the Vikings in England will know they arrived in their longships with their nice horned helmets, or maybe without the horned helmet. But what did the Vikings actually do in England? What's the history of the Vikings in England? Before the Vikings arrived, England was home to a plethora of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The population was largely Christian, having been converted some centuries before, and there were hardly any towns. Indeed, most people lived out in the countryside, following an agricultural way of life. The first real Viking attack came in AD 793 with the attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, where heathen men showed up, pillaged the monastery, took many of the monks prisoner, and drowned others in the sea. Indeed, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of the year 793 put in this year: Fierce foreboding omens came over the land of the Northumbrian, and the wretched people shook. There were excessive whirlwinds, lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs were followed by a great famine and a little.

after those that same year on the six sides of mid-january the ravaging of rich had heathen men destroyed God's church at Lindisfarne. This was not the first, and in the following year, the Northumbrian twin monasteries at Monmouth and Jarrah were pillaged, followed by other attacks on Sheffy, Canterbury, and London, as well as Winchester. Now in the year 80's 865, the nature of these attacks, many of whom were carried out by Danish Vikings, changed when an invasion army landed in East Anglia under the flag of the flying Raven. These were led by the legendary sons of Ragnar Lothbrok - Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe the Frisian, Bagsecg, Guthrum, and Halfdan of the Wide Embrace, to name a few. They put up a good fight, the Anglo-Saxons, against this new invasion, but ultimately they could do little to stop the Danes from taking their lands. And soon, one by one, the

anglo-saxon kingdoms fell. Only the southwestern kingdom of Wessex, soon to be ruled by Alfred the Great, was able to hold out against the Danish invaders. Fighting in 878, a crucial battle against the great Eden army at a place called Eddington, securing the future of his own kingdom in doing so. After this, there was a treaty signed at a place called Wedmore, dividing the land into giving the Danes the north in the east of the country, while the Saxons would control the other half of Mercia and Wessex, which they still held out against the Danes. Now the northern lands would become known as the Danelaw, and in the Danelaw, these Warriors who would come would settle down as farmers, as the anglo-saxon Chronicle said. In 876, hofland shared out the land of the Northumbrian, and they proceeded to plow and to support themselves. Now, Halfdan of course was giving his warriors hid their rewards for fighting for him, and it's in this that afterwards.

they sent for their wives and children back home in Denmark, and a whole influx of a new Norse community came to England, which would forever alter the DNA and the cultural makeup of England. Now, this land, the Danelaw, can be further split into several parts. There are five boroughs of Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, and Stamford, which became known collectively as the five boroughs. The bigger towns in the area in the Midlands today, to the north, York was the big city that dominated the scene and would become incredibly important for the Norseman there. The area around here became known as the Kingdom of York, while in the southeast, in East Anglia, this became a new Norse Kingdom of East Anglia ruled by Guthrum, who would later, after the Treaty of Wedmore, become known as Athelstan and converted to Christianity. The areas of the Danelaw, with that new influx of Danish, mostly Danish, and some Norwegian inhabitants, saw a great influx between the culture of the Anglo-Saxons who still lived in

these regions, and a great intermingling occurred with Anglo-Saxons marrying Danes and vice versa. This created a new culture and a new people who are often referred to as the Anglo-Scandinavians in these areas. Of course, as well, this hugely affected the English language, with many Old Norse words still being used in various forms in English today. Like the word cast from custer, egg from egg, law from lagu, died from daya, leather from leather, knife from tenifer, mistake from Mystica. And also in my own Northumbrian dialect, many of our words come from the Old Norse language, although they are very similar to your Old English ones. So sometimes it's hard to tell where it's like. Ket, bear, Yemm, fell, and Maura all come from Old Norse roots. Alone the case of cat, which today means something like sweets or sweet things, back then it used to mean meat. So the chain the words have changed meanings. In some cases, many of the Old Norse place names still exist throughout

the old Danelaw, with suffixes like B, Thorp, burrow, wick, Ness, Kirk, all being examples of Norse place names that are found in abundance in the top names of northern and eastern England. Now, an interesting fact is that down the eastern side of England and the north, obviously thanks to the Great Heathen Army, they were mainly people from Denmark, and thus the civilian population there was Danish. While in western Britain, especially in northwestern Britain, so in places like the Lake District in Cumbria, thanks to the Norwegians going down the Scottish Isles and being in Ireland, many of these people would have been from a Norwegian descent. And so, there is a slight difference between the top and hymns in this region, but that's something I'll have to cover in another video. Now, as the Danelaw was intermingling with the Anglo-Saxon population, the Danes there and from abroad were still trying to capture that last kingdom of Wessex, the only one

