Editing Battle of Brunanburh (section)

==Background==

After Æthelstan defeated the [[Vikings]] at [[York]] in 927, King [[Constantine II of Scotland|Constantine]] of Scotland, King [[Hywel Dda]] of [[Deheubarth]], [[Ealdred I of Bamburgh]], and [[Owen I of Strathclyde|King Owen I of Strathclyde]] (or Morgan ap Owain of Gwent) accepted Æthelstan's overlordship at [[Eamont Bridge|Eamont]], near [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]].{{sfn|Higham|1993|p=190}}{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=20}}{{efn|According to William of Malmesbury it was Owen of Strathclyde who was present at Eamont but the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says Owain of Gwent; it may have been both.{{sfnm|1a1=Foot|1y=2011|1p=162|1loc=n. 15|2a1=Woolf|2y=2007|2p=151|3a1=Charles-Edwards|3y=2013|3pp=511–512}}}} Æthelstan became [[List of English monarchs|King of England]] and there was peace until 934.{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=20}}

[[Æthelstan's invasion of Scotland|Æthelstan invaded Scotland]] with a large military and naval force in 934. Although the reason for this invasion is uncertain, [[John of Worcester]] stated that the cause was Constantine's violation of the peace treaty made in 927.{{sfnm|1a1=Foot|1y=2011|1pp=164-165|2a1=Woolf|2y=2007|2pp=158–165}} Æthelstan evidently travelled through [[Beverley]], [[Ripon]], and [[Chester-le-Street]]. The army harassed the Scots up to [[Kincardineshire]] and the navy up to [[Caithness]], but Æthelstan's force was never engaged.{{sfn|Stenton|2001|p=342}}

Following the invasion of Scotland, it became apparent that Æthelstan could only be defeated by an allied force of his enemies.{{sfn|Stenton|2001|p=342}} The leader of the alliance was [[Olaf Guthfrithson]], King of Dublin, joined by Constantine II, King of Scotland and [[Owain ap Dyfnwal (fl. 934)|Owen]], King of Strathclyde.{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=170}} (According to [[John of Worcester]], Constantine was Olaf's father-in-law.){{sfn|Cavill|2001|p=103}} Though they had all been enemies in living memory, historian Michael Livingston points out that "they had agreed to set aside whatever political, cultural, historical, and even religious differences they might have had in order to achieve one common purpose: to destroy Æthelstan".{{sfn|Livingston|2011|p=11}}

In August 937, Olaf sailed from Dublin<ref name="Anonymous 2011. pp.152-3"/> with his army to join forces with Constantine and Owen and in Livingston's opinion this suggests that the battle of Brunanburh occurred in early October of that year.{{sfn|Livingston|2011|p=14}} According to Paul Cavill, the invading armies raided [[Mercia]], from which Æthelstan obtained Saxon troops as he travelled north to meet them.{{sfn|Cavill|2001|p=101}} Michael Wood wrote that no source mentions any intrusion into Mercia.{{sfn|Wood|2013|pp=138–159}}

Livingston thinks that the invading armies entered England in two waves, Constantine and Owen coming from the north, possibly engaging in some skirmishes with Æthelstan's forces as they followed the Roman road across the [[Lancashire]] plains between [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]] and [[Manchester]], with Olaf's forces joining them on the way. Deakin argues against a western passage for the coalition army by demonstrating that on the few occasions Scottish armies had crossed into England, they had used the [[Stainmore]] Pass or [[Dere Street]] and were engaged in battle to the east of the Pennines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eylhs.org.uk/product/390/volume-21-2020 |title = Brunnanburh 'The Burh at the Spring: The Battle of South Humberside}}</ref> Livingston speculates that the battle site at Brunanburh was chosen in agreement with Æthelstan, on which "there would be one fight, and to the victor went England".{{sfn|Livingston|2011|pp=15–18}}