St Brice's Day Commemoration 2026
- Date & time
- –
- Host
- St John's College (College)
- Location
- St John's College, St John's College, St Giles', Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3JP, United Kingdom
- Organisation
- Oxford
Topics
About this talk
On 13 November 1002, King Æthelred II of England ordered the massacre of Danes living in England, fearing that they meant to kill him and his advisers and take over the kingdom. In Oxford, Danes sought sanctuary in St Frideswide's Church, which was set upon and burnt down by their pursuers. The remains of at least thirty-five men and boys likely killed during the massacre were discovered in central Oxford in 2008, when St John's College was preparing to build its Kendrew Quadrangle. Since then, the College has marked St Brice's Day with various public-facing talks and events that have reflected on the Oxford massacre and eleventh-century England and Europe. We look forward to welcoming visitors for our St Brice's Day commemorations on Friday 13 November 2026, where leading researchers will share their insight into Oxford's Viking past and what we can learn today from this violent local history. Speakers include: Lady Sue Black, Lesley Abrahams, David Griffiths, Carolyne Larrington, Gareth Lloyd Evans and Mark Atherton.
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