The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread devoted to the Normans (1066 - 1154)

BBC - HISTORY IN DEPTH

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/...

This is one book that I have on my 'to-read' list by one of my favourite authors and covers the Normans but in Sicily so I hope no one minds if I mention it here on this thread.

by John Julius Norwich
Publishers blurb:
In 1016, a rebel Lombard lord appealed to a group of pilgrims for help-and unwittingly set in motion "the other Norman Conquest." The Normans in the South is the epic story of the House of Hauteville: of Robert Guiscard, perhaps the most extraordinary European adventurer between Caesar and Napoleon; his brother Roger, who helped him win Sicily from the Saracens; and his nephew Roger II, crowned at Palermo in 1130. The Kingdom in the Sun vividly evokes this "sad, superb, half-forgotten kingdom, cultivated, cosmopolitan, and tolerant," which lasted a mere 64 years. It concludes with the poignant defeat of the bastard King Tancred in 1194, bringing to a close this extraordinary chapter in Italian history. With a comprehensive listing of all of Sicily's surviving Norman monuments, the result is a superb traveler's companion and a masterpiece of the historian's art.

Thanks for the add Aussie Rick.

by Francois Neveux(no photo)

The history of the Normans began a long time before 1066 and this book sheds light on the forgotten origins of Europe's most powerful Dark Age force. The author posits through this book that the British are truly more Norman than Anglo Saxon.

Jill wrote: The history of the Normans began a long time before 1066 and this book sheds light on the forgotten..."

Jill a very good observation - I have read something of the campaign and aftermath but have this on my TBR

by Frank Barlow (No photo)

Description:
The Godwins is the fascinating story of the meteoric rise and fall of the powerful Godwin dynasty, one of the grandest and most powerful families of Anglo-Saxon England, whose most famous son was King Harold. Set against the backdrop of Viking raids and ultimately the Norman Conquest of 1066, Frank Barlow unravels the the gripping history of a feuding family that nevertheless determined the course and fortunes of all the English.
The family of Earl Godwin of Wessex stands among the most famous in English history. Owing their rise to Godwin’s outstandingly successful career during the reign of the Danish King Cnut (1016-35), they became even more prominent in the time of Edward the Confessor (1042-66). Godwin’s daughter, Edith, became King Edward’s wife, his son Harold inherited his father’s earldom of Wessex, his son Tostig acquired Northumbria and other sons also became earls. Over the century they accumulated great wealth and established enormous influence.
However, Edith and Edward could not have children and ultimately this destabilised the monarchy, exposing the problem of the royal succession after Edward’s death. Harold took the throne soon after but was defeated and killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; Queen Edith lived in England until her death in 1075, and other survivors of Godwin’s family faded into obscurity.
Frank Barlow places the Godwins at the centre of this unstable world, charting the family through to Harold – the last Anglo-Saxon king – and finally the crowning of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest.

by Nigel Jones (no photo)

This book looks at the history of the Tower of London from its commencement under William the Conqueror (and hence why I placed it here) through to modern times.

Description
Castle, royal palace, prison, torture chamber, execution site, zoo, mint, treasure house, armoury, record office, observatory and the most visited tourist attraction in the country, the Tower of London has been all these things and more. No building in Britain has been more intimately involved in our island's story than this mighty, brooding stronghold in the very heart of the capital, a place which has stood at the epicentre of dramatic, bloody and frequently cruel events for almost a thousand years.

Now historian Nigel Jones sets this dramatic story firmly in the context of national - and international - events. In a monumental history drawn from primary sources he pictures the Tower in its many changing moods and a bewildering array of functions. Here, for the first time, is a thematic portrayal of the Tower of London as more than an ancient structure.

The fortress is a living symbol of the nation itself in all its kaleidoscopic colour and rich diversity. Incorporating a dazzling panoply of political and social detail, Tower puts one of Britain's most important buildings firmly at the heart of our national story.

Sounds like a very interesting book Geevee, thanks for the post.

Thanks for making my TBR list longer, Geevee!!!!!!

Here is a book due out soon that may interest a few readers here:


by Marc Morris
Description:
An epic tale, with violence at its heart, and a triumph of narrative history.

The Norman Conquest starts with the most decisive battle in English history and continues with dramatic rebellions and their ruthless suppression, eventually resulting in the creation of the English nation. The repercussions of the Conquest are with us still.

The book begins with the Saxon kings, specifically Edward the Confessor, and shows how England was in constant conflict as the English fell prey to both Vikings and Normans. In the north, King Harold destroys his Viking namesake at the battle of Stamford Bridge but immediately has to hurry south to confront William of Normandy at Hastings. His defeat, and the destruction of the Anglo-Saxon warrior caste, leads inexorably to William's forceful occupation of an unwilling country, and this is the ruthless story Marc Morris tells. It is a drama crammed with intrigue, bloodshed and betrayal, featuring vivid, almost deranged characters: Edward the Confessor, who spurns his queen in their marriage bed to spite her family, even though it spells the end of his own dynasty; the heroic King Harold, the hero of Stamford Bridge and the last Saxon king, who perjures himself, betrays his brother and puts aside his wife in his bid for the throne; William the Bastard, later known as the Conqueror, who assembles the mightiest invasion fleet in the middle ages and after unexpected success almost destroys the country he has won.

