The Vikings or Norsemen ventured out from the combined kingdom which encompassed Norway, Sweden and Denmark (despite this they are frequently refered to as 'Danes') due to a growing population and comparative poverty.
The young adventurers engaged in piracy during the summer months and returned to their homelands for the winter months. Europe suffered their ravages which extended from Iceland in the north to Antioch in the south. In time, they began to settle in the lands they had previously only visited as raiders - a Viking force spent the winter of 855AD at Sheppey in Kent, the first winter any Vikings spent in the British Isles, and modern Russia was founded by the Norse-man Rurik in 862AD).
The Norse-men were skilled seamen and their single-masted long-ships, with hulls only some 1.2 metres (4 feet) deep made their way from Scandinavia into the eastern Mediterannean and as far west as Newfoundland.
They were also skilled metalworkers, manufacturing their armour and weapons from Swedish steel and, on making their landfall, they would capture horses to enable them to move about rapidly. The Vikings were also skilled in constructing defensive earthworks.
England offered easy access to the Vikings who could not only raid the coasts but could also sail they ships deep within the mainland along the many English rivers. The rivalry between the Saxon kingdoms of England ensured that there was no organised army or navy to confront the Viking raiders and there was also an absence of strong forts. The country also offered the pagan Vikings rich pickings amongst the treasures of the many English churches and monasteries.
During the later half of the 9th century the attacks on Frankish lands became more difficult owing to the increasing power of the Frankish kings. At the same time, the increasing centralisation of power in Denmark restrained the more turbulent Norse nobles who looked abroad to seek power. These influences caused the Vikings to settle in England rather than just raid the country.
| 787 | | Viking Danes visit the coasts of Wessex |
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| 789 | | The Reeve at Dorchester killed by the Vikings |
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| 793 | | Lindisfarne sacked by the Vikings
heralding the start of their raids on Britain |
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| 795 | | The Norsemen gain a controlling influence in Ireland |
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| 800 | | The 9th century was marked by the continuation of the raids on the
British Isles by Viking raiders which had commenced towards the end of the 8th
century. In 855, a Viking force over-wintered on Sheppey - the first time they
had spent the winter in England. During the latter half of the 9th century, the
Vikings made permanent settlements in the British Isles. |
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| 802 | | The
monastery on Iona was sacked by the Vikings |
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| 807 | | Viking Danes form alliance alliance with the Cornish against the Saxons |
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| 825 | | Egbert, king of Wessex, repels the Vikings in North Cornwall and returns to route the Mercians at the battle of Ellendune (modern Wroughton, Swindon) assuring the predominance of Wessex
The Cornish defeated by Ecgberht at Gafulford (modern Galford on the River Lew in West Devon)
He also conquered Kent, Sussex and Essex
Check out Nether Wroughton
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| 837 | | Egbert of Wessex defeated the allied
Vikings and West Welsh at Hengsdown Hill |
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| 845 | | A Viking force was defeated at the mouth of the Parret by Osric the
Ealdorman and Eahlstan, Bishop of Sherbourne |
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| 851 | | Devon first recorded as Defnascir in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle when Danes defeated at Wicganbeorg |
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| 852 | | The Vikings defeated at Ockley in Surrey by
Ethelwulf |
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| 862 | | Modern Russia founded by the Viking Rurik |
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| 866.Nov.01 | | The Great Army of the Danes which had established itself
in East Anglia took the city of York |
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| 870 | | Alfred and Ethelred defeat the Danes
at Ashdown |
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| 870.Nov.20 | | St Edmund, King of East Anglia was killed by
the Danes |
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| 871 | | London was occupied by the Danes |
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| 871.Jan.08 | | Alfred the Great defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in Berkshire but with a high cost in lives on both sides
One of eight battles in which Aflred was angaged during the year |
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| 871.Apr.23 | | Death of king Ethelred I of Wessex, succeeded by his brother Alfred the
Great
Although Alfred never united England under his rule, he is often considered the first English king |
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| 873 | | Danes instal Ceolwulf as thane in Mercia |
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| 874 | | Iceland settled by the
Norsemen |
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| 874 | | Danes expel Burgred,
the last King of Mercia |
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| 876 | | Danes occupy Exeter |
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| 876 | | Wareham attacked and occupied by the Vikings |
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| 877 | | Battle of Swanage Bay; Alfred the Great wins first English naval victory against the Danes
A Danish fleet left Wareham to relieve their comrades besieged at Exeter by King Alfreds forces. Storms drove 120 of the vessels ashore off Perveril Point before the English galleys could intercept them - the earliest known shipwrecks off the Dorset Coast |
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| 878.May | | Alfred the Great rallied Somerset and Wiltshire and defeated the Danes at the Battle
of Ednington nr Chippenham, Wilts. Guthrum the Danish leader was baptized as a Christian by the Peace
of Wedmore |
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| 886 | | Alfred the Great expelled the Danes from London
