The great white sail cracked as the vicious Atlantic wind lashed against it, but still the ship sailed on. Long and sleek, the warship, crafted from mighty oak, crashed through the waves, sending a sharp spray of water across the deck. The men inside rowed as one, their mighty muscles straining as they plunged the oars deep into the water and drove the ship forward through the turbulent waves. Their strength alone brought the ship to land and they poured out onto the beach. Dressed in thick woollen tunics, the warriors were armed with an array of weapons, from long, sharpened spears to hefty battle-axes. With a booming voice one man yelled to the others, thrusting his sword into the air, and the rest bellowed in response. Then onward he ran, as the united force thundered uphill against the billowing wind. Their destination? A coastal monastery bursting full of gold, gems and hefty food supplies ripe for the taking, and only a collection of quiet, unassuming monks to protect it.
This image of monstrous invaders laying siege to innocent monasteries and pillaging them of their precious items is the first one that leaps to mind when many are confronted with the word ‘Viking’. The portrayal of the Norse tribesmen as thieves and pillagers is so prevailing that it’s often forgotten that the word Viking itself means to go on an expedition. It’s easy to fall into the assumption that these people were nothing more than pirates – taking from those too weak to defend themselves. And it is undeniable that this happened: the Viking invaders sailed from Scandinavia to the coasts of the British Isles and beyond, invading villages and monasteries, killing