When the Great Heathen Army arrived in East Anglia in 865, it was not another fleeting Viking raid. It was an occupation force—organized, strategic, and relentless. They secured horses and supplies through calculated truces before striking north. Northumbria was already fractured by civil war between Kings Osberht and Ælla. The Vikings exploited the division. In 867, York fell. Both kings were killed. A puppet ruler was installed. Tribute flowed. In 869, they returned to East Anglia. King Edmund