(England) The Vikings (England)

Timeline 700 789 793 865 866 876 886 1014 1066 The Viking First Viking raid Viking army Danes Vikings from Denmark, King Alfred defeats King Canute Battle of Age recorded on from Denmark capture Sweden and the Vikings / Allows (Cnut) of Hastings / begins Viking Lindisfarne invades (Jorvik) settle permanently in them to settle in Denmark King William I King attack England England East England of England of England

Key Vocabulary General Knowledge Famous Figures Danelaw An area of land ruled by the Vikings where they Invaders Bloodaxe (885-954) settled from York down to the east of England. The Vikings wanted new land because the places Eric Bloodaxe was king of the Viking Made from the horns of goats and cattle, these drinking horn where they came from in Scandinavia (Norway, kingdom of Jorvik between 947-948 and were used when drinking water, milk or mead. Sweden and Denmark). It was hard to grow crops, 952-954. Jorvik was a large Viking kingdom helmet Helmets were made from iron with a bowl and nose around York. He was the last King of York which meant there was a food shortage as the guard and leather within. They did not have horns! who was driven out in 954. The Vikings in population got bigger. Britain and Europe had plenty jewellery Using a rage of materials from gold to animal England then agreed to be ruled by the king bones they made rings, brooches, necklaces and of good farmland, so the Vikings tried to claim some of England rather than having their own bracelets. of that land for themselves. king. long boat Long, narrow ships that could travel fast, in shallow waters for incredibly long distances. Religion Leif Erikson (c.970-1020) longhouse Made of wattle and daub, wood or stone with an The Vikings believed in many different gods and they Leif Erikson was a famous Viking explorer open fire in the centre of one single room. thought making sacrifices to the gods kept them all from Iceland who sailed all the way to North Viking women would spin wool or flax which was America. loom happy. They also told stories about the gods, called then woven into cloth using a wooden framed Norse mythology. Each god was in charge of loom. King Canute (990-1035) something different such as war, travel or home. runes The alphabet (Futhark) was made up of 24 Canute was the first Viking king of England, characters (runes) making a sound, word or god. - the king of gods / the god of war ruling from 1016-1035. He won a battle shield Wooden, circular and painted (often red and Thor - the god of thunder against Edmund II that divided their white). Often their only defence (armour was Freyja – the god of love and war kingdoms, but when Edmund died Canute expensive). Loki – half god and half fire spirit causing ruled both kingdoms. His sons, Harold Brave warriors were believed to go to Valhalla in trouble for the other gods Harefoot and then Hardicanute, ruled until 1042. the afterlife – a great hall, feasting alongside Odin.

Clothes (c.1015-1066) Mostly made from wool or linen. They used dyes Harald Hardrada was the king of Norway. He Some of the names of our towns and villages have a little bit of made from plants and minerals to make red, green, led Viking armies into England but was Norse language in them. Do you recognise any names with endings brown, yellow and blue, so their clothes were very defeated at the Bridge in like these: ‘-by’, as in Corby or Whitby, means ‘farm’ or ‘town’‘- York by King Harold II. thorpe’, as in Scunthorpe, means ‘village’ colourful.

‘-thorpe’, as in Scunthorpe, means ‘village’