The Vikings: Were the Vikings the Fiercest Warriors of All Time?

Simon Mattacks (0:02)

Most of us are familiar with the Vikings, the seafaring warriors from Scandinavia. From the late 8th century, they raided coastlines across Europe. They sacked towns and cities, eventually settling in foreign lands. But who were the Vikings really, beneath the stereotype of axe-wielding warriors? What were their lives like? And what did they believe? These are some of the questions we will seek to answer. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of the Vikings.

It's the 8th of June, 793 CE, on a small island off the northeastern coast of England. Lindisfarne is part of the kingdom of Northumbria. The island is home to an Anglo-Saxon monastery, where Christian monks are going about their day. We might imagine the monks praying, quietly reading or writing. Some are in the kitchen preparing food. Others are outside, tending to the garden, or strolling meditatively along the pebbled shore. Later accounts of this fateful day will describe a sense of foreboding on the island. In truth, the monks probably had no idea that the piece of their home was about to be shattered.

Those outside the monastery are the first to see them. Foreign longboats with a single square sail. At the front, their prowls are carved to look like dragons. At the sides, circular shields decorate the woodwork.

The Viking longboats approach at speed. There's barely time to raise the alarm. A lucky few will find a place to hide, as hordes of armed warriors sweep across the island. What followed at Lindisfarne was a bloody affair. Many monks were killed or injured. Others were captured and enslaved. The monastery was plundered, its riches loaded into the ships, and taken home to Scandinavia. Writing at the time, Alquin of York expressed profound shock at what had taken place. The Church of St. Cuthbert had been robbed of its ornaments, he said, and splattered with the blood of God's priests. Never before has such terror appeared in Britain, he wrote in a letter to the King of Northumbria. Little did he know, this was just the beginning of the Vikings' assault on Western Europe. The raid at Lindisfarne wasn't the first in England, rather, it was the first to be evidenced in multiple sources. It's primarily because of this that the year 793 is often cited as the beginning of the Viking Age. That said, every place is different. Each country had its own unique experience.

Many, like the English, had a bloody introduction to the Norsemen, while others enjoyed dealings that were more profitable and peaceful. For around 300 years, the Vikings sailed the seas. They traveled far from home, even reaching North America.

They were pioneering explorers, farmers and tradesmen. Starting off as raiders, they then evolved into settlers. These are the people that we are learning about tonight as we delve into the history of the Vikings. We will explore the nuance beneath the pop culture image, often featuring in television and video games. We will look at what the Vikings did, and also who they were, their society, traditions and religious beliefs. Let's begin with their origins in Northern Europe, present day Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Before the 8th century, the lives of the people we now know as the Vikings weren't so very different from most other people in early medieval Europe. For most ordinary people, life was fairly peaceful. They farmed the land, fished and raised livestock. They traded goods with their neighbours, including food, clothes and tools. People lived in small rural communities, grouped into clans. Most people were common freemen known as carls. Clansmen were loyal to their king or chieftain, a jarl or noble who'd likely inherited their position. Multiple generations of a family often lived together, including their livestock, who had their own pen in winter. The longhouse was built for communal living. It was a single story building with a wooden frame and a steep gabled roof, which was covered in turf or thatched. The walls were insulated with turf or wattle and daub. The wattle was a lattice of woven twigs or branches, daubed with a mix of clay, soil and straw.

Inside more warmth came from a central stone hearth. The fire also provided light and flames for cooking. People dined at wooden tables, sitting on long benches. They slept on raised platforms along the walls, where fur pelts provided a cosy mattress. A system of shared beliefs was already long established. It was rooted in Norse myths and passed down through generations. Fantastical stories were told around the fireplace, tales of gods, giants, and dragon-slaying heroes.

The cosmos was thought to revolve around Yggdrasil, a huge ash tree where the nine realms were connected. The mortal realm was Midgard in the middle. The gods lived in Asgard in the heavens. Beliefs around the afterlife reflected a culture that placed high value on courage in battle. A warrior who died a heroic death might hope to reach Valhalla. They'd spend their afterlife feasting and fighting in the great hall of Odin, king of the gods. Those who died less dramatic deaths might end up in one of several other places. Some like Helheim were described as cold and grey. But, interestingly, none were places of suffering. The Norse afterlife was a continuation. The soul lived on somewhere else. It wasn't a place where one's life was judged, where a soul might be punished for past sins. Everyday life revolved around the gods. Each one linked to different practicalities. It was essential to keep them happy, with special ceremonies and offerings and sacrifices made in their honor.