Viking Raids

1. The Vikings came from Denmark and Norway.

2. They first raided England AD 793, ransacking Lindisfarne monastery.

3. They took gold and important relics and killed or kidnapped the monks.

4. There were few Viking raids to start with, then they increased.

5. At first the Vikings employed ‘hit and run’ tactics.

6. These involved sailing in quickly, landing the boats, pillaging and burning then going home.

7. The Vikings were uncompromising fighters who were often brutal to their prisoners.

8. Later the Vikings brought more ships, set up camps and raided surrounding areas for months on end.

9. In AD 850 a Viking army encamped at mouth of River Thames.

10. The Vikings fought with swords, spears, battle-axes, bows and arrows and round shields.

11. Viking warriors often gave names to their swords, which were double-edged and decorated with silver and gold handles.

12. Each warrior had to provide his own weapons and armour.

13. Rich Vikings had metal helmets, tunics and swords, poor Vikings wore leather tunics and carried knives and spears.

14. The fiercest warriors were called ‘Berserks’.

15. Berserks worked themselves into such a frenzy before they fought it was said that they could not feel pain.

16. The Berserks believed that the god Odin protected them in battle and therefore wore bearskins instead of armour.

17. The Vikings travelled in longboats which measured 25 - 30m and carried 25 - 60 crew.

18. The longboats were strong, lightweight and beautifully shaped to skim over the water.

19. They were powered by oars or brightly-coloured sails.

20. Longboats had shallow drafts so they could sail up rivers and warriors could jump straight out on the beach and start fighting.

21. Longboats had fierce carvings on the front and back of the ships.

22. These were to frighten their enemies and to protect them from evil spirits on the voyage.

23. By AD 869 Vikings had conquered three of the four main kingdoms in England - only Wessex remained in Anglo-Saxon hands.