 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Mercia yaiva umambo hwaitonga kumaodzanyemba kweEngland muzana remakore rechisere uye yakachengetedza nzvimbo yayo kusvikira yarohwa neWessex muhondo yeEllandun muna 825. Pashure pacho umambo huviri uhwu hwakava shamwari, iyo yaifanira kuva chinhu chinokosha mukudzivisa kwechiNgezi vaViking. Muna 865 Viking yeDenmark Hondo Huru yeVahedheni yakasvika muEast Anglia uye yakashandisa izvi senzvimbo yokutanga yokupinda. Vanhu vokuEast Anglians vakamanikidzwa kubhadhara maViking, avo vakapinda muNorthumbria gore rakatevera racho. Vakagadza mambo wechidhori muna 867, uye ipapo vakatamira kuMercia, kwavakapedza nguva yechando ya 867-868. Mambo Burgred weMercia akabatanidzwa naMambo Æthelred weWessex uye munununa wake, Mambo Alfred womunguva yemberi, nokuda kwokurwiswa kwakabatana kweVikings, avo vakaramba kubatanidzwa; pakupedzisira vaMercia vakatenga rugare navo. Gore rakatevera racho, vaDanes vakakunda East Anglia, uye muna 874 vakadzinga Mambo Burgred uye, vachitsigirwa navo, Ceolwulf akava Mambo wokupedzisira weMercia. Muna 877 vaViking vakakamura Mercia, vachitora matunhu okumabvazuva nokuda kwavo vamene uye vachibvumira Ceolwulf kuchengeta ayo okumadokero. Pakuvamba muna 878 ivo vakapinda muWessex, uye vazhinji veWest Saxons vakazviisa kwavari. Alfred, uyo zvino akanga ava mambo, akaendeswa kunzvimbo iri kure muIsle of Athelney muSomerset, asi mamiriro ezvinhu akachinja paakakunda zvine mutsindo paHondo yeEdington. Nokudaro akakwanisa kudzivisa maViking kutora Wessex neMercia yokumadokero, kunyange zvazvo vakanga vachiri kugara muNorthumbria, East Anglia neMercia yokumabvazuva. 