holding out against the Danes in the other areas of England and going into Mercia as well. However, the Anglo-Saxons under Alfred and the men of Wessex constructed many new burhs, these fortified towns to hold them out, especially on river heads. They also built with the help of the Frisians who helped them out with this, a navy, and built ships that were neither in the Frisian nor the Norse style, as the Anglo-Saxon coracle puts it, to fight the Danes where they were most at home, on the waves. As well, a system of the fyrd was set up where half of the peasants would be burning the land while the other half would be in a permanent standing army ready to fight off any Danish incursion. Now, soon, the Anglo-Saxons actually found themselves on the front foot and started to have their dreams of recapturing their lost lands in the Danelaw. And it's actually the descendant of Alfred the Great, Edward the Elder, who managed to

recaptured the kingdom of East Anglia in 1917 by deposing the Danish king. There in the following year, he and his sister Ethel fled of the Mercy ins were able to start to recapture the five of the Norseman. But what of the northern kingdom, the kingdom of York? Why did they not step in at this point? Well, that's because the Norwegians from across the sea, who I already mentioned in the Irish enclaves like Dublin, Limerick, and Wexford, were pressing their own claim, trying to capture York as was their dream. And so, actually, while the Anglo-Saxons to the South were reconquering their old lands, the Vikings of York were busy fighting the Vikings of Dublin who came and took the kingship of York during this time. Now, actually, it was King Edward the Elder who decided that instead of capturing York by conquest, he married his sister to the Lord there and so managed to gain serenity over it without shedding a single drop of blood. However, the

Anglo-Saxons would have to fight for it, as in the year 937 when King Athelstan ruled the English, the Scottish made an alliance with the men of Strathclyde and with the Viking men in York, Olaf Gue Fritzen, to try to recapture their lost kingdoms. However, at the great battle of Brunnen Burr, the Anglo-Saxons were victorious against their allied enemies, and thanks to this, they managed to hold on. But two years later, Athelstan was dead, and Olaf Goren was able to slip into England and recapture the king burned anyway, holding on to the last bit of the Dame law in England. Now, it's not the end of the story when they died, and there were actually several more of these Viking kings from Dublin who ruled in York. But soon afterwards, actually a man from Norway who I've already covered in several videos, Eric Bloodaxe, Erica came from Norway and captured the Kingdom of York for himself. He was driven out once, but he came back.

but then in 1954, the Battle of Stiklestad, the Northumbrians had had enough of his despotic regime, and they did away with him for good. Now this isn't actually the end of the story, but I'd like to take this opportunity to look at some of the differences between the various North populations. Obviously, it's very hard to make a difference between countries because Denmark and Norway only really came about towards the end of the 10th century, but what's interesting is a linguistic divide in Denmark and Sweden. The people there spoke a dialect or version of Old Norse called Old East Norse, and thanks to this, in the Danelaw, the people coming there would be speaking a kind of Old East Norse, while the people from Norway who went out to places like Iceland and Greenland, as well as the Scottish Isles and Ireland, and also into areas like Cumbria, like I mentioned, were speaking more an Old West Norse, and that's why you have some differences in the toponyms.

but really, these peoples would most likely be able to understand each other without much of an issue. There could also have been slight cultural differences between these groups, but unfortunately, we don't know too much about that. But that's a little bit of diversity in the population that came to England during this time. Now, as well, these people were completely mixing with the Anglo-Saxons, so you had a bit of a mixed match between them. And really, the Anglo-Scandinavian population started to become the population. It was much harder to try and find a Danish person or an Anglo-Saxon person within the areas of the Danelaw. As initially, the Danes had longer hair, they'd been uncouth, or although they had apparently been much better groomed than the Anglo-Saxon men, which is why they got the girl at the end of the day. But really, these Anglo-Scandinavians became a mixed culture as the Vikings. They started to convert to Christianity as well and actually had oftentimes a better relationship with

the church than the original Northumbrian or East Anglian rulers had had, and so they got on very well with the bishops and the monks most of the time. And this very interesting culture developed in these areas. Now, as well because of this, because they were talking to each other, the language, as I've already mentioned, changed quite dramatically. And actually, it's partly because of the Scandinavian influence that the case system in Old English, which we no longer have in modern English, was abolished because it was the harder part for the Norseman to learn and to do because it didn't exist in Old Norse. Whereas the words, often you could understand each other if one was speaking Old Norse and one Old English, the grammatical system was harder. And it's thought that because of the Dame law, that this is the reason that they abolished the case system in English to make it easier for them to understand each other and to interact as well. Some of our grammatical terms let them comes from the Old Norse fame as well as their.

