Vikings

Dane

Vikings mainly from Denmark or Norway who traded and settled west.

Rus

Vikings mainly from Sweden who traded and settled east.

Norse

A name linked to the people of Scandinavia, especially Norway.

Yggdrasil

A sacred ash tree at the centre of the Viking universe.

Runes

Viking writing.

Runestones

Stone engraved with Viking writing in runes.

Deity

A God.

Pagan

Person who believes in more than one god.

Heathen

Person who does not accept a religion that says there is only one God.

Asgard

Where the Viking Gods lived.

Assembly

Like a parliament or council.

Thing

Local assemblies where Viking freemen met to make decisions.

Althing

A yearly great thing (assembly) in Iceland.

Geld

A type of tax paid by Saxons.

Danegeld

Protection money paid by Saxons to bribe Vikings not to attack them.

Mint

A place where coins are made.

Chronicle

A written record of the past.

Archaeologist

Study the past by finding and studying remains.

Cultivable

Land suitable for growing crops.

Culture

A way of life.

Fertile

Productive land e.g. crops grow quickly and easily.

Monastery

The home of a group of monks.

Thrall

Slave.

Scandinavia

Term for modern day Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Tactics

Plans of attack.

Amber

A hard orange substance made from fossilised tree resin. Often used to make jewellery.

Berserker

A ferocious Viking warrior who wore a bear-skin in battle.

Byzantine

Byzantine Empire - capital city at Constantinople (modern Istanbul).

Loom

A machine for weaving cloth.

Norns

Three female creatures who controlled fate (past, present, future). Held everyone's string of life.

Hel

Place where evil creatures e.g. trolls, lived.

Dirham

An Arabic gold coin.

What were the Viking Homelands

Denmark, Sweden, Norway

What term describes the Viking agriculture?

Substance Farming

What did Vikings keep in their Longhouses

Livestock

What item was a major part of Viking culture?

Longships/shipbuilding

Name 3 features of the long ship

• Shallow hull

• Light

• Oar powered

Name the longship burial

The Oseberg burial

Name 3 types of Viking Art and a example

• Metalworking = Swords

• Runes = Jelling stones

• Carving = Ships

Why did the vikings choose to leave Scandinavia?

• Lack of opportunity

• Wealth

• Climate

Name 2 major Rivers and where they led to

• Volga River = Bagdad

• River Dnieper = Constantinople

What did the vikings bring to trade?

• Furs = Arctic fox, Polar bear

• Amber

What did the vikings bring from trade

• SIlk

• Dirhams

• Beads

What raid began the constant raids on England?

Raid on Lindisfarne Monasteries

How did Vikings start raiding inner England?

Rivers

What army helped the vikings do larger scale raids?

The Great Heathen Army

Where did the Viking settle? ( 3 examples)

• Iceland

• Danelaw

• Vinland

Who were the 3 kings?

Harald Bluetooth, Svien Forkbeard, Cnut the Great

What did Harald Bluetooth do as king?

• Converted Denmark to Christianity

• Unified Denmark by taking control of the whole of Denmark

• Construction = Bridges, churches

What did Svien do as king?

• Exiled German Bishops

• Religious tolerance ( unlike Harald)

• Invaided England

Viking Expansion

The period from approximately 750 to 1050 when Norse seafarers raided, traded, and settled across Europe and beyond.

Kings and Chieftains

Rulers who held political and military power, organized raids, and expeditions, and distributed wealth and land among followers.

Jarls

Members of the noble class who owned large estates, served as local leaders, administered justice, and led military operations.

Karls

Free men, including farmers, craftsmen, and traders, who participated in local assemblies but had no political or military power.

Thralls

Slaves captured in raids or born into servitude, forming the lowest class in Viking society.

Norse Mythology

The body of myths originating from Norse paganism, involving gods, goddesses, heroes, and mythical creatures, transmitted through oral tradition and later written sources like the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda.

Blot

Sacrificial rituals involving offerings to gods, spirits, and ancestors, including animals and, in rare cases, humans.

Animal Sacrifices

Rituals involving the sacrifice of animals such as horses, cattle, pigs, and goats, with the blood used to sanctify participants and altars.

