Conquered And Conquerors Flashcards
Where and when was the first Viking attack on Britain
Lindisfarne in 793AD
Where were the vikings from
Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)
Why did the Vikings come to Britain
- Britain had many rich monasteries which couldn’t be defended as monks weren’t violent
- England was rich in resources like farmland -> their original land was rough and hard to grow crops on but England has a warmer climate
- England was divided into 7 kingdoms (Heptarchy) which meant the Saxons weren’t united and couldn’t fight together against the Vikings
What was the Danelaw
Territory given to the Vikings as part of peace terms with Wessex
The Great Heathen Army
Invaded England in 865AD
- the army was a Danish and Norwegian alliance set on colonising and controlling England
- took over parts of York and East Anglia
When and what was the Battle of Edington
878AD
- Alfred the Great made peace with Guthrum and he was baptised as a Christian
Why did the Vikings return
- no opposition
- Aethelred had begun Danegeld
- St Brices Day Massacre (1002) -> Aethelred ordered the massacre of all Danes not living in the Danelaw and the Sven Forkbeards sister was killed
When did Sven Forkbeard become king
1013
Who was Cnut
The son of Forkbeard and became King of England when he died
- he was young and Anglo-Saxon nobles took the chance to make Aethelred king again in 1014 but died in 1016
- Cnut came back to reclaim England from Aethelreds son
How much silver did Aethelred give the Vikings
About 3300kg
About Cnuts reign
- was able to use the Anglo-Saxons powerful economy to pay off his Scandinavian army with £72,000 tax money
- maintained peace in England for 20 years
- was able to use Britains money to
transfer riches to support the Danes and payed for trusted Danish nobles to move to England and help him keep order - religious man who established good relationships with church leaders -> donated huge sums to the church, Canterbury and Winchester
- married Emma of Normandy in 1017 -> brought stability to England
- ended the practice of Danegeld + improved trade by making English coinage of the same weight to Scandinavian coins
- inherited Denmark and Norway and ruled parts of Sweden which became known as the North Sea Empire
- his sons Harold and Harthacnut were hated
When was Cnuts reign
1016-1035
When did Edward the Confessor become king and who were his parents
1042
Emma of Normandy and Aethelred
Why was Edward the Confessors death significant and when was it
1066
He had no heirs which led to the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the Battle of Hastings
Who was Harald Hadrada
- Viking warrior
- Harthacnut promised his dad he could have the throne but Edward got it instead
Who was Harold Godwinson
- Earl of Wessex
- was Edward’s chancellor
- witan picked him (group of nobles who decide who is king)