The year, 789 AD. Three odd-looking ships approach Portland, a small township on England’s southern shore. Believing they’re merchant ships, the English king sends a small expedition to greet the unknown visitors. However, none of the emissaries return. A century later, chronologists have noted this as the occasion on which the first Nordic ships came to England.
In June 793, groups of Northerners pillaged the church of Lindisfarne and slaughtered everyone who was there. Other Christian sees located on the shores of Britain didn’t fare much better. In 795 the attackers were already on the outskirts of Dublin, and in 799 on the south-western shores of France. As far se we know, these were the actions of Norwegian Vikings. The first attacks of the Danes occurred only in the year 834. It was the commencement of an age known as the Viking age, stretching from the year 800 to the year 1050 AD. In this tumultuous period, the Scandinavian peoples had a great influence on the peoples of Europe, and have travelled farther than any European people at the time. They explored the riches of the East and the restless waters in the north Atlantic ocean. They created farming settlements on Greenland and reached the American continent 500 years prior to Columbus.

The Vikings were mercenaries of the Byzantine court, they ravaged the Christian Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and reached the very heartlands of the Carolingian empire and Russia. From numerous dead hands, the Vikings pilfered massive amounts of gold and silver. What were the consequences of these “adventures”? Viking warriors played an important role in forming flourishing trading posts from York in England, to Kiev in Ukraine. They’ve colonized countries in the northern Atlantic, thus expanding Europe’s borders. They’ve established many a powerful kingdom. Everywhere they went, they would have a major role in shaping new political structures. As merchants, they’ve stimulated the growth of urban populations and the expansion of trading in itself, creating thus vast networks of roads to transport goods. Even though the word “Viking” means pirate (vikingr), we cannot say that during the nearly three centuries of their domination were marked by nothing but pillage and ruin.
As merchants, colonizers or warriors, the Vikings have visited almost the whole of the known world, and discovered new lands. From their own countries, with the use of their superior ships, they’d attack the western shores of Europe, pass through the Gibraltar and enter the Mediterranean, and from there they could reach Italy, Spain, Morocco, and the Holy Land. From the Baltic sea they would reach the continent and sail the Russian rivers all the way to the Black and Caspian seas, from which they could go all the way to Baghdad. In Asia they’d encounter caravans carrying goods from China, with whom they’d exchange fur and iron for various other goods. They’ve sailed the whole of the northern Atlantic and were the first ones to reach the Faeroe islands, Iceland and Greenland. They’ve settled in parts of England, Ireland, Scotland and Normandy – a region that still bears their name. All of these achievements are known to us through numerous literary and archaeological artefacts. A Viking settlement was even found in Canada, in Newfoundland.

 

The reasons for this massive exodus of people from Scandinavia were searched for even in the Viking era. Dudo, a priest from Normandy, wrote in 1020 that reason for these migrations was the overpopulation of Scandinavia. On the other hand, the authors of some 13th century Icelandic sagas claim that it was the tyranny of Scandinavian rulers. At any rate, the fact is that the parts of Scandinavia with the most fertile land and most suitable for life were populated even in the prehistoric age. The population numbers of these lands rose during the Viking age and new settlements continued to appear. There was less and less workable soil and food, and the rulers were appropriating more and more powers for themselves. These were the main reasons for the massive exodus and migration. What made it possible for the Nordic peoples to do what they did was their knowledge in building superior ships: very fast, durable and superior in battle against their rivals. Viking ships were called drakkars, because their shape gave the impression of a dragon’s body, and the ships themselves were decorated with dragon heads and scales.

The year 1050 is considered to be the end of the Viking era. Nevertheless, historical monuments have been uncovered that prove that the influence of the old religion and the old ways were felt for many years to come. In the beginning of the 11th century, England and Denmark had a shared king – Knut (Knùtr) who married a Christian woman Emma, and thus became the defender of the English church. By his death in 1035 he added Norway and a part of Sweden to his realm. Thus he became the most powerful sovereign in northern Europe; this is one of the most important events in the conclusion of the Viking era. Still, this change wasn’t so rapid in many of the colonies. First and foremost Scotland and Ireland, where the influence of the Scandinavian culture was felt for many years to come. In northern Scotland, a saga from the 12th century tells us about the adventures of Sveina Asleifarson, no different than the adventures of the earlier Vikings.
In the 11th century Scandinavia sees the establishing of many new townships. As a result, the old centres were replaced by new ones. Birka was replaced by Sigtuna, Schleswick by Hedebi &c. Almost all of the new towns have survived to date and have become modern centres like Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo in Norway; Sigtuna, Lund and Skara in Sweden; Aalbara, Odense and Roskilde in Denmark and others. The newly founded towns have become the sees of churches and bishoprics, the symbols of a new age in Scandinavia, thus leaving behind their Viking past and becoming a part of the European cultural “mainstream”.

