-
The Vikings were warriors who terrorized Europe between 700 and 1000. The Vikings developed fast and narrow longships which they raided and invaded across the oceans, seas and rivers.
-
In 1002 Leif Ericsson, son of Eric the Red, sailed west from Greenland. With a crew of 35 men,
he stopped on a shore where he met natives. The men made wine from the grapes they grew and
Ericson named the place Vinland. Nobody knows where Ericson exactly landed, because there were no
maps at that time. Many historians think that the landing place was an island near today’s coast of
Newfoundland in Canada. Archaeologists found the remains of an old Viking settlements. -
The Vikings came into contact with Christianity through their raids, and when they settled in lands with a Christian population, they adopted Christianity quite quickly. By 1100, most Vikings had converted to Christianity.
-
-
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 87i-879. Alfred successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest.
In the 9th century, the English king Alfred the Great stopped the Vikings from taking over all of England. In the
10th century the English reconquered much of the land held by Vikings.
By the time of his death had become the dominant ruler in England. -
One of the Iceland Vikings was Eric the Red, and in AD 983 he sailed off west to Greenland. Here Eric Colonized Greenland.
Greenland is much bigger than Iceland, and much colder too. It is not much good for farming. Eric hoped the name 'Greenland'
would attract farmers, but not many Vikings went there. -
In 865 AD, the Danish Vikings formed a Great Army and invaded England or Angle Land (Land of the Angles). There were many fierce battles over several years.
-
About AD 900, Vikings ruled the north of Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland isles and the Hebrides islands off the west coast for about 500 years. Vikings founded the city of Dublin, Ireland.
-
In 793 Vikings attacked the Christian monastery at Lindisfarne. They were not Christians, they actually were pagans like
the majority people in Britain. A Viking robber did not have think about robbing a Christian church. Christian monasteries
in Britain were simple to attack, monks in the monasteries had no weapons to defend themselves. Churches and monasteries
kept precious treasures, like gold and jewels. There were food, drink, cattle, clothes and tools which tempted the greedy Vikings.