Another good one for the list, AR. I wonder how many people know that William the Conqueror was once called William the Bastard? Somehow Conqueror sounds better!

I suppose it depends on which side of the Channel your on:)

I've ordered a copy as I'm keen to read something new and good on this period of history.

The Norman Invasion is recalled every October in Sheyboygan, Wisconsin, to commerate the supplanting of the original Christian (Sarum) tradition in England, 'Celtic Christianity' by the Norman Invasion.. Within a generation, Medieval Continental Christianity, had 'civilized' the
British Isles with feudalism and taxation.
In the English town of Little Walsingham, my wife and I visited the ruins of a cathedral built around a shrine build 2 years before the Norman Invasion.
Peter G. CobbPeter G. Cobb
Every October, when our procession carries the image of Mary and Jesus around the block, we sing a song recalling Walsingham's history, including King Henry VIII, under whom the Church of England was founded, and who burned the Cathdral at Walsingham to the ground when he took the land from the Roman church and gave it to his cronies.
The original shrine was the recreation of Jesus' home in Galilee, based on a vision of an Anglo-Saxon Lady Richilieu. In the original shrine, the statue of Mary wears a Saxon crown. After the Norman Invasion, Walsingham became the most popular pilgrimage in England, especially for those who remember the kinder, gentler church before the Invasion, when monasteries went about converting the populace one king or town at a time. Robert Van De WeyerRobert Van De Weyer
I have not read this book, however it includes the writings of The Venerable Bede, who wrote about Celtic Christianity, and lived in Celtic England.

OK Scott you tried.

But when the book cover is not available (and this happens with old books or sometimes foreign ones), you have to look first to see if their are other editions of the same book which may have a cover. In the case of the above, neither has a book cover. What we do here is to show the book link instead which is the title of the book, then we do not have the author's photo on either so we say no photo and we add the author's link once not twice. Use the preview button and you can always see what you have before you post. I type and put in parentheses (no book cover and no photo available) at the end. I also type in the word by between the html for the book title and the html for the author's link. Also, don't put the citation in the middle of the sentence. Type out the titles or type out the author's name and place all citations at the bottom of the post. Never add the icon which states book cover image not on hand - it looks odd and ridiculous and that is why we never do it. Bookcovers are normally always available most of the time but if they are not, we do what I have showed you below.

It should look like this:

Story Of Walsingham Shrine by Peter G. Cobb (no book cover and no photo available)

Bede - Celtic and Roman christianity in Britain by Robert Van De Weyer (no book cover and no photo available)

Why not go into message 12 and edit and play with it until it looks like the ones that I have done and they are at the bottom of your post.

William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England


by David C. Douglas

Synopsis

In William the Conqueror, Professor Douglas analyzes the causes and the true character of the Norman impact upon England in the eleventh century. The work is both a study of Anglo-Norman history and a biography of a man whose personal career was spectacular, and as reviewers have remarked, it is distinguished by a wealth of scholarship linked to a lucid and agreeable style

This history of the Normans covers not only the conquest of Britain but other countries where they ruled.

The Normans

by Trevor Rowley

Synopsis

The Normans were a relatively short-lived cultural and political phenomenon. They emerged early in the tenth century and had disappeared off the map by the mid-thirteenth century. Yet in that time they had conquered England, southern Italy and Sicily, and had established outposts in north Africa and in the Levant.

Having traced the formation of the Duchy of Normandy, Trevor Rowley draws on the latest archaeological and historical evidence to examine how the Normans were able to conquer and to dominate significant parts of Europe. In particular he looks at their achievements in England and Italy and their claim to a permanent legacy, as witnessed in feudalism, in castles, churches and settlement and in place-names. But equally he examines why such an energetic people disappeared so quickly from the political stage.

The reality is that, even within this short time-span, the Normans changed as time and place dictated from Norse invaders to Frankish crusaders to Byzantine monarchs to Feudal overlords. In the end their contribution to medieval culture was largely as a catalyst for other, older traditions.

What is their history before they became Northmen/Normans?

Basically the Normans came from the Vikings who invaded the area of France known as Normandy in the 9th century The population was Frankish and the invaders' integration with the indigenous population resulted in the name "Norman" or "Northmen". At least that is my understanding, Pradeep.

Yes. But, From which Scandinavian country? I think it was Rollo who settled first in Normandy. Is anything known about them prior to that?

I believe they were Danes and Norwegians.

Northmen of Normandy must have lost their Viking heritage fairly quickly I reckon. Weren't they more French (Norman-French) than Viking by the time they invaded England?