which comes from fair in Old Norse. Which they didn't have in Old English. Or at least they were diff in Old English. Now at this time after some years of England being independent. Another great force came across the ocean. Now they weren't actually here to invade the country. But rather they were paid off by the king at the time called æthelred the unready. Now he hasn't actually meant to be called unready. As in he wasn't ready actually it's a pun on his name athol red is Old English for noble Council. However unready means that he was ill-advised. And this seems to be the case. And he actually paid off these Danes with something called Dane geld. And Dane geld was the old English for Dane money. But of course they kept coming back and demanding more and more of this Dane geld. So the English weren't a fan of having to pay this every time. Now instead of actually going off and fighting against these Danish invaders when they came. The King Ethelred decided

to attack an easier target, those Danes that he could find in the Danelaw. An ominous in Bryce's Day Massacre of a thousand and two ad many thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of these people were slaughtered. Now in revenge for this, because possibly his sister had been killed, the Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard attacked England again in AD 1003, raiding areas like Hampshire and Wiltshire, as well as towns like Exeter, Salisbury, and Wilton. He then attacked again in East Anglia, causing great distress amongst the people and taking much of the money that otherwise he would have got for Dane Guild, which the king then was forced to pay. Again, now in thousand and four, he attacked again Thetford, this time, and Norwich, both in East Anglia. Now it's at this point in the story that I have to introduce another character, a man named Thor Kell at all. Now Thor Kell the tall, very interesting, is possibly the first Swedish Viking that I have to mention in the story of the history of

England. He was the leader of a mercenaries called the Yum speakings. Now, my friend actually made a very interesting video about this history time about the Yangtze Kings, which I would highly recommend, and I'll leave a link to in the description below, but essentially they are some pagan mercenaries who were very prominent in Scandinavia during this period, and he leads another attack on the English, this time. Now in battle, he manages to defeat the Anglo-Saxons, and it seems that he is going to take over the country, but then he is paid a large amount of Dane geld, and he leaves. Once again, no, actually at this point he switched his sides and enters the service of authority unready, who could really use some decent warriors like the young Vikings, because once again in AD 1014, Sweyn Forkbeard leads another attack into the land, this time attacking Northumbria and the five boroughs. Now, both of these places submitted, as well as Wessex, but in London, Alfred and his new young speakings

managed to hold out against them, and actually, it's this story that inspired the song The Siege of London when the young Saxons and the Anglo-Saxons held out against the Danish army of Sweyn Forkbeard. That London Bridge Is Falling Down, which is an English nursery rhyme, was written because of the various Viking Danish attacks on the City of London during this time. However, this seems to have been to no avail as soon the King had to flee away to Normandy as London surrendered to the Danes, and England in 1014 became part of a Danish Empire under Sweyn Forkbeard. But only about five weeks later, actually, he died, and it's at this point that the Danelaw have decreed that their new king would be the son of Sweyn Forkbeard, a man named Canute, who was only a very young man at the time. However, the rest of England called back Æthelred, and Canute was forced to flee away back to Denmark.

he would be back, and actually he would be, and his army now would consist not only of Danes but also of Norwegian Vikings, as well as some Swedish Vikings. So with an army from all of Scandinavia, he returned ahead of this huge army, and actually it's mentioned in Emma's encomium, which is a book that was written by or for Emma of Normandy, who was a very important character at that time. She said of the army, there were there so many kinds of shields that you could have believed that troops of all nations were present. Gold char on the Prowse, silver also flashed on the various v-shaped ships, for who could look upon the Lions of the foe, terrible with the brightness of gold, who upon the men of metal menacing with golden face, who upon the Bulls on the ships threatening death, their horns shining with gold, so maybe they did have horns on the helmets, without feeling any fear. For the king of such a force, the English situation became yet graver when the ohm's Vikings under Thor quell.

