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and the fortification of Maldon in 917; after which,
Thorketil and his men, troublesome subjects, were encouraged
to emigrate, and went to France. Guthorm’s
kingdom was being carved away from him.
Shortly, however, there was a general rising of the
East Anglian Danes. From Huntingdon they marched
to Tempsford—not on the Thames, though the name
preserves the saga-form of Temps as the name of the
stream here crossed by a ford. At the junction of
the Ivel and the Ouse they built a fort, similar
perhaps to one described by Mr. A. R. Goddard (Saga-book
of the Viking Club, iii. pp. 326-336). From this
we gather that it was not unlike the entrenched camp
containing a mound such as we have seen at Reading
and Fulham, but more elaborate in its docks for boats
like the naust, which can be seen at saga-sites in Iceland
(see Saga-steads of Iceland, by Collingwood and
Stefánsson). The only doubt in the identification is
the elaborate nature of the fortress for a temporary
purpose ; but the Vikings were certainly skilful in
military engineering, and probably requisitioned the
labour from the surrounding farms and villages. Crossing
the water they marched upon Bedford, but were
met and overthrown by the townsfolk. It must be
remembered that townsfolk in those days were not
shopkeepers, but men on garrison-duty (see Maitland’s
Domesday Book and Beyond, p. 189). In recent years,
skeletons, lying east and west, with swords and spear-
heads of the period, have been turned up in Russell
Park, which must have been the battlefield. Then
they attacked "Winganmere," from which they were
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