Battle of Chippenham

The Battle of Chippenham was an event that took place on January 878, during the end stages of the 9th century Viking expansion in England.
The battle is named after the village of Chippenham, previously known as Cippanhamm, which was peripherally involved in the battle and was the original objective of both the Great Heathen Army and King Alfred the Great's forces in Wessex. It was during this battle that Reeve Goodwin died after fighting the shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir of the Raven Clan, while Guthrum's forces lost one of their commanders, Soma, within the battle.
==Prelude==
During their invasion in Hamtunscire, Wessex, the Great Heathen Army and its leader, Guthrum, agreed to a truce with King Alfred in the village of Werham. When Eivor arrived, negotiations began to sour as Alfred revealed to both Guthrum and Eivor that his army had killed Ubba Ragnarsson. Reneging on the truce, Guthrum and his allies burned down Werham and escaped from Alfred's forces.Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Kingdom's End
As Eivor called on her allies, Norse and Saxon alike, to join her for the upcoming battle, Guthrum asked for her help to rescue his fellow soldiers at the Hamtun Blockade. After rescuing his soldiers, Eivor and Guthrum agreed to meet on the outskirts camp of Cippanhamm to devise their strategies on the assault against Alfred. At the outskirts, Guthrum and Soma were met by Eivor, who saw that her allies came at her call. Discussing how to overtake the village, Eivor planned out the assault into groups and each group were entailed with their own objective.Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Holy Day
==Battle==
During the night of the Saxon feast, Eivor led the charge stealthily as she entered the village's church alongside Soma and Ljufvina Bjarmarsdottir. As they entered inside, the shieldmaidens were greeted by Reeve Goodwin, who served as a decoy for Alfred's escape. As Ljufvina and Soma left Eivor at her request, Goodwin and Eivor engaged in single combat. Goodwin was defeated by Eivor and after a heated verbal exchange, Goodwin's life came to an end. Outside in the battleground, a company of Hel-hides, led by Birna Gormsdóttir, joined the Danes against the Saxon warriors. Alfred fled the town with thirty men as they headed to .Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga — Chapter 30
Joining the battle outside, Eivor saw the village overwhelmed by Saxon soldiers, only to be trapped alongside Soma fighting off waves of incoming soldiers. Soma, worn from the onslaught, was soon impaled by a sword before killing the Saxon assailant. Bleeding out, Soma let out a war cry as she was instantly killed while Eivor watched from afar. Throughout the battle, Eivor ran to aid her allies, but could not prevent the death of Hunwald, a friend from Lincolnscire who died from his wounds.
By the time Eivor helped her allies, she came to fend and kill off the incoming Saxon soldiers in the village square. After defeating most of the Saxons' infantry, the rest of the reinforcements started to flee. Thus, Guthrum and Eivor claimed the village and ousted Alfred as the ruler of Wessex.
==Aftermath==
The battle resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. Alfred's Saxon army withdrew from the village as King Alfred went into hiding. Eivor prepared the funeral pyres for her allies who fell during the battle, especially for Soma, Hunwald, and Hjorr Halfsson, partner to Ljufvina. Afterwards, Guthrum and Eivor talked about the future for Wessex in the village's church, where Guthrum proclaimed to protect his people and Wessex, no matter the cost, while looking at a Christian cross.
After the pyre, Geirmund Hel-hide came and saw his warriors unharmed but only to meet his grieving mother as he has lost a father. Ljufvina gifted him his father's seax as she warned him to address Guthrum with caution. Meeting with Eivor, both warriors converse about Guthrum's mindset being conflicted, especially with the idea of Christianity. There, Geirmund began to distrust Guthrum even more as an oath-breaker.
==Gallery==
ACV Holy Day 14.jpg|Eivor readies her allies for battle
ACV Holy Day 22.jpg|Soma dies during the battle
ACV Holy Day 26.jpg|Hunwald succumbs to his wounds
ACV Holy Day 38.jpg|Eivor honors her fallen dead
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Valhalla 
*Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga
*Discovery Tour: Viking Age 
*The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One 
==References==
fr:Bataille de Cippanhamm
Category:Battles
Category:Timeline
Category:Viking expansion