The Viking Invasion

Amiko ChapmanZayda SarinanaJustin Sparby

Period 3AP Lit

Who Were the Vikings?

They were pagans from mainly Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Vikings were seen as uniformly violent and bloodthirsty people.

Their language, Old Norse, is the mother tongue of present day Scandinavian languages.

The Viking Age

The Viking Age in England started in June 793

Vikings attacked the abbey on Lindisfarne, which was known around the continent.

This period ended in 1066, and was a time of Scandinavian exploration for trade and conquest.

Viking Culture

Vikings were pagans with a society based on honor.

They lived off of agriculture and trade with other peoples.

Norse Expansion

The Norse people traveled to present day Faroe Islands, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland,Russia and Anatolia.

Norse Expansion (cont.)

Norsemen took to the sea to expand, and were known for their sailing and ships.

They were also known for their raids or sacks, where they destroyed villages, killed the inhabitants, and took treasure.

Causes of Expansion

It is unknown what exactly caused the Norse exploration, however there are many different theories.

One is the spread of Christianity in Scandinavia caused turmoil between the pagan and Christian tribes, causing some to flee.

Causes of Expansion

Christian merchants were less inclined to trade with the “heathen” Norsemen.

This may have led to Vikings being forced into sacking villages for supplies.

Causes of Expansion

Some theories also suggest that the Scandinavian peninsula was too small and couldn’t support the Norse population.

This would have caused them to search for new lands.

Works Cited

Jones, Gwyn (1968). A History of the Vikings. Oxford University Press.

Logan, F. Donald The Vikings in History (London: Hutchison & Co. 1983)

Maier, Bernhard. The Celts: A history from earliest times to the present. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003.