848AD. Osbeorht took the throne after the assasination of Aethelred II.
850 to 858AD were turbulent time for Northumbria, as King Kenneth mac Alpen of Alba (Scotland) invaded the north of the kingdom no less than 6 times, destroying and burning Dunbar and Melrose.
863AD. Osbeorht was overthrown by his people and Aelle II (said to be Osbeorht’s brother) was placed on the throne, but with Osbeorht still in Northumbria civil war broke out.
865AD. Aelle II captured the Viking raider Ragnarr Lothbrok (Hairy Breeches) and had him killed by being thrown into a pit full of poisonous Vipers.
866AD. While Aelle II and Osbeorht are at each others throats the great Viking army led by the Ragnar brothers, Ivar (The Boneless), Halfdan (of the wide embrace) and Ubbemarched north from East Anglia. On reaching York they besieged and after a short, but hard fought battle, took the city. With the city in the hands of Vikings the nobles of the royal court fled to Bamburgh. Having captured the city the Viking immediately divided the surrounding land between them and began to repair and expand the city walls.
667AD. Aelle II and Osbeorht had ceased hostilities, joined forces and marched to take back the city. In the battle that followed some of the Saxons managed to fight their way into the city, but once inside they were trapped, hunted down and slain. Outside the Saxons fared little better and huge numbers were slaughtered as they attempted to scale the walls. Osbeorht was killed in battle (by Ivar himself ?) Aelle II was captured and what was left of the Saxon army fled. In revenge for the death of their father, Aelle II was killed in a particularly gruesome manner, that of the Blood Eagle. He was thrown on his face, his ribs were cut away from his backbone at each side and his lungs were pulled out to lie on his back like wings.
