Viking Raids
by Jason Weldon
Fifth Class
Introduction

Vikings were heathen warriors and adventurers from ancient Scandinavia who raided the coasts of christian Europe. From the eight to the eleventh centuries A. D. the coasts of Europe were frequently raided by fierce, fair- haired warriors from the Scandinavia countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Raiders


At first the raiders came to plunder but later they conquered the land for themselves and settled down there as farmers. The Norsemen went to Iceland where their descendants live today.Icelandic Vikings reached America long before Columbus did. Although as they did not settle down there, their voyages did not come widely known. The Vikings caused great misery and terror on their raids for they robbed churchs of their treasures. They drove away cattle, killed people and burned their homes. They were Christians with an attack in 793 on the island of Lindisfarne, off the north-east coast of England. They soon reappeared making lightning swoops in Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. Europe lived in fear of them for three centuries.

Viking Weaponry
In early Christian and Medieval times the sword was both a symbol of power and a way of gaining that power .The devastating Viking raids on Ireland, which started in 795, were carried out using swords of much superior quality to the Irish weapons. At least eighty Viking swords have been found in Ireland, many were found in Waterford. One Munster reporter describes "immense floods and sea-vomitings of ships and fleets so that there was not a harbour, port or fortress without floods of Vikings and pirates". This shows the shock of the raids and the power of their weapons. The chronicler also said that they "destroyed land, sworded land and conquerred land of Her" (i.e. Ireland).

Conclusion
In this project about Viking raids I can see that the Vikings hindered AND helped the country grow. They were also great warriors.

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