the tall switched sides and joined the huge Scandinavian Alliance, as well as treachery from the very heart of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom. The Thane of Murcia, heir to extra honour, switched sides, also enjoyed Knut against the Anglo-Saxons and his own kin, fighting for the English. However, Edmund, who became known by the epithet Ironside for his relentless resistance against the Danes, as well as the Earl, each read of Northumbria, both held out against the Scandinavian army, but it seemed to be in vain as the Earl was assassinated, probably on the orders of Clute, by a rival for the Northumbrian thaneship. However, Edmund Ironside mounted his forces for one final assault against the Danish at a place called a centum. However, he was nobly defeated in this battle when Eric's Triana, who had once again switched sides back to the English, although this possibly was a ruse, deserted him in the middle of the battle. However, he was able to escape to Wales, although Knut pursued him. It seems

he managed to win a victory against the Scandinavian army in the forest of dean. For Knut was forced to the negotiation table, and it was agreed that they would split England just as Alfred had done with the Danes in the north and the East, while the anglo-saxons kept the south and the west. However, several weeks later, Edmund died of his wounds from the battle, and commute was able to take the entirety of England in AD 1017, forging it as part of his North Sea Empire, which would come to include Denmark as well as newly England and some years later Norway and parts of Sweden as well. Now his main mission after conquering England was to capture Denmark as well because his brother Harald was the ruler there. But when he died, he actually took an army of mostly Englishmen of anglo-saxons to come and press his claim there, and of course he was successful as well. When he was in England, he minted coins, and this was on an English model, so there was a one currency across this.

North Sea Empire. So it shows that to the Danes, England was incredibly important because the Angle of Saxon Kings had been minting coins long before the Scandinavians had. And he minted them in his own image with his Baymont like our on the screen at the moment as well at the Battle of Helga, which was against a rising of Norwegians and Swedes, a large contingent of Anglo-Saxons, one of them possibly being Godwin. He would of course have another famous son called Harald, but a little bit more about him later on. And he was able to win a victory there as well with the help of his new Anglo-Saxon allies. Now it's in 1042 after both his son Harold and Halfdan Knut ruled for a short period of time in England following his death in 1035 AD that an Anglo-Saxon came back from exile. And this was of course Edward the Confessor. Now he ruled England again as an independent Anglo-Saxon nation, but in

1066. When he died, there was a big question about who would come to the throne because he died childless. However, the son of the aforementioned Godwin, a man named Harold, of course, Harold Godwinson of 1066 fame, came to rule Byrd in 1066. Another claimant to the throne, a Norwegian called Harald Hardrada, actually came to England, sailed to the north to Northumbria, and defeated there a Northumbrian army at the Battle of Fulford. However, Harald marched his army north who had been on the south coast waiting for an invasion of Normans from northern France, an area called Normandy, and was able to defeat Harald Hardrada, many of his men being caught completely by surprise and not able to put on their armor. Now, of course, 1066, only a few a week or so after the Battle of Stamford Bridge where he was obviously victorious against Harald Hardrada, he was forced back down to the south coast and did battle with the new Norman.

army that he had been expecting led by William the Bastard also called William the Conqueror. But I think the first name is more suited, and he was defeated there at the Battle of Hastings, leading to the end of Anglo-Saxon England and the start of Norman on em, and potentially the start of the real Middle Ages in England. However, of course, even in this final climactic Anglo-Saxon battle, the effect of the Bane's of the Norseman in England can truly be seen. The Great Dane axis, which were used by the who Skaro or housecalls of the Norseman, were clearly shown many times on the Bayeux Tapestry of the Anglo-Saxons in the line and in the shield wall and Hastings. Many of the men there will have been either fully Danish or quite largely an a percentage of Danish blood and fighting in a Danish style as well. Harold Godwinson, his very own mother, had been a Danish woman. She was a Danish nobleman, and his father Godwin had actually risen to prominence.

from house in Sussex under the reign of Knut, and led military expeditions for him. So, it goes to show that the Anglo-Scandinavians were hugely important in England by the late 11th century. As well, of course, the men who were fighting the Normans were themselves named after these Norsemen. Nord the Manney were the men from the north, and William the Bastard. William the Conqueror came from a line stretching right back to Rollo, who had been a Danish chieftain and who was himself a Norseman. Although by this time they were speaking French, they were shaving their heads, and they were completely Christianized, so not too much similar to Norsemen. Although when they came over to England in 1066, they did so in Taraka and dragon ships. So, it goes to show that they had a huge influence on England. So, thank you very much for watching. This has been my video on the Vikings or the Norsemen in England and their effect. Please do let me know what you thought.

about this video any questions you've got in the comment section below. I'd be happy to answer you know as well this isn't actually the complete end. You can also argue with things like Spain's tides on and later on Scandinavians trying to parse their claims in England is the real end, but this is 1066 is seen as the year where it all really came to an end. So huge thank you to the patreon. Really appreciate your support there and for making it possible to do this. I hope you've enjoyed it and they'll probably leave up a vote somewhere for the next one you want to see in the series. So thank you very much for watching. I've been history with helmet and I'll see you all again very soon.

The History of the Vikings in England (AD. 793 - AD. 1066)

The History of the Vikings in England (AD. 793 - AD. 1066)