The Most Terrifying Nuns of the Middle Ages

In the late 9th century, a convent on the British coast is under attack. As thunder shakes the ground, a nun cries out that the Vikings are coming. Their torches burn like dragon fire, and those who cannot flee will have their throats cut or be taken away in chains. Inside the abbey is Ethelgifu, daughter of King Alfred of Wessex, who thought she would be safe there. All she can do is pray for the mightiest Viking hunter to arrive. That hunter turns out to be her own sister.

The Viking Hunter Princess

King Alfred had spent years fighting the Vikings, watching them conquer kingdom after kingdom until nearly half of England lay under their control. He could not keep his young nun daughter safe for long. His older daughter, Æthelflæd, married the lord of the neighboring kingdom of Mercia and joined the battle. Though she was not raised to fight Vikings, she was about to become their worst nightmare.

At first, Æthelflæd’s husband led the fight. But when he fell ill around 902, Mercia suddenly found itself ruled by a woman. A lady leading a kingdom was unusual, but with her land and younger sister still living in the shadow of Viking raids, she was determined to strike back by bringing out the heavy artillery.

Boiling Water and Beehives