The Viking Age

Overview

The Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the mid-11th century, was a period of significant cultural and societal change throughout Europe. During this time, Vikings, Scandinavian seafarers, were known for their brutal raids on European communities, including the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England. 

The Vikings engaged in a range of activities, including raiding, trading, and colonizing. The Viking Age began with the raid on the Lindisfarne monastery in 793 CE and ended with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 CE. During this time, Vikings from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden travelled to and settled in a range of regions, including Iceland, Greenland, Russia, and the Mediterranean.

Viking Raids in Anglo-Saxon England

The Anglo-Saxon period in England began with the withdrawal of the Roman Empire in the early 5th century and continued until the Norman Conquest in 1066. During this time, England was divided into several kingdoms, including Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia. The Anglo-Saxon period was a time of cultural and political development for England, with the emergence of Christianity and the growth of literacy and learning.

The Viking raids on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were a defining feature of the Viking Age, and they had a profound impact on the region. The Vikings’ attacks were particularly brutal, and they often targeted monasteries, churches, and other religious institutions, as well as towns and villages.

Oseberg Ship located at the Viking Ship Museum in Bygdøy, Norway. It is believed to be one of the finest surviving artificats from the Viking Age. 

The Vikings’ raids on Anglo-Saxon communities were primarily driven by a desire for wealth and resources, as well as a desire for revenge. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were wealthy and prosperous, and they were known for their impressive art and craftsmanship. The Vikings saw the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms as a prime target for raiding and plundering, and they launched a series of attacks throughout the 9th century.

One of the most famous Viking raids on an Anglo-Saxon community was the attack on the Lindisfarne monastery in 793 CE. This raid is often seen as the beginning of the Viking Age, and it had a profound impact on the region. The Vikings attacked the monastery, killing many of the monks and taking others as slaves. They also looted the monastery, taking valuable religious relics and treasures.

Map of England showing the routes of the Great Heathen Army.

Map showing the routes and battles of the Great Heathen Army of 865.

The Great Heathen Army

The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms responded to the Viking attacks in a variety of ways, attempting to resist the Vikings through military means, paying tribute to the Vikings in exchange for peace, and fortifying their towns and cities. Despite these efforts, however, the Vikings continued to raid the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms throughout the 9th century, leaving a lasting impact on the region.

The Great Heathen Army was a large Viking army that invaded England in the late 9th century. The exact size and composition of the army is unknown, but it is believed to have consisted of several thousand men and was led by a number of prominent Viking leaders, including Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, and Ubba.

The Great Heathen Army first arrived in England in 865  CE, when it landed in East Anglia and began raiding the surrounding areas. Over the next few years, the army moved north and west, conquering much of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia. In 871 CE, the army faced off against King Alfred of Wessex at the Battle of Ashdown, but the result of the battle was inconclusive.

Over the next few years, the Great Heathen Army continued to conquer territory, eventually establishing its own kingdom in Northumbria. However, in 876 CE, the Vikings were defeated by Alfred’s forces at the Battle of Edington, which marked a turning point in the war. The Vikings were forced to retreat to their territory in the north, and they eventually made peace with Alfred in 878 CE.

The legacy of the Great Heathen Army was significant. The Vikings established a lasting presence in England, particularly in the north, where they founded the Kingdom of Jorvik. The influence of the Vikings can still be seen in the culture and language of the region today, and many place names in the north of England are derived from Old Norse. The Great Heathen Army also had a significant impact on the history of England, shaping the course of the country’s development for centuries to come.

Danelaw

The Viking Age had a significant impact on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, particularly in the north of England, where the Vikings established their own territory known as the Danelaw. This region covered much of modern-day Yorkshire, East Anglia, and parts of the Midlands, and it was ruled by Danish kings and earls.

One of the key figures in the establishment of the Danelaw was the Viking leader Ivar the Boneless. Ivar was the son of the legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, and he is believed to have been instrumental in the conquest of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria in the late 9th century. Ivar established his own kingdom in Northumbria, which was ruled by Danish kings and earls for several decades.

Another important figure in the history of the Danelaw was King Alfred of Wessex. Alfred was able to resist the Viking attacks and eventually drive them out of Wessex, but he was unable to reclaim the territory that had been lost to the Vikings in the north. Instead, he focused on building a network of fortified towns (burhs) in order to protect his own kingdom from further Viking raids.

The Danelaw persisted for several decades, and it had a lasting impact on the culture and language of the region. Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, had a significant influence on the development of English in the Danelaw, and many place names in the region are still derived from Old Norse. The legacy of the Danelaw can still be seen in the modern-day cities of York, Derby, and Nottingham, which were all major centers of Viking activity during the Viking Age.

Image: Anglo-Saxon England c. 878 CE.

Anglo-Saxon England c. 878 CE.

