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Viking Settlers

In AD865, a great army of Vikings invaded Britain and fought the Anglo-Saxon kings.

In AD866, the Vikings captured the city of York. Viking farmers settled on land around the city and renamed it Jorvik.

In AD878, King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Viking army in a battle. In about AD886, he made a peace agreement with their leader Guthrum, who agreed to become a Christian. Alfred allowed the the Vikings to settle in the eastern parts of England (the Kingdoms of York and East Anglia), in an area which became known as Danelaw. From about AD900, the Vikings also ruled the north of Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland isles and the Hebrides islands off the west coast too.

The Vikings gave names to the places where they settled. If a place has a Viking name today it means they once lived there:
  • _____by/_____thorpe = village or farm
  • _____toft = homestead
  • _____kirk = church
  • _____thwaite = field
  • _____gate = street or path
  • _____beck = small stream