Alfred and Guthrum agreed a treaty defining the border of the Danelaw |
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| 891.Sep.01 | | Norsemen defeated near Louvaine, France |
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| 893 | | Danes attack Exeter and north Devon |
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| 911 | | Treaty of St-Claire-sur-Epte: Rolf (or Rollo) became the ruler of Normandy. The Duchy of Normandy
founded and Viking raids on northern France stopped as Rollo does homage to Charles the Simple and converts to Christianity |
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| 982 | | Greenland discovered by the Norsemen |
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| 991 | | Byrhtnoth of Essex and the Essex
fyrd defeated by the Vikings at the Battle of Maldon heralding the renewal of
Viking raids on England |
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| 991 | | �10,000 was paid to the Danes as the first Danegeld to keep them from raiding the coast (ASC)
The measure was first proposed by Archbishop Siric (ASC) |
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| 994 | | The Danes raid widely in Hampshire and over-winter in Southampton (ASC) |
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| 997 | | Danes raid the Severn estuary, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Wales (ASC) |
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| 997 | | Danes plunder and burn Watchet in Somerset (ASC) |
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| 997 | | Danes raid up the river Tamar (ASC) |
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| 997 | | Minster at Tavistock burnt by the Danes (ASC) |
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| 997 | | Lydford repels a Viking attack |
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| 998 | | The Danes settle on the Isle of Wight raiding Sussex and Hampshire (ASC) |
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| 998 | | Danes sail up the river Frome and raid Dorset (ASC) |
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| 999 | | The Danes sail up the river Medway to Rochester, ravaging Kent (ASC)
The failure of the English navy may have been due to treachery |
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| 1001 | | Danes attack Exmouth but are repelled (ASC) |
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| 1001 | | Army raised in Devon and Somerset routed by the Danes and many slaughtered (ASC) |
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| 1001 | | Danes raid through Devon |
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| 1001 | | Danes rove about and plunder the Isle of Wight |
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| 1001 | | Danes raid into Hampshire and win battle against the English at Alton before proceeding to Devon (ASC) |
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| 1001 | | Danes joined in Devon by the Saxon traitor Paley (ASC) |
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| 1002.Nov.13 | | The Massacre of St Brices Day: King Ethelred II orders the murder of all Danes in England (ASC) |
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| 1003 | | Exeter sacked by the Danes (ASC) |
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| 1003 | | Danish raiders enter Wiltshire (ASC)
Wessex force gathered from Witls. and Hants. to meet the Danes retreat through treachery of Ealdorman Elfric |
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| 1003 | | Sweyn and the Danes plunder and burn Wilton (ASC) |
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| 1003 | | Danes under Sweyn plunder Sarum before returning to the sea and the Danish fleet (ASC) |
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| 1004 | | Ulfketyls victory over the
Danes at Thetford saved Norfolk from invasion (ASC) |
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| 1004 | | Danes led by Sweyn plunder and burn Norwich (ASC) |
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| 1004 | | Danes under Sweyn burn Thetford (ASC) |
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| 1006 | | Danes rout English army at Kennet and returned to the sea with their booty passing Winchester (ASC) |
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| 1006 | | With Wessex ravaged by the Danes, the court moves to Shropshire (ASC) |
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| 1009 | | Danes plunder Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight (ASC) |
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| 1009 | | Danes over-winter in the Thames raiding the surrounding counties but London stands firm against them (ASC) |
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| 1009 | | Danes plunder Oxford (ASC) |
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| 1010 | | Danes take Canterbury and capture Archbishop Elfeah (ASC) |
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| 1010 | | Danes in control of East Anglia, the SE, Hampshire and much of Wiltshire (ASC) |
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| 1014 | | Death of the Irish king Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf
Although he died in the battle, the Norsemen who had a controlling influence in Ireland since 795 were defeated in the battle |
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| 1015 | | Edmund Ironside defeated the
Danes at Brentford |
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| 1016.Oct.18 | | Danes under Canute decisively defeat the Saxons under Edmund II (Ironside) at Battle of Assandun (Ashingdon) in Essex
Edmund retreated to Gloucestershire |
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| 1069 | | Rising in the north against William I by the Welsh, Scots, Danes and
the north of England |
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| 1802 | | Danes abolish the slave trade in their colonies |
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| 1833 | | Steam ousts horses on the Stockton and Darlington Railway |
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| 1948 | | Viking sun compass dicovered in Greenland |
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| 1975.Aug.20 | | Launch of US spacecraft Viking 1 to orbit Mars and make a soft landing |
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| 1975.Sep.09 | | NASA launches the Viking 2 spacecraft to orbit around and land on the surface of Mars |
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