Watch: Who were the Vikings?
What were the Vikings like?
The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse' and means 鈥榓 pirate raid鈥.
Some came to fight, but others came peacefully.
They were farmers, and kept animals and grew crops.
They were skilful at crafting, and made beautiful metalwork and wooden carvings.
Viking warriors fought using long swords and axes.
The first Viking raid recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was around AD787.
It was the start of a fierce struggle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.
The Vikings were pagans, not Christians like most people living in Britain at the time.
Christian monasteries in Britain were easy targets for the Vikings.
Watch: Viking attack at Lindisfarne
What was the Viking invasion?
In AD865 a Viking army sailed across the North Sea.
This time they wanted to conquer land rather than just raid it.
Over several years the army battled through Northern England.
By AD878, almost all the kingdoms had fallen to the Vikings. All except for Wessex, which was ruled by Alfred the Great.
Where did the Vikings settle?
- Most Vikings settled in the Danelaw, to the north and east of England.
- Some sailed to Scotland, and on the Shetland and Orkney Islands.
- Vikings also settled on the Isle of Man and often raided Wales, but few made homes there. In Ireland, the Vikings founded the city of Dublin.
What was life like in the Danelaw territories?
The Danelaw covered three main areas:
- Northumbria (which included modern-day Yorkshire)
- East Anglia
- The Five Boroughs (also known as a town: they were Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln)
The most important city was York. The Vikings called it Jorvik (pronounced 'your-vick').
Activity: Quiz 鈥 Who were the Vikings?
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