way to defend itself against the Vikings. Where England is today were Name several smaller kingdoms in the early Middle Ages. Mercia, Wessex, Northumbria, and East Anglia were all kingdoms on the British isle. They were all vulnerable to Viking attack, and residents along the coast especially feared the sight of the brightly striped sails Vikings on the Move approaching.

By Sharon Fabian In 865 AD, the Vikings launched a major attack on England. According to legend, Ivarr the Boneless and his brother Halfden led Longships were beautiful. the attack. They fought with swords, spears, axes, and bows and Each one was long and arrows. They carried round wooden shields and wore iron helmets for sleek with a tall prow at protection. each end, which was topped by a carving of a dragon's For several years, they invaded and fought. In the end, the Vikings head or another figure. conquered large areas in north and central England. This land became Their large square sails had known as the Danelaw. Viking families moved in, settled down, and wide stripes of bright began to farm there. They built homes and shops. They made pottery colors. Rows of ten or more and other everyday items. oars patterned each side. It's easy to see that shipbuilders Meanwhile, Viking warriors also attacked Ireland and Scotland, but put care and effort into building a longship. even that was not the extent of the Viking expansion. In their fast ships, Vikings sailed as far as Russia and North Africa. They traveled Longships were not only beautiful; they were seaworthy and fast. to Iceland and North America. At the same time, they continued to do With a prow at each end and a thin shape, they were designed to cut battle in England, too. through the water smoothly. If there was no wind to fill the huge sail, rows of oarsmen could keep the ship going. Control of various parts of the island passed in and out of Viking hands, but for about 300 years, from the 9th century to the 11th Longships were built by the Vikings, also known as Norsemen or century, Vikings ruled much of England. Viking rule only ended there Danes. The Vikings were both great shipbuilders and great sailors. in 1066 with the Norman Conquest. Their homeland was in Scandinavia, in the countries now known as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, located in cold, far northern Europe. The Viking lands were surrounded by the sea, so it is no surprise that Vikings on the Move they developed a seafaring way of life. Travel by ship was one of the best ways to travel long distances at that time. Questions

When the Vikings decided to expand, they looked across the water, and one place that they set their sights on was England. 1. The Viking invasion of England lasted from the 800s to the ______. Back in the 9th century, when a Viking ship approached a coastal A. 1,100s town in England, it was a fearsome sight. The Vikings were gaining B. 900s the reputation of fierce invaders. Villagers might scatter into the C. 1,600s countryside, abandoning their village before the ship landed. Monks D. 1,000s living in monasteries along the shore built tall, strong towers where they could hide from Viking invaders.

England at that time was not one country, and it did not have a good 8. One unusual feature of Viking longships was ______. Name A. a sail B. a steam engine C. a prow at each end D. an anchor on both sides 2. The Vikings came from ______. A. Ireland B. Russia Suppose that you were living in a small coastal town in England C. Scandinavia during the early Middle Ages. One day, you look far out to sea and D. none of the above see a bright sail with large red and blue stripes. Write a story about what happens next. 3. The main idea of this article is the Viking invasion of ______. A. England B. Iceland C. Russia D. North America 4. During the Middle Ages, the Vikings sailed to ______. A. Europe B. Africa C. America D. All of the above 5. The Vikings fought with all of the following weapons, except ______. A. axes B. cannons C. spears D. swords 6. Wessex was a kingdom in ______. A. Denmark B. Ireland C. Scandinavia D. England 7. The Danelaw was ______. A. a famous battlefield of the Viking wars B. an area of England occupied by the Vikings C. an area of Denmark occupied by the English D. a code of laws written by the Vikings Name

Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting a Viking ship to other sailing ships that you have seen.