How many viking kings were there

From around AD onwards, Vikings stayed, settled and prospered in Britain, becoming part of the mix of people who today make up the British nation.

Many of their other words have also become part of English, for example egg, steak, law, die, bread, down, fog, muck, lump and scrawny. To see questions children have asked about the Vikings, see our Viking starter lesson. In came the first recorded Viking raid, where 'on the Ides of June the harrying of the heathen destroyed God's church on Lindisfarne, bringing ruin and slaughter' The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

These ruthless pirates continued to make regular raids around the coasts of England, looting treasure and other goods, and capturing people as slaves.

Monasteries were often targeted, for their precious silver or gold chalices, plates, bowls and crucifixes. Gradually, the Viking raiders began to stay, first in winter camps, then settling in land they had seized, mainly in the east and north of England. See The Vikings settle down. Outside Anglo-Saxon England, to the north of Britain, the Vikings took over and settled Iceland, the Faroes and Orkney, becoming farmers and fishermen, and sometimes going on summer trading or raiding voyages.

Orkney became powerful, and from there the Earls of Orkney ruled most of Scotland. To this day, especially on the north-east coast, many Scots still bear Viking names. To the west of Britain, the Isle of Man became a Viking kingdom. The island still has its Tynwald, or ting-vollr assembly field , a reminder of Viking rule. In Ireland, the Vikings raided around the coasts and up the rivers. They founded the cities of Dublin, Cork and Limerick as Viking strongholds.

In they captured modern York Viking name: Jorvik and made it their capital. They continued to press south and west.

King Alfred ruled from and after many trials and tribulations including the famous story of the burning of the cakes! After the battle the Viking leader Guthrum converted to Christianity. In Alfred took London from the Vikings and fortified it. The same year he signed a treaty with Guthrum. There, he formed an alliance with Svein Estrithson, a claimant to the Danish throne, in an effort to combat King Magnus the Good, who ruled Norway and Denmark. However, Harald ditched the partnership with Svein in when Magnus decided to make him a co-ruler of Norway.

After Magnus died the next year, Harald gained full control of the Norwegian throne while Svein became king of Denmark. Harald went on to fight Svein for years, but despite winning the majority of the battles Harald whose nickname Hardrada translates as hard ruler opted to make peace with his adversary in and give up his claims to Denmark.

Harald then shifted his focus to England, invading it two years later with a large force and scoring a victory at the Battle of Fulford Gate. Less than a month after that, Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings, during which Harold Godwinson was killed. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Live TV. This Day In History.

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