More than 1000 years ago our district was one of the most important viking fortresses. This region was well populated and it was from here that the Vikings started their expeditions around the world. It began with the sacking of the monastery at Lindisfarne in 793 and ended in 1066, at the Battle of Stanford Bridge where King Harald Hardråde was killed. These two bloody events mark the opening and closing of an era in Nordic history which featured dramatic social change. The Viking Era. The part of history know as the “Viking Age” is considered to have started in the year 793. This was the year of thefirst large Viking raid.

It occurred at the monastery of Lindisfarne on the north-east coast of Britain. Reasons and prelude to the Viking Age At the beginning of the 6th century large changes took place in the Lake Malar Area of Sweden Suddenly a Svea power appeared which was strong enough to wage war against the Gutar. Piracy was all very well for yielding sporadic bursts of wealth but only trade could yield a regular income. The achievement of the Scandinavians as traders rather than raiders proved the more enduring This was the beginning of period of history known to us as the Viking Age, normally dated to around AD 800 – 1050, when Scandinavian peoples from the modern countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden influenced much of northern Europe and beyond.

Vikings! The word conjures up image of wild, barbaric, sea faring men, intent on setting their mark on their less warlike neighbours with fire and sword. From the land of ice and giants, they swept across Europe like a forest fire raping, pillaging and destroying all in their path. Sadly still many people around the world believes Vikings were pagans and pillagers only, but this is not even close to the truth of course. We hope such unawareness will come to an end. Vikings gave us much more, and the killing and robbing were nothing new at all in Europe..

..