Author: Becky Brown

Year 4 History
The Vikings

Who were the Vikings
The Vikings were Norse people who came from an area called Scandinavia (countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark). The Viking age in European history was from about AD700 to 1100. During this period, many Vikings left their homelands in Scandinavia and travelled by longboat to other countries, like Britain and Ireland.

Key Events

Timeline
AD 700- The Viking Age begins.
AD 793- First invasion to Britain raiding monasteries on the coast, including Lindisfarne.
AD 866- Danes capture York (which the Vikings called Jorvik) and make it their kingdom.
AD 876- Vikings settle permanently in Britain.
AD 886- King Alfred defeats the Vikings but allows them to settle in Eastern England.
AD 1001- Vikings land in America and establish a settlement.
AD 1014- King Canute of Denmark becomes King of England.
AD 1066- Battle of Hastings take place and William the conqueror is crowned King.
AD 1100- End of the Viking age.

What you should already know:
The Anglo-Saxons invaded and settled in Britain from AD 450. They came from Scandinavian countries such as Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. The three biggest were the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. By around AD600, after much fighting, Britain had been divided up into five kingdoms. Around AD 787, there were other Scandinavian tribes known as the Vikings raiding European countries.

Ruthless warriors or peaceful settlers?
Not all the Vikings were bloodthirsty warriors. Some came to fight, but others came peacefully, to settle. They were farmers, and kept animals and grew crops. They were skilful at crafting, and made beautiful metalwork and wooden carvings. Vikings sailed the seas trading goods to buy silver, silks, spices, wine, jewellery, glass and pottery to bring back to their homes.

Key Figures:
King Alfred the Great (AD 849-899): Alfred did a lot of great things for England including defeating the Vikings in several battles and keeping part of England under Anglo-Saxon rule.
Athelstan (AD 927 -939) – First King to unite English kingdoms
Guthrum (AD 879-890) – King of the Vikings in Danelaw at the time of the treaty with the Saxons
King Canute (AD 995-1035): Viking King of England, Denmark and Norway.
Edward the Confessor (AD 1042-1055) – penultimate Saxon King of England (before Harold II who lost at Hastings)
William the Conqueror (AD 1028-1087): Became King of England in 1066 after winning in the Battle of Hastings.

Anglo-Saxons	The main group of people living in Britain when the Vikings invaded.
Archaeology	The study of the past by examining the remains of buildings tools and other objects.
Artefacts	An object that is made by a human being, especially one that is of cultural interest.
Conquer	To enter a country by force with an army.
Kingdom	A country of region that is ruled by a king or queen.
Longboat	They were a type of Scandinavian warship.
Monastery	A building where people lived and worshiped, devoting their time and life to God.
Pagans	People who didn’t believe there was just one god, but a number of gods and goddesses
Raiders	People who enter a place illegally, and often violently, to steal.
Rune / Runes	A letter from the alphabet used by the Vikings / The name given to the Viking alphabet
Scandinavia	Name given to countries in Northern Europe including Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Settlement	A place or region where people come to live.
Sources	Something that provides information about the past.

Key Vocabulary

Sticky learning: Can you answer any of these questions?
What are the 3 main countries that make up Scandinavia?
Give 4 reasons why Viking came to England from Scandinavia?
What is the Viking name for York?
Scan this QR code and complete the Viking quiz