Year 5 - History
Early Viking raids
The Vikings: why did they come to the British Isles?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
n this unit, pupils learn about the period in which Viking invaders first came to Britain. They learn about the Vikings themselves and the conflict that emerged between them and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England. Pupils also learn about the roles of Aethelred and Alfred the Great in this period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe the early Viking raids on the island of Lindisfarne.
Key Notes
- The attack on Lindisfarne (where Bede had once lived) in 793 CE was the first major Viking raid on the British Isles.
- The Vikings attacked using longboats crewed by about 30 warriors who could land, attack, and leave quickly.
- Priories like those in Lindisfarne were centres of manuscript production and filled with valuable religious objects.
- The Vikings murdered monks and stole these objects for trade and their own wealth.
Vocabulary To Learn
- raid: a raid is a rapid surprise attack, usually involving stealing something
- longboat: a longboat is a long, light and slender boat that the Vikings used to travel
- priory: a priory is a building lived in by a community who follow religious vows
- manuscript: a manuscript is a book or document written by hand
- monk: a monk is a member of a religious community of men
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that the Vikings' motivation to raid Lindisfarne was to murder the monks rather than it being a consequence of the raids.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The attack on Lindisfarne (where Bede had once lived) in 793 CE was the first major Viking raid on the British Isles. The Vikings attacked using longboats crewed by about 30 warriors who could land, attack, and leave quickly.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'raid'
a raid is a rapid surprise attack, usually involving stealing something.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Pupils may think that the Vikings' motivation to raid Lindisfarne was to murder the monks rather than it being a consequence of the raids. Correction: The Vikings raided monasteries because they were easy targets on the coast and they had many valuable objects they could steal.
More Lessons In This Unit
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