The dominance and independence of England is maintained by the kings that follow.

It was not until 978 and the accession of Æthelred the Unready that the Danish threat resurfaces.

Two powerful Danish kings (Harold Bluetooth and later Sweyn, his son) both launch devastating invasions of England.

Anglo-Saxon forces are resoundingly defeated at Maldon in 991.

More Danish attacks follow, and their victories are frequent.

Æthelred's control over his nobles begins to falter, and he grows increasingly desperate.

His solution is to pay the Danes off: for almost twenty years he pays increasingly large sums to the Danish nobles in an attempt to keep them from English coasts.

Known as Danegelds, these payments slowly cripple the English economy and eventually become too expensive.