The Vikings in Britain, Part II

The Vikings in Britain, Part II

866 marks a year of change from raiding to settling. Danes and Norwegians were the most purposeful raiders and in the next hundred years, they established cities, including what we now call York, and with the help of their allies, mainly Saxon tribes, they built kingdoms.  Raiding declined.  Not profitable to raid the neighborhood if it’s already your neighborhood.

England became somewhat united under joint rule of Norse and Anglo-Saxon Kings.  However, under the weakness of English kings (I promised to keep this short, so I won’t name all the kings and battles, such as Edward the Martyr and Ætheired the Unready – yes those names are real) the Vikings began raiding again.  In 1002, Ætheired had had enough of the Danes raiding and ravaging and proclaimed that all Danes living in England would be executed.  This became known as The Saint Brice’s Day Massacre.   As you might guess, the Danes took this very unkindly and eventually the Danish King Cnut became King of England.

The Viking Farewell 1066

1066 is one of the most famous dates in British history.  The Norman king, William the Conqueror, invaded Britain’s southern coast and won the famous Battle of Hastings.  The Viking age was rapidly coming to an end, but it's also startling to discover that William himself was descended from Viking invaders.

A small portion of the Bayeux Tapestry, a woven history of the Battle of Hastings, still found in Bayeux, Normandy, France

The Vikings played a very important role in William the Conqueror’s victory.  How so?  In the north of England, King Harold Hardrata of Norway and his English ally defeated the Anglo-Saxon forces.  England’s King Harold II raced his army north and repelled the Norwegian invasion.  

Danish King Cnut

English King Harold II

Unfortunately, when Harold raced back to the south coast, he was outmanned and outgunned…..no they didn’t have guns, but I love that phrase.  Harold II died at the Battle of Hastings and a Norman, best known as William the Conqueror, established himself on the English throne.  In the next installment, we’ll see what having a Norman (French) meant to English history.

William the Conqueror 

More about the Vikings.

Here’s a headline, literally.  The Vikings did not wear helmets with horns on top.  That part of Viking dress was invented by the German composer Richard Wagner in the mid 19^th Century.  According to what I’ve read, only one authentic Viking helmet has been uncovered and it was iron and leather.

What did they wear?  Lots of animals skins.  But, there were differences based on wealth.  The more affluent wore linen and even silk from Asia. The rich may have had larger farms and slaves to work the land and grow the flax (linen).  The poorer folks didn’t wear silk and probably more wool than linen, sheep being much easier to raise. Women and men wore wool and linen, but the women’s wear was wrapped cloth, often with a couple of layers, and held up with broaches and such.

So, what is a kirtle?  A kirtle was a long shirt the men wore that often went down to the knees.  The Viking man in the drawing above is wearing a kirtle.

How big were the Vikings?  I always pictured them as 6 feet four inches, with broad shoulders.  In fact, after examining skeletal remains across Scandinavia, archeologists say the Viking men were about 5 feet 7 3/4 inches tall.  The women were about 5 feet 2 ½ inches.

How about warfare?  What did the men wear?  Some wore chainmail and helmets, with heavy leather vests, or metal, overlapping plates.  They carried axes and broad swords.

Evidence of the Vikings in England.  Archeologists have a difficult time because the Viking settlers lived much as their Anglo-Saxon neighbors did.  Tough to distinguish one house from another, although in rare cases it has been done.

The Vikings fought and ruled and conquered in Britain for about 300 years.  But, they didn’t totally disappear. In some cities, especially in the far north and into Scotland, the people still celebrate their Viking heritage.