was at this time when Christianity was just about to become the dominant religion of all the kingdoms on the island... and then disaster struck. The so-called "Danes" (from Norway actually!) invaded from the north-east coast and subdued region after region, reintroducing the pagan ways of old. Villages were torched, churches and libraries were demolished. As kingdom after kingdom collapsed, civilization in Britain was threatened. The viking rulers forced the people to pay a tribute tax, the "Danegeld", making them the "overlords" of Britian. The lone hold-out was the south-west Kingdom of Wessex (West Saxons) lead by Alfred the Great. They were the only people stopping the vikings from reaching "the western shore". Here Christian culture was preserved, and eventually the pagans were driven from Britain and/or introduced to Christ.