Study Guides

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 how Viking raids on the British Isles were part of a bigger story of seafaring and expansion.

Key Notes

• The Vikings also began to raid monasteries in Ireland, founding Dublin in the 9th century.
• The Norse were seafarers who travelled and settled widely across Europe, as far away as Byzantium.
• In the 9th century, they settled in Iceland, and in the 10th century Erik the Red is said to have reached Greenland.
• Erik's oldest son, Leif Erikson, travelled as far as North America, calling the land he discovered Vinland.

Vocabulary To Learn

• fortified: fortified means to provide a place with defenses, such as walls, to protect it against attack
• expansion: expansion often means becoming more permanent and larger in size
• seafaring: seafaring means regularly travelling by sea
• saga: a saga is a story of achievements or events in the history in Old Norse or Old Icelandic

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Pupils may think the Vikings only raided places and left.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Aethelred, Alfred the Great and Wessex Study Guide
• Early Viking raids Study Guide
• The Anglo-Saxon fightback Study Guide
• The Great Heathen Army Study Guide
• Why the Vikings came to Britain Study Guide