In England, what event is considered the beginning of the Viking Age?

The Viking Age in Scandinavian history as well as in England is considered to have begun dramatically on June 8, 793 CE when Norsemen destroyed the abbey on the island of Lindisfarne. It is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England. The raid caused considerable conservation throughout the Christian west. A description of the raid is recorded in the ‘History of the Church of Durham’ by the monk Simeon.

Also at the time, Alcuin a Northumbrian scholar in Charlemagne’s court wrote: “Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race…The heathens poured out the blood of saints around the altar and trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of god, like dung in the streets.’”

The abbey was a center of learning on the island, also called the Holy Island of Lindisfarne or simply Holy Island. It was an important center of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan, Cuthbert, Eadfrith and Eadberht.

Called Norsemen, they are also known by the modern name of Vikings, a seafaring people primarily from Scandinavia, that includes present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden. From the late 8th century to the late 11th century, they raided, pirated, traded and settled throughout parts of Europe. History documents that the Vikings voyaged as far as the Mediterranean, North African, the Middle East, and North America.

The Vikings spoke Old Norse and made inscriptions in runes, considered a type of alphabet.

More Info: en.m.wikipedia.org

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24 Comments

Anita Clark Morton

I lived in northern England for 15 years, and visited Holy Island often. It's a beautiful little town to this day. The people are the friendliest, and the old Priory is still there. You have to be careful to not be caught on the causeway, during high tide, because the island is cut off from the mainland at that point. But we spent many Sundays there, especially in the summer. LOVED it.

Karen Riedel

Great question and answer, but shouldn’t the word be consternation? “The raid caused considerable conservation…”

Tybo

Karen Riedel, agreed, I thought exactly the same thing. Predictive text?

Bob Fowler

We learnt that when we visited Lindisfarne some Years back .

Susan Edwards

Terry Masterson, I agree wholeheartedly

Susan Lake-Harris

Karen Riedel, AD is still in common usage but not in newer texts or online so much, but CE (meaning Common Era in case Terry isn't aware of the term), has been adopted so that we're no longer saying "in the year of our Lord" in Latin (Anno Domini). Terry, "Common Era" is preferred because it's viewed as more inclusive, and not based on a religion.

Nicholas Miernicki

I remember reading about this a long time ago. From what i read, the Vikings arrived. a group of monks went down to the shore to welcome them and were promptly wiped out. After that, a lot of unpleasantness ensued. So much for, "Meeting new people and making new friends"

Margaret O'Neill

There is a plant on Lindisfarne that if you''re walking you dog, it sticks to your dog, and is very dificult to remove... you cannot leave the island with the plant still stuck! You have to completely remove it, as it can spread quickly.. The Piri Piri plant... it sticks to everything.. it's awful!