The Vikings
When did the Vikings arrive?
• The Vikings arrived in England about 1,200 years
ago
• They stayed for 300 years.
A Timeline to show where the Vikings fit into
British history
Where did the Vikings come from?
• The Viking people came from the three countries of
Scandinavia
• Denmark
• Norway
• Sweden.
Who were the Vikings?
• They were mostly farmers, but
some worked as craftsmen or
traders.
• Many Vikings were great
travellers and sailed all over
Europe and the north Atlantic
Ocean in their longships.
• Some went as fierce pirate raiders.
• They stole treasure and attacked local people.
• But most Vikings who sailed overseas were simply
searching for better land for their farms.
• The name 'Viking' comes from a language which is
called 'Old Norse'.
• It means 'a pirate raid'.
Some significant
events of the
Viking Age.
793 AD
• In the year 793 Viking pirate raiders
sailed across the North Sea to a
Christian monastary at Lindisfarne in
north-east England. .
• They stole its treasures, murdered
the monks and terrified everyone.
• This was followed by other violent
'Viking raids' all over Britain.
865 AD
• In 865 a 'Great Army' of Danish Vikings led by Ivor
the Boneless, invaded England.
• The Vikings conquered all of northern, central and
eastern England, and seized much of the land for
their own farms.
867 AD
• In 867 the Vikings attacked captured York. .
• During the same period, they sailed to northern and
western Scotland. ..
• They also settled in the Isle of Man, and parts of
Wales .
871 AD
• The only part of England to hold out against the
Vikings was Wessex.
• In 871 Alfred the Great became King of Wessex .
• He had to fight many battles to stop the Vikings
taking over Wessex.
878- 886 AD
• In 878 the Vikings were defeated
by Alfred the Great at Eddington
• The leader of the Vikings was called
Guthrum.
• In 886 Alfred drew up a treaty
allowing the Vikings to live in the
Danelaw .
899 AD
• In 899 Alfred died. .
• He was the only Saxon
King to stop the Vikings
invading all of England. .
950 AD
• The last Viking king of York,
was Eirik Bloodaxe
• He was killed at the battle of
Stainmore in 954 .
980 AD
• A Viking man called Bjarni Herjolfsson discovered
America by accident in the year 985.
991 AD
• In 991 the English were defeated at the battle of
Malden .
1001 AD
• A few years later, in 1001, Leif Eriksson 'the Lucky'
sailed to America to take a proper look at it. .
1016 AD
• Edmund became king.
• Canute defeated Edmund
• ..Edmund died and Canute
became king.
1035 AD
• King Canute ruled the whole
of England in peace until
1035 when he died.
• Harald became king.
• In 1040 Canute’s son
Harthacanute became King..
1042 AD
• Harthacanute died suddenly in 1042.
• Edward the Confessor was chosen as king of
England.
1066 AD
• In 1066 Harold ll claimed the throne.
• He was killed at the battle of Stamford Bridge the same
year .
• This was the end of the Viking Age in England. .