Treaty of Wedmore

Guthrum, the Viking leader, retreated with the remnants of his army to their "stronghold", where Alfred besieged him.

[1] After fourteen days the Vikings, according to Asser: "..thoroughly terrified by hunger, cold and fear and in the end despair, sought peace on this condition: the king should take as many hostages as he wanted from them and give none to them.."Alfred accepted Guthrum's surrender and the Vikings gave Alfred peace hostages: [They] "swore in addition that they would leave his kingdom immediately, and Guthrum, their king, promised to accept Christianity and to receive baptism at King Alfred's hand; all of which he and his men fulfilled as they had promised..."Three weeks later Guthrum and thirty of his most important men went to Alfred at Aller, near Athelney.

The unbinding of the chrisom, part of a baptismal ritual, took place eight days later at the royal estate and church at Wedmore near Cheddar.

The following twelve days Guthrum and his chiefs stayed with Alfred where they were honoured with gifts and feasting.

Then, as agreed Guthrum and his army moved out of Wessex, and travelled the relatively short distance[b] to Cirencester (in the Kingdom of Mercia) and then eventually on to East Anglia.