In time, like the Anglo-Saxons, they made their home here. They drove the Saxons out of part of the country and took it for themselves.
King Alfred, Saxon king of Wessex, fought them in a great battle, but he could not drive them right away and had to let them have part of the country, called Danelaw.
-Where did the Vikings come from?
The Vikings lived over one thousand years ago and came from the three countries of Scandinavia:
Denmark, 
Norway and 
Sweden.-Who were the Vikings?
Vikings were also known as the Norsemen. They
were great travellers and sailed to other parts of Europe, where they
traded, raided, and often settled
They were also farmers, fishermen, trappers and traders.
Viking craftsmen made beautiful objects out of wood, metal and bone;
Viking women were skilful weavers, produced fine, warm textiles.
Norsemen means 'people from the North'
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-When did they invade Britain?
The Viking Age in Britain began about
1,200 years ago in the 9th Century AD and lasted for 300 years.
The
Vikings first invaded Britain in AD 793 and last invaded in 1066 when
William the Conqueror became King of England after the Battle of Hastings.
The first place the Vikings attacked in Britain was the monastery at Lindisfarne,
a holy island situated off the Northumberland coast in the north east of England. A few years later the island of Iona (off the west coast of Scotland), came under attack and its monks were slaughtered.
Soon no region of the British Isles (Britain
and nearby islands) was safe from the Vikings. They attacked villages
and towns in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and England.
No matter how many times the Vikings were
beaten, they always came back, and in the end all their efforts paid
off.
It was the Vikings (Norse) of Normandy who finally conquered
England in 1066 and changed British history for ever.
-Why did the Vikings invade Britain?
Most Vikings who sailed overseas were
simply searching for better land for their farms. Their land was not
very good for farming. Norway was very hilly, Sweden was covered in forests, and Denmark had a lot of sandy home land
Norway was very hilly, Sweden was covered in forests, and Denmark had a lot of sandy home land
-Where did the Vikings settle in Britain?
The Vikings settled in:
- Islands off the coast of Scotland - Shetland, Orkney and The Hebrides
- Around the north and north west coast of Scotland
- Parts of Ireland - Dublin is a Viking city
- The Isle of Man
- Small parts of Wales
- Parts of England known as Danelaw
Most people lived on farms. The Vikings lived in long
rectangular houses made with upright timbers (wood), wattle and daub
or stone. They were usually
one room with a cooking fire in the middle. The smoke escaped
through a
hole in the roof.
Animals and people lived in the same building.
The animals lived in a byre at one end of the house and the people lived
at the other.
- CLOTHES
QUIZ
Test your knowledge on the Vikings : http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/viking/1.html
