The Vikings

At this time … A large Viking army landed in East Anglia, determined to make England their own. They headed north, conquering large Anglo-Saxon towns and making their capital in a town they called Jorvik (which is now called York). By 871 AD, only the Kingdom of Wessex in the south west was holding out against them.

A famous legend tells how Viking raids on England escalated into a war. It tells the story of how King Aelle of Northumbria captured, tortured and killed a Viking chief called Ragnar Lothbrok. Ragnar’s sons – called Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan and Ubba – wanted revenge and raised a large army of Viking tribes. They attacked England with great force.

The legend is certainly based on truth: Ivor, Halfdan and Ubba existed, and were part of the large army that invaded East Anglia, although there is not proof that Ragnar was their father.

Anglo-Saxons at this time were Christians, but the Vikings were pagans. Most Anglo-Saxons lived in small villages, on little farms. They had no idea of how big the world was, and usually they would never travel far from the place they were born.

Vikings were used to travelling, trading, and fighting for what they wanted. Their pagan religion meant they were more determined and less merciful in fights. The Anglo-Saxons simply didn’t have the weapons or organisation to match the Vikings’ battle skills.

Religious differences

How did the Vikings’ religion make a

difference?

Invasion - The Great Heathen Army

The Vikings

Whenever the Vikings raided, the landowners and lords nearest to the raid had to summon the fyrd. This meant that they called up all men between certain ages to come and fight. These men had to provide their own armour – so they usually had none – and their own weapons. Most of them were farmers who couldn’t afford to leave their animals or crops for any length of time.

Often, by the time these workers had formed themselves into a temporary army, the Vikings would have swept in, raided, and left – leaving the local soldiers nothing to do but help to repair the damage.

The Viking army landed in East Anglia in Autumn 865. King Edmund, the local king, was unable to defend himself and made an agreement with the Vikings, supplying them with horses and allowing them to stay unhindered.

The Viking army marched north in the spring. Over three years, they conquered many large towns and eventually made York their capital. They then pushed south again, killing King Edmund and eventually taking London.

Only the powerful English kingdom of Wessex still had the defences to fight back – the Vikings had taken over six of the seven kingdoms of England!

Conquering England

Invasion - The Great Heathen Army

What does ‘fyrd’ mean?