Search results
Explore the timline of Viking Warfare. Viking warfare, along with its key component of raiding, is inextricably connected with the expansion of Scandinavian influence along the North Atlantic and into the Mediterranean in the Viking Age...
- Emma Groeneveld
- The Early Days
- Far and Wide
- Control and Establishment
- Vikings in Southern Europe
- Battles in Britain
- Even Farther, Even Wider
- Growing Influence of Christianity
- The Last Days
Late-700s: Viking Raids Begin. By the late 8th century, Norse society had evolved into a formidable seafaring culture of raiders, traders, and explorers. Norsemen targeted vulnerable Christian monasteries and settlements, particularly on small, isolated islands. These early raids were swift and brutal, capitalising on the lack of protection in thes...
844: Muslims repel a Viking raid in Spain. Viking raiders ventured far beyond their traditional northern territories, sailing into the Iberian Peninsula. sailed up the Guadalquivir River and sacked the wealthy city of Seville within the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. However, Emir Abd al-Rahman II swiftly organised a counterattack, defeating the Vikin...
872: Harald I gains control of Norway. According to medieval Icelandic historians, Harald Fairhair (Harald hårfagre) became the first King of Norway and would rule to 930. He was regarded to have unified Norway after the the Battle of Hafrsfjord. The famous swords sculpture in Stavanger (Sverd i fjell) commemorates this moment. 878-890: Danelaw beg...
900s: Trade with the Byzantine Empire: Viking traders, known as the Varangians, established important trade routes along the rivers of Eastern Europe, eventually reaching Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). The Varangian Guard, composed of Viking warriors, became an elite unit of the Byzantine Emperor’s forces. 911: Rollo founds Normandy in Franc...
910: Battle of Tettenhall / Wednesfield. A major turning point in the fight between the English kingdoms and the Danish Vikings. Allied forces from Mercia and Wessex, led by King Edward the Elder and his sister, Æthelflæd, Lady of Mercia, decisively defeated the Northumbrian Vikings. The Viking forces had been raiding deep into Mercian and Wessex t...
930: Icelandic Parliament. Norse settlers in Iceland formed the Althing, one of the world’s oldest parliaments. This firmed up the settlement of Iceland and spurred further Viking exploration, leading to the discovery of Greenland and North America. 941: Rus Vikings attack Constantinople. The Rus and their allies took advantage of the Byzantine fle...
995: Norway's Viking King builds a Christian church. The founder of Trondheim, Olav Tryggvassonbuilt the first Christian church in Norway. He had spent time on the Scilly Isles, where a seer is said to have foreseen a battle in which Tryggvason would suffer great wounds and then convert. Shortly after the meeting he survived a vicious attack, and d...
1015: The North American settlement is abandoned. The Viking settlement in Vinland (modern-day Newfoundland, Canada) was abandoned, likely due to hostile encounters with indigenous peoples, limited supplies, and the challenges posed by the long, hazardous journey required to trade with Scandinavia. 1030: The Battle of Stiklestad. Norway's Christian...
Jun 1, 2018 · The Vikings' characteristic hit-and-run tactics were bolstered by the establishment of overwintering bases, from which campaigns could be launched and more land could be conquered, leading to the establishment of several full-fledged Viking territories far from the Scandinavian heartlands.
- Emma Groeneveld
Feb 4, 2018 · The first Viking invasion was in 793 when the Vikings raided the monastery at Lindisfarne. The last was Harald Hardrada’s attempt to take the English throne in 1066. A Viking force landed at Portland, Dorset. When the local reeve went to meet them he was killed.
The Vikings were originally diverse Scandinavian seafarers from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (though other nationalities were later involved) whose raids and subsequent settlements significantly impacted the cultures of Europe and were felt as far as the Mediterranean regions c. 790 - c. 1100 CE.
- Joshua J. Mark
- Content Director
Oct 16, 2024 · During the Early Middle Ages, from the 8th to 11th centuries CE, Scandinavian seafarers—commonly referred to as Vikings—made a significant impact on the British Isles through raids, conquests, settlements, and trade.
People also ask
What is a Viking timeline?
What happened in the Viking Age?
When was the first Viking raid in England?
When did the Vikings invade England?
How did the Viking era start and end?
Where did the Vikings come from?
Dec 6, 2019 · A Viking Timeline, showing the major events of the Viking Age as they colonized, or attempted to colonize, Europe and North America.