They had been in Normandy for about 150-200 years when they invaded England, so like you, I think they were much more French by that time. Normans didn't last long as a specific civilization so it appears that they adapted to the countries that they ruled/invaded and lost their identity as a people.

The Vikings who went to Italy and Sicily too were known as Normans? Or, was it only in France (Normandy)?

Good question, Pradeep. I will have to do more research on that but I think that since the conquest of southern Italy was effected after the Vikings established themselves in Normandy and became known as Normans, that they were probably styled as Normans when they conquered the land which would become known as Sicily and then moved on to other areas of Italy.

A couple years ago I put together a spreadsheet on the timeline of the Vikings. It starts around 708 a.d. (if I recall) and ends around 1100 a.d. I know that Rolla acquired the land known as Normandy around 911 a.d., so it was only 150 years from the creation of Normandy until William led the invasion of England in 1066. Normandy was created because of the numerous Viking raids in the Frankish territory - through and beyond Paris. It was thought (at the time) that if the Viking invaders had their own land off the coast, they wouldn't have a need to go any further in-land. It actually worked as the in-land raids ceased and the "Normans" spend more time in the Mediterranean and protecting their holdings in the British Isles, than bothering the interior European lands. I just wish I could find my spreadsheet to give more accurate dates/sources.

Excellent, Jeffrey. It would be great if you could find the spread sheet since additional information would be helpful in tracing the movement of the Normans (or Vikings) across Europe. Thanks for your post.

I'll look for it tonight and see if I can find it. I had a computer that crashed since I created it, but I know I emailed copies out to people and can't find it in the emails either. I know I have it it's just a matter of where I can recover it from.

Actually, I just found the spreadsheet. It came out of by John Haywood that had the dates and incidents in separate areas. I just typed all the data into a spreadsheet and sorted it. Warning - there is a LOT of information in the next few posts. My apologies in advance for throwing a lot of stuff out there - especially for those of you that are not interested in the data. The data is sorted with Date first, then Region (England, Europe, Middle East etc.) then a brief description of the event. I think this will prove a useful companion to your reading and understanding of the influence of the Vikings in world affairs in pre-medieval times.

I would also recommend by Bryan Sykesfor an informative look at the Viking influence in Great Britain through one of the world's premier geneticists.

500-799 A.D.

528 Denmark Hygelac's raid - One on earliest recorded Scandinavian pirate raids on Western Europe led by Hygelac, king of the Danes.

737 Denmark Defensive rampart, the Danevirke, built across Jutland Peninsula

753 Baltics Swedish Viking trade center opened at Staraja Ladoga

789 England Vikings attack at Portland in Wessex

792 England Offa sets up coast defenses in Mercia

793 England Lindisfarne monastery sacked in Northumbria

794 England Vikings defeated at Jarrow in Northumbria

795 Ireland First recorded Viking raid occurs at Lambay Island

795 Scotland Monastery of Colmcille on Iona attacked by Vikings

799 Europe Vikings raid Aquitaine; 105 Vikings killed by local forces after their ships were blown off course

800-859 A.D.

800 Europe Emperor Charlemagne sets up coastal defenses (8 circular forts have been found in Frisia and Flanders but are not identified)

800 Scotland c. 800 - Vikings settle in Shetland and Orkney islands

802 Scotland Vikings raid western coast of Scotland

806 Scotland Vikings raid western coast of Scotland

807 Scotland Vikings raid western coast of Scotland

808 Europe Godfred, King of the Danes, destroys Slav town of Reric

809 North Sea Papal legate kidnapped by Vikings while sailing to Northumbria

810 Europe King Godfred raids Frisia

811 Ireland Vikings defeated in Ulster near Down Patrick

812 Ireland Vikings defeated in Ireland

812 Ireland Vikings defeated in Munster and Connacht

820 Europe Viking fleet driven off twice by coastguards before breaking through in Aquitaine

825 Iceland Grimur Kamban establishes first Viking settlement at Funningur on Eysturoy Island in the Foeroe Islands

825 Ireland Vikings victorious in Ireland

825 Ireland Vikings victorious in Leinster near Waterford

825 Scotland c. 825 - Vikings settle in Hebride Islands

825 Scotland Vikings raid western coast of Scotland

826 Europe Rustringen granted to exiled Danish King Harald Klak by Louis the Pious

832 Ireland Armagh raided three times in one month

834 Europe Dorestad, main Frankish port, attacked annually between 834-837 (four times total)

836 Ireland Vikings establish camp in Ireland

836 Ireland Vikings move up Shannon River, establish camp at Mungrel. They sack Clonfert and monastery at Clonmacnoise; raid Rosecam in Connacht

837 Europe Vikings storm Frankish fort at Walcheren, killing or capturing emperor's closest advisors

837 Ireland Vikings enter Erne through Donegal Bay and raid