Another important event is worth mentioning, an event that ended the era of Nordic rule in England – the battle of Stamford bridge. This battle represents the political as well as the symbolic end of Viking rule in Britain. This battle isn’t very well known, even in England, even though it represents the last Viking battle on English soil. The reason for this is that in the same year, 1066, only three weeks later, another battle was fought, the battle of Hastings, that clearly eclipsed the battle of Stamford bridge.

Let’s meet the protagonists in the battle of Stamford bridge:

- King Harold Godwinsson, king of England.
- King Harald Sigurdsson, the Viking king. His nick-name was Ruthless (Hardradi). Also died in the battle.
- Erl Tostig, the brother of Harold Godwinsson, king of England, but he fought against him, on the side of the Vikings.
- Eystein Orri, leader of the Viking reinforcement troupes at Riccall.
- William the Conqueror, leader of the Normans. He wasn’t in the battle itself, but in the aftermath he attacked England after the battle, and later became the English king.

After the death of the English king Edward, the battle was fought for the crown. Harold Godwinsson and William the Conqueror were the key contenders for the throne, but the crown was ultimately taken by Harold. Therefore William organized an army and fleet to invade the island. During the summer the English king Harold waited for the enemy on the southern shore of Britain, but as the summer was coming to an end, and William was nowhere to be seen, the dismissed the troupes and returned to London. On the retreat, the English fleet was hit by several storms.
To Harold’s great surprise, the start of the invasion occurred on the northern side of the island where the Norwegian king Harald the Ruthless arrived with 300 ships and 9000 warriors. Beside that, the Norwegians had as their allies the Scots and Erl Tostig, the brother of the English king. Travelling by the Humber river, this army settled near a hamlet south of York, which was the capital of the northern part of the island and at the time the main target of the Norwegians.
York was taken after some unexpected difficulties caused by a small group of English soldiers defending the city. Harald soon left the recently occupied York leaving not even one garrison behind. He probably took some of the more prominent townsmen as hostages. It’s a mystery why the Norse king started for Stamford bridge. Maybe the surrender of the hostages was to take place there, but at any rate, the choice of place turned out to be detrimental for the Norwegians. The bridge was 12 miles from York, and 19 from the auxiliary troupes at Riccall.
Surprised by this manoeuvre, the English king quickly started for the north of the country and reached it in only five days. The Vikings were entirely unprepared. It was a sunny, warm autumn day and the Norwegians were resting by the river Dervent, leaving the bridge unguarded. We can only imagine the surprise looks of the soldiers of king Harald, preparing for the battle with the coming army “which grew and grew as it approached, their weapons gleaming in the Sun like a field of broken ice…''
The battle began with a fierce attack of the English and a brave defence of the Vikings. The Norwegians consolidated their troupes and prevented the enemy’s advance. Suddenly, the situation turned and the Vikings went forward, intending to force the English from the battle field. Because of it they came to be surrounded and became an easy target for archers and lancers. At that point the enraged Viking king Harald the Ruthless rushed in front of his troupes, holding his weapon with both hands. He killed many warriors, clearing the path with strong blows. The English were already close to retreating when suddenly an arrow hit king Harald’s throat. This was the end of him. The Vikings retreated and Tostig took the banner. Both armies then reorganized their ranks and after a break, the battle continued. In the meantime Eystein Orri arrived, leading the Viking reinforcements but they were exhausted from the long and arduous journey and made an easy mark for the English. King Harold even offered peace to the Norwegians, but they refused, saying that they’d rather die one and all. The English won this battle, and the surviving Vikings returned to Norway with 24 ships. Let’s not forget that they arrived with 300 ships.

This battle is important for many reasons – it was the last direct attempt of the Vikings to occupy England and therefore their last battle on English soil. On the other hand, William the Conqueror, leader of the Normans, exploited the opportunity: since the English king Harold went north, he disembarked on the coast and took a good defensive position. When Harold returned, he didn’t have the strength to oppose the Normans and so the whole history of England was altered.

Varg

translation: Uroš Rajčević