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The Raid That Started The Viking Age in Europe
The first of many
The Viking Age was a period of roughly 250 years, lasting from 793 CE until 1050 CE. During this time, Europe was terrorized by roving bands of fierce northern warriors. These pagan fighters came in ships, sometimes one at a time, and other times, they showed up in vast fleets. They raped and pillaged, kidnapped, and ransomed, and they even carved out a number of Viking kingdoms from the lands previously held by leal Christian lords.
For many Medieval peoples, the Viking Age was miserable. People lived in fear. Many died. Faith in God was stretched to the breaking point at the end of Norse axes or by the sheer incredulity that God would let something like this happen to His faithful. The terror and trauma of the Viking Age shaped Medieval Christianity for centuries to come. It made Christians more militant, it caused them to despise and distrust pagans everywhere, and eventually, it put them on the offensive after decades of being on the defensive.
All of this stemmed from a single raid that kicked off the Viking Age in Europe. A shocking raid that ripped out the beating heart of an entire Christian community. In June of 793, a swarm of northern raiders landed on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. These Vikings wreaked havoc and sent shockwaves through the entire Christian world.
