Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HERE COME THE VIKINGS
Few historical people have captured the imagination quite like the Vikings. Immortalised in
modern cartoons (
Asterix
and
Hägar the Horrible,
to name just a couple) and considered
themostfearedpredatorsofancientEurope,theVikingsmayhavedisappearedfromhistory,
but as a seafaring nation with its face turned towards distant lands, they remain very much
the forerunners of modern Norway. But who were these ancient warriors who took to their
longboats and dominated Europe for five centuries?
Viking Sites
» Stiklestad
» Tønsberg
» Kaupang (Larvik)
» Eidfjord
» Kinsarvik
» Haugesund
» Karmøy island
» Balestrand
» Giske
» Leka
» Lindesnes
Conquest & Expansion
Under pressure from shrinking agricultural land caused by a growing population, settlers
from Norway began arriving along the coast of the British Isles in the 780s. When the boats
returned home to Norway with enticing trade goods and tales of poorly defended coastlines,
the Vikings began laying plans to conquer the world. The first Viking raid took place on St
Cuthbert's monastery on the island of Lindisfarne in 793. Soon the Vikings were spreading
across Britain, Ireland and the rest of Europe with war on their minds and returning home
with slaves
(thrall)
in their formidable, low Norse longboats.
TheVikingsattackedingreatfleets,terrorising,murdering,enslaving,assimilatingordis-
placinglocalpopulations.CoastalregionsofBritain,Ireland,France(Normandywasnamed
for these 'Northmen'), Russia (as far east as the river Volga), Moorish Spain (Seville was
