Anglo-Saxons and Vikings Flashcards
Since which Century did the Anglo-Saxons rule Britain?
The 5th Century.
How many kingdoms was England divided into?
Seven.
What where the seven kingdoms?
- Northumbria
- Mercia
- Wessex
- East Anglia
- Essex
- Kent
- Sussex
What was the disadvantage of being split into seven kingdoms?
The seven kingdoms were often at war with each other which made England:
- unstable
- vulnerable to invasion
Where were the Vikings from?
Denmark and Norway.
What reputation did the Vikings have?
They were fierce, aggressive and violent. They were willing to kill anyone who was in their way and were not afraid of death.
How were Viking ships designed?
They were very long and narrow ships.
They were narrow enough to fit travel inland along rivers but they were strong enough to travel from Denmark and Norway to England.
Where in Britain did Vikings attack?
- North England
- East England
- West/North Scotland
- West Wales
- South Ireland
Why was Britain an easy target to the Vikings?
- Britain was an island, which resulted in many coastlines so attacking from the sea was much easier.
- England was divided into seven kingdoms which were often fighting one another.
- If one kingdom were putting up a good fight, they could focus on another kingdom instead.
When did the Vikings first attack England?
792.
When did Northumbria fall to the Vikings?
867.
When did East Anglia fall to the Vikings?
869.
When did Mercia fall to the Vikings?
874.
England was one of the richest countries in Europe at the time, so what did the Vikings want to do?
They attacked monasteries (religious monk houses) which were filled with gold, valuables, and precious artefacts.
What was ‘Danegeld’?
After some kingdoms began falling to the Vikings, other kingdoms paid a fee to the Vikings called ‘Danegeld’ to spare them.
After the Danegeld was paid, did the Vikings leave the rest of England alone?
They temporarily left the kingdoms that paid alone, however later decided to conquer anyway.
What was the Great Heathen Army?
It was the first serious attack made by the Vikings.
Why was the Great Heathen Army different from the other Viking attacks?
The Great Heathen Army had intentions of settling into England, whereas the last attacks were for raiding and plundering.
When did the Great Heathen Army attack?
865.
Where in England did the Great Heathen Army attack?
York, the capital of Northumbria.
What did they do with York after they invaded?
They made York their base to begin conquering the rest of England.
What was the Danelaw?
The territory in England that the Vikings ruled.
