Viking history - part 2 - the first raid
The Norwegian history continues when we today are going to take a look at the first attacks done by Norwegian vikings at the shores of England.
The first attack
Many belive that the first attack were the raid against the monastery of Lindisfarne in the year of 793, but the first attack that we know about and that was written down, relates from 789.
Here three viking longboats came in the the shores of Isle of Portland where they killed a emissary from the English town of Dorchester.
We also know that these ships came form Hordaland, a county on the west side of Norway.
When they came back with the of spoils of war, other Norwegian chieftains saw this as an opportunity to enrich them self and the raiding partys on England started. Amongst them was the famous attack on Lindisfarne.
View of the ruins of Lindisfarne priory
The first 50 years or so, the attacks were more raiding partys where the goal was to capture riches to bring back to Norway.
In this period attacks agains Scotland and Ireland also started.
Beside getting a lot of treasure from the British towns that were plundered, the vikings also brought back slaves.
The slave market grew quickly and people form England was sold all over Scandinavia, even to the early settlements at the other side of the Baltic sea.
It is also said that the vikings sold slaves so far as to the gateway of the middel east, Konstantinopel.
Imaginary picture of a slave trade
So why did the Northmen go out to plunder in the first place?
Beside the attacks on England in 789, there has been found viking longboats in two graves on the cost of Estonia that dates
back to over a hundred years before Lindisfarn was plundered.
Scientists believes this to be the first signs known to us of how early the viking era could have started.
It is still to early to say what triggered the start, but there are now put together a group of spesialist that shall try to find the correct answers and already at this point they speculated if it can be the pursuit of slaves that was the first to trigger the dawn of the Vikings.
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Until next time, stay safe, warm and dry
Kindest regards
@Gyldenhorn
Utrolig kult med slik historie. Har du besøkt noen steder hvor du finner etterlevning av skip og slikt?
Hei @Everydaycoach
har besøkt maaaange slike steder ja. Både ute i naturen og på diverse museer.
Her i Østfold har vi jo gravhauger nesten rundt hver sving :)
Ja jeg har nok vært på en del i Fredrikstad og besøkt fram muset på Bygdøy, er utrolig spennende med slik historie. Er vel slikt man aldri egentlig får nok informasjon om og jo mer man leter og dykker jo flere overraskelser får man. Jeg dykket til i familie historien min og fant ett utdrag fra ett kjærlighets brev fra Henrik Wergeland til en dame langt langt ute i min slekt, slikt er alltid morsomt å komme over. Ha en flott kveld, ser lyset er perfekt for bilder nå:-)
Takk for denne historie-lesningen, alltid gøy å friske opp/lære nye ting om vår historie :)
Bare hyggelig @Leanvix
Kommer mer om ikke så lenge :)
Herlig! Gleder meg :) Ha en fin dag!
So while the English had slaves of other races, the Vikings made the English their slaves?
I must admit that some time ago, in my ignorance, I saw the Vikings as a kind of barbarians, but I think I have managed to understand their vision of the world a little more, and I find it really interesting.
Hello @Vieira
That is ture that the while the English had slaves, the vikings made slaves out of the english.
There has been a misunderstanding by the common people around the world that the vikings were nothing but barbarians and savages, but they actually were so much more.
The had a rich culture, the were great explorers and tradesmen and the were the one that founded a lot of citys around Europe. Eks Dublin in Ireland had not been if it weren't for the vikings
I can't even imagine what it would be like living in those times @gyldenhorn. I bet a lot of them died along the way without modern medicine and antibiotics. I think the average lifespan back then was like 35 years old and you got married when you're like 14. I'm enjoying the series about the Vikings, it's a learning experience.
Hello @Tbnfl4sun
That is true that a lot of wounds and other sicknesses were more deadly in the middel ages, but they were also very enlightened about herbs and other remedies who help them if the got sick.
It is true that the average lifespan was around 35 years, but we know that many of the also lived until their 80 or 90 years.
I will come with a lot of historic post in the time to come, so hope you will like them
Kindest regards
@Gyldenhorn
Official History presents the famous attack of Lindisfarne Monastery by the Vikings as a pure act of savagery.
That is true that some historians present the vikings as savages. But they were so much more, like traders, settlers and explorers :)
Yes @gyldenhorn you are right and even I think that today's savagery is worse than the old one.
Daily Learn some new from your post. Love to read it.
Great stoy and good writing.i like your post and upvoted.
I enjoyed reading your post. There is a lot of good stuff.
This is an insane story. I think the hardest part about something like that is making sure the kids are fine. You never want them to be freaked out or scarred from something like that.
The kids are though about the Norwegian history and the Viking history at school:-)
It's very interesting to read. I want to know more information about the Vikings.
Good Writing...
Thank you for sharing with us!
What a great story - thank you