New Invasions:

Arabs, Magyars and

Vikings

Troubles in the 9th and 10th Centuries: Main Themes

The collapse of Charlemagne’s empire coincided with a new series of migrations, invasions and raids by Arabs from N. Africa, Vikings from Scandinavia and Magyars from the steppes of Russia.

The modern historiography of the Vikings encapsulates a tremendous variety of opinions: modern scholars view them as bloodthirsty pagan terrorists, intrepid overseas explorers, hard-nosed proto-capitalists and/or medieval urban planners.

Primary Sources: We will work on distinguishing genres and how different audiences influence the author’s selection of details.

Charlemagne dies in 814, Empire passes to only surviving son, Louis the Pious

Louis the Pious (814-840)

Oaths of Strasbourg (842) and Treaty of Verdun (843)

The Splintering of the Carolingian Empire

The Vikings (There are some dedicated re-enactors in the world)

Early medieval Scandinavia

Viking Raids: The Attack on Lindisfarne, 793

“Lo, it is nearly 350 years that we and our fathers have inhabited this most lovely land, and never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race, nor was it thought that such an inroad from the sea could be made. Behold, the church of St. Cuthbert spattered with the blood of the priests of God, despoiled of all of its ornaments; a place more venerable than all in Britain is given as prey to a pagan peoples.” -Alcuin of York

793. Here terrible portents came about over the land of Northumbria, and miserably frightened the people: these were immense flashes of lightning,and fiery dragons were seen flying in the air. A great famine immediately followed these signs; and a little after that in the same year on 8 January the raiding of heathen men miserably devastated God's church in Lindisfarne island by looting and slaughter. And Sicga passed away on 22 February. -Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Above: Stone commemorating the attack on Lindisfarne

Viking Ship, 8th century, at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway

Cuerdale Hoard: largest assemblage of Viking treasure found in England

Includes 8,500 items, buried c. 900

(discovered in 1840)

Evidence of trade networks

Lancashire (England) Viking hoard, early 10th century (just found in 2011)

Next Class Thursday

Short Essay 2 Due

Read Bald’s Leechbook

Read Bede’s Life of St. Cuthbert