After a period spent concentrating on other regions, the Vikings returned to England in the late tenth century. p. 4. They were called “Varangians,” and although they were mercenaries, they were famed for their unwavering loyalty. The last great Viking king, Harald Hardrada, rose from modest beginnings to serve in the prestigious Varangian Guard for the Byzantine Emperor and eventually become king of Norway. The Viking raid on this particular religious community, then, was especially devastating because St. Cuthbert had obviously failed to protect his own people in the priory and so there seemed little chance he would do better for others. The Old Norse Language and How to Learn It, The Swastika – Its Ancient Origins and Modern (Mis)use. In the 830s, they became more frequent and widespread. His son, Cnut, marched with him as a commander of part of the force. But Alfred was able to amass an English army to move against the Vikings in 878, and won a decisive victory over them. Viking raids on England began in the late eighth century, and by 792, English kings who ruled coastal areas were organizing defensive forces against, in their words, “seagoing pagans.”[19]. 2012. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 20 Mar 2018. [25], In 874, the “great heathen army” divided in two. Then they became permanent settlers. But the Viking trading towns generated a great deal of wealth, so the Irish put up with the Viking presence in their midst. Rouen is laid waste, plundered and burned: Paris, Beauvais and Meaux taken, Melun’s strong fortress leveled to the ground, Chartres occupied, Evreux and Bayeux plundered, and every town besieged. [3][4], Similarly unconvincing is the idea that the Viking raids were somehow religiously motivated – pagan retaliations for attempts to convert Scandinavia to Christianity. Ancient History Encyclopedia. [14][15], Over the course of the Viking Age, raids of this sort increased greatly in scale. The Vikings returned to Spain to raid in the mid-tenth century, but this time with mixed success.[43][44]. In 843, they overwintered on the mainland for the first time. He put down rebellions in his territories and established Danish legal practices and customs so that, by 875 CE, he had created a Viking kingdom in Britain and partitioned lands in Yorkshire as rewards for his veterans. The ninth-century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives us a sense of how vivid an impression the attack made on the minds of the English: In this year dire portents appeared over Northumbria and sorely frightened the people. [9] Williams, Gareth. The city of Paris, situated on the small island Île de la Cité will wake up to the sounds of the city bell. That conquest was made possible by the Viking invasion which preceded it, and the culture of the British Isles had developed from 793 - c. 1066 CE in response to Viking raids, assimilation, culture, and law. The Age of the Vikings. Increased need for these materials forced the Scandinavians to engage in long-distance trade with Europe and the Mediterranean which brought them into close contact with these other cultures. Both the chieftain and his warriors thereby became more powerful and more honorable. Alfred’s payment did not mean the Vikings had to leave Britain, however, and Halfdane continued exercising his power after Ivar the Boneless had gone home. We’ll start with the region that was impacted more than any other by their military activities: the British Isles. Professor Harl notes that the “first major ship we have is the Hjortspring ship from Als, an island off Denmark, dating from about 300-200 BCE” (42). Later historians refer to Cnut the Great as one of the most effective rulers of the Viking Age – or even any age – for his legal precepts and skill in both military and political spheres. Professor Kenneth Harl notes that by 625 CE: The West Germanic kinsmen of the Scandinavians had converted to Christianity and had begun to forget their own stories. Edited by Stefan Brink and Neil Price. The Vikings. [8] This wealth came in both portable form (silver, gold, etc.) The sequence in Season 3:5 where Aethelwulf massacres the Norse settlement in Wessex is fictionalized but raids on Norse settlements by Anglo-Saxons or West Saxons did occur very much along the lines of that episode. Their fortunes waxed and waned dramatically during that time. [5] Even though the force of the Viking raids fell disproportionately on monasteries and churches, this doesn’t indicate any particular hostility toward Christianity on the Vikings’ part; instead, it’s a simple reflection of the fact that so much unprotected wealth happened to be stored in monasteries and other religious centers.[6]. It became the capital of a new Norse kingdom, and an internationally important center of trade. [16] Williams, Gareth. At the Battle of Hastings, the forces of William (thereafter known as “the Conqueror”) were victorious, and King Harold died in battle. We know less today about the fate of the Vikings but it is unlikely that the thin, cold and untrained monks could have caused them much harm. Ancient History Encyclopedia. In c. 2300 BCE Germanic-speaking peoples migrated to Scandinavia bringing with them their religious beliefs in fierce gods who rewarded brave heroes in battle. The Viking raids and subsequent settlements define the period known as the Viking Age in Britain which had profound consequences on the development of the culture and language. The savagery of the unwarranted attacks, especially on religious institutions, encouraged the belief that the Vikings had been sent by God to punish the people for their sins; in much the same way Attila the Hun was designated the “scourge of God” by the prelates of his time. In 851, the Vikings stayed in England over the winter for the first time.
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