Anglo-Saxon Repsonse

The Anglo-Saxons responded to the Viking attacks in a variety of ways, depending on the situation and the kingdom in question. Some Anglo-Saxon kingdoms attempted to resist the Viking attacks through military means. They raised armies and fought back against the Vikings, hoping to drive them out of their territory. One of the most famous examples of Anglo-Saxon military resistance to the Vikings was the Battle of Edington in 878 CE. This battle was fought between the forces of King Alfred of Wessex and the Viking leader Guthrum, and it resulted in an Anglo-Saxon victory. King Alfred was able to rally his forces and successfully drive the Vikings out of Wessex, paving the way for the eventual unification of England under Anglo-Saxon rule. 

Another response was to pay tribute to the Vikings in exchange for peace. This involved giving the Vikings large sums of money, often in the form of silver or gold, in exchange for the Vikings leaving the kingdom alone. This strategy could be effective in the short term, but it often led to the Vikings returning for more tribute in the future. The payment of tribute was a common response to Viking attacks throughout the Anglo-Saxon period. One famous example of this was the Danegeld, a tax levied on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms by the Vikings in exchange for peace. This tax was first paid by King Æthelred the Unready in 991 CE, and it was paid several more times over the following decades. However, paying tribute did not always guarantee peace, and the Vikings often returned to raid the kingdoms again.

Many Anglo-Saxon kingdoms attempted to fortify their towns and cities in order to defend against Viking attacks. They built walls, erected watchtowers, and dug trenches in order to make it more difficult for the Vikings to attack their communities. This strategy could be effective in the short term, but it was often costly and time-consuming, and it did not always prevent Viking attacks.

Diplomacy was another response to Viking attacks, although it was often unsuccessful. King Alfred attempted to negotiate with the Vikings on several occasions, but he was often rebuffed. However, King Æthelstan, who ruled from 924-939 CE, was able to establish peaceful relations with the Vikings through diplomacy. He negotiated a treaty with the Viking leader Olaf Guthfrithson, which helped to bring a period of relative peace to the region.

Runestone U 194 at Väsby, Uppland, Sweden.

Runestone U 194 at Väsby, Uppland, Sweden. It was raised by a viking to commemorate recieving danegeld in England.

Image: Runestone U 194 at Väsby, Uppland, Sweden. It was raised by a viking to commemorate recieving danegeld in England.

End of the Viking Age

The Viking Age is generally considered to have come to an end in the late 11th century, although the exact date is a matter of debate among historians. The end of the Viking Age is typically associated with the defeat of the Vikings by the Anglo-Saxon king Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, and the subsequent Norman Conquest of England by William the Conqueror later that same year.

The Battle of Stamford Bridge was fought between Harold Godwinson and a Norwegian Viking army led by King Harald Hardrada, who had invaded England in September 1066. The battle was a decisive victory for Harold’s forces, and it marked the end of Viking influence in England. However, just a few weeks later, Harold was defeated by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, which marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and the beginning of the Norman era in England.

The end of the Viking Age can also be attributed to a number of other factors, including the conversion of many Scandinavians to Christianity, the centralization of power among Scandinavian monarchies, and the decline in the profitability of raiding due to increased coastal defenses and a lack of available targets. Additionally, the Vikings themselves began to turn their attention to other pursuits, including trade and settlement, which led to a decline in Viking raiding and a shift towards more peaceful interactions with their neighbors.

Overall, the end of the Viking Age was a complex process that involved a number of factors, including military defeats, social and cultural changes, and economic pressures. Despite the end of the Viking Age, the legacy of the Vikings continues to be felt throughout Europe, particularly in the areas of language, culture, and history.

Related Topics

viking runestone in grassy field

Battle of Stamford Bridge (Page Coming Soon)

Further Research & References

Free Online Version of Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/657
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Edited and translated by Michael Swanton. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks. Edited and translated by B. Scholz and B. Rogers. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1970.
Seaver, Kirsten A. The Vikings and their Victims: The Verdict of the Names. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2010.

The Sagas of Icelanders. Edited by Jane Smiley. New York: Penguin, 2001.
Brink, Stefan and Price, Neil, eds. The Viking World. New York: Routledge, 2008.
Hårdh, Birgitta and Larsson, Lars. “The Viking Age.” In The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial, edited by Sarah Tarlow and Liv Nilsson Stutz, 311-335. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Wolf, Kirsten. Viking Age: Everyday Life During the Extraordinary Era of the Norsemen. New York: Sterling, 2013.
Cross, Katherine. Heirs of the Vikings: History and Identity in Normandy and England, c.950-c.1015. York Medieval Press, 2018.

Photos:

Map of Great Heathen Army & Map of Danelaw:
Hel-hama, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Runestone U 194 at Väsby, Uppland, Sweden:
I, Berig, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lindifarne Monastery:
August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This page was last updated on March 29, 2023.