Facts About the Vikings

The Viking age in European history was about AD 700 to 1100.
The Vikings came from three countries of Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Many Vikings left Scandinavia and travelled to other countries, such as Britain and Ireland.
They sometimes went to fight and steal treasure or settled in new lands as farmers, craftsmen or traders
In AD 787 three Viking longships landed in southern England. The Vikings fought the local people, then sailed away. It was the start of a fierce struggle between English and Vikings.
Norwegian Vikings sailed to Scotland, where they made settlements in the north and on the Orkney and Shetland islands. Vikings also settled on the Isle of Man. Vikings raided Wales, but few made homes there. In Ireland, Vikings founded the city of Dublin.
Some Viking ships brought families to Britain looking for land to farm. Good farmland was scarce in the Vikings' own countries.
Viking settlements brought new words into the English language, and new ideas about government too.
On a January day, the longships arrived and the Vikings attacked. They burned buildings, stole treasures, murdered monks, and terrified everyone.

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Viking York

•The Vikings captured the northern English city of York in 866. Viking farmers settled on land around the city.

•Archaeologists have dug up the remains of Viking homes in an area of modern York known as Coppergate.

•From these finds, we know that the Viking city was busy - and probably dirty, with smoky houses, smelly workshops and farm animals all crowded together. As many as 15,000 people may have lived in Jorvik.