THE VIKINGS
Who are they?
Why did they come to Britain?
What did they do?
Were all of them nice?
Please help me!! What are the Vikings?!!
The Vikings were known to be around in AD 743 to 1066. At that time, the Vikings in Scandinavia left their homes to go to Britain. The Vikings were welcomed by the British well but they burned down churches, fought the local people and stole from the monasteries. Not a very good welcome!!
Where did they come from!
Scandinavia is Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
There are loads of reasons why the Vikings left Scandinavia for Britain. There is barely any food or drink in Scandinavia. The climate was horrible. And people always came to fight them!
Britain, on the other hand, had money, riches, and other trading goods like wine, jewellery, glass, silver, silk and pottery.
The word 'Vikings' comes from the language 'Old Norse' and means pirate raid.
The first Viking raid recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was arAn ound AD787. It was the start of a fierce struggle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.
Hmm, so the Vikings were interesting people. How were their fights? Did they have a purpose? Or was it pointless and useless?
Some came to fight but other came to
settle, peacefully. Some Vikings were
farmers and kept animals safely. They
were also very skilled at crafting!
The Vikings were pagans, not Christians like most people living in Britain at the time. They did not think twice about raiding a monastery.
Christian monasteries in Britain were easy targets for the Vikings. The monks had no weapons and the buildings were filled with valuable treasures, like gold, jewels and books.
There was food, drink, cattle, clothes and tools too – all very tempting to a Viking raider.
Raid, RAID, RAID!
It's all about raiding with these Vikings!
In AD 865, the Vikings travelled the North Sea; not to raid but to conquer. Over several years the army battled through northern England, taking control of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia and most of Mercia.
By AD 874, the Vikings had taken over almost everywhere already!
Except Wessex, which King Alfred the Great had taken. King Alfred
had beaten the Vikings, but the Vikings hadn't left Britain.
After years of fighting, the Vikings and King Alfred had made a peace
agreement, even though there were still fights for many more years.
After, the people decided to make a imaginary line in England, from London in the south to Chester in the north; Anglo-Saxons
in the west and the Vikings at the (somewhat) east