Human Sacrifices

In times of great need, such as famine or war, humans, often prisoners of war or slaves, were sacrificed.

Asgard

The home of the Aesir gods in Norse mythology.

Midgard

Earth, the home of humans in Norse mythology.

Vanaheim

The home of the Vanir gods in Norse mythology.

Jotunheim

The land of the giants (Jotnar) in Norse mythology.

Alfheim

The home of the Light Elves in Norse mythology.

Svartalfheim

The realm of the Dark Elves in Norse mythology.

Niflheim

The world of ice and cold in Norse mythology.

Muspelheim

The world of fire in Norse mythology.

Helheim

The realm of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel in Norse mythology.

Longship

A type of ship used by Vikings for raids, trade, and exploration, known for its speed and agility.

Thing

An assembly of free men in Norse society where decisions were made and disputes settled.

Lindisfarne

The site of the first recorded Viking raid on a monastery in 793.

Danelaw

The area of England under Viking control, established through treaties with Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

Varangian Guard

An elite unit of Norse warriors serving as personal guards for the Byzantine Emperor.

Vinland

The Norse name for the area of North America explored and briefly settled by Vikings around 1000.

Rollo of Normandy

Viking leader who founded the Duchy of Normandy in the early 10th century after securing a grant of land from the King of France, Charles the Simple, and became the first ruler of Normandy

Erik the Red

a Norse explorer known for founding the first Norse settlements in Greenland after being exiled from Iceland in the late 10th century.

Leif Erikson

A Norse explorer credited with leading the exploration of North America (Vinland).

Christianization

The process of converting Scandinavian societies to Christianity, marking the end of the Viking Age.

Ragnar Lothbrok

A legendary Viking hero known for his daring raids on France and England and his legendary stories and sagas.

Raids on Frankish Empire

Frequent Viking attacks on the coasts of the Frankish Empire, including the sacking of Paris in 845.

Danelaw

The region in England under Viking control after treaties with Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

Iceland Settlement

Settlement by Norsemen around 874, establishing a unique Norse society.

Greenland Colonization

Colonization led by Erik the Red around 985, expanding Norse influence.

Varangian Guard

Norsemen serving as elite guards for the Byzantine Emperor, highlighting extensive trade and military connections.

Formation of Kingdoms

Viking invasions led to the consolidation of smaller kingdoms into larger political entities (e.g., England under King Alfred).

Military Reforms

European states developed better defenses and fortifications in response to Viking threats.

Cultural Exchange

Influence on language, place names, and cultural practices in regions like England and Normandy.

Trade Networks

Expansion of trade routes and markets, facilitating economic growth in Europe.

When was Harald Bluetooth Baptised as a Christian?

965

Why did Harald Bluetooth convert to Christianity?

Because it had become to hard to resist as Gorm had struggled to defend Denmark against German Christian kings and if Denmark remained pagan, it would only encourage their attacks. 

What did Harald Bluetooth do to declare he was a Christian and so were his people?

He built a church in the middle of the burial mounds at Jelling

What does the Jelling runestone say?

“and made the Danes Christian”

What happened in Denmark gradually as people transitioned to Christianity?

Priests were appointed, schools were started and bishops supported royal rule. Churches were built and Christian baptisms and weddings became the normal custom

What did Svein Forkbeard do when Harald Bluetooth changed Denmark’s religion?

He didn’t agree with or support his father and killed him, supported by Pagan chiefs

What did Svein Forkbeard tolerate through his rule

Pagans

Who did Svein Forkbeard invite into Denmark?

English Christians to help lead the Church in Denmark and spread Christianity

What did Svein Forkbeard do to German bishops?

Expelled them from Denmark

What did Cnut the Great give to monasteries?

He gave land and important relics to monasteries

What did Cnut do for the town of Canterbury?

He exempted the town of Canterbury from geld payments as a way of apologising for the murder of Archbishop Aelphege by Vikings in 1012

How did Cnut do penance for the murder of King Edmund?

He did penance for the murder of King Edmund in 869 by setting up a monastery at Bury St Edmunds.