Where did the Vikings come from?
The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse' and means 'a pirate raid'. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. Can you use the key on the map to find their homelands and their settlement areas? The Viking age in European history was about AD 700 to 1100. The Vikings came from three countries of Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. During this period many Vikings left Scandinavia and travelled to other countries, such as Britain and Ireland. Some went to fight and steal treasure. Others settled in new lands as farmers, craftsmen or traders. |
The Vikings in Britain
Southern Britain (England) had been settled by the Anglo-Saxons. In AD 787 three Viking longships landed in southern England. The Vikings fought the local people, then sailed away. The first raid is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It was the start of a fierce struggle between English and Vikings. The English called the Viking invaders 'Danes' but they came from Norway as well as Denmark. Norwegian Vikings or 'Norse' sailed to Scotland, where they made settlements in the north and on the Orkney and Shetland islands. Vikings also settled on the Isle of Man. Vikings raided Wales, but few made homes there. |