The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu, Danish: Danelagen ) is an 11th century name for an area of northern and eastern England under the administrative control of the Danish Viking empire (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century until the early 11th century. The term is also used to describe the set of legal terms and definitions established between Alfred the Great and the Viking Guthrum, which were set down following Guthrum's defeat at the Battle of Edington in 878. Later, around 886, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum was created, which established the boundaries of their kingdoms and made some provision for relations between the English and the Danes.
