The Vikings as Migrants

Who were the Vikings?

The Vikings were raiders from Scandinavia, who attacked, invaded and then settled in western Europe and the British Isles from the 8th century.

When did the Vikings attack England?

There were 5 stages of Viking involvement in England:

• ❖ The first major Viking attack on England was a raid on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in 793. They followed this with more raids on monasteries, mostly those near the English coast.
• ❖ The Great Heathen Army invaded England in 865. From this point the Vikings began to conquer and settle in England, and had their capital at York (which they called Jorvik).
• ❖ From 878 the Saxons fought back under Alfred the Great. They gradually re-gained control over the whole of England by the middle of the 10th century.
• ❖ However, descendents of the Viking settlers remained in England, especially in the Danelaw in eastern and northern England.
• ❖ A Viking king, Cnut, became king of England in 1016. He and his sons ruled England until 1042.

Where did the Vikings come from?

The Vikings came to England mainly from Denmark, although some came from Norway.

Why did the Vikings invade England?

There are 3 key reasons why the Vikings invaded England:

• ❖ England had many rich monasteries, but these tended not to be well defended. The Vikings were lured by the chance to plunder, and the monasteries were easy pickings.
• ❖ England was rich in resources, especially farmland. It is thought that the search for better land was a major reason for the Viking invasion.
• ❖ England was divided into seven kingdoms (the Heptarchy), which meant that the Saxons were not united. The Vikings could play them off against each other, and attack them one at a time.

Why were the Vikings significant?

There are 5 ways in which the Vikings are significant:

• ❖ The Vikings settled in large areas of eastern and northern England, bringing Scandinavian customs and laws with them.
• ❖ Because they still had links with their original homelands in Scandinavia, the Vikings promoted trade across the North Sea.
• ❖ The Vikings had great trade networks across Europe and the Mediterranean, which also led to England's increased trade links with these areas, as far away as North Africa and Constantinople.
• ❖ Even though they settled in England, the Vikings stimulated the Saxons to fight back, and eventually to unite all of England as one kingdom.
• ❖ Although England was eventually united as one Saxon kingdom, the Viking influence is still seen in many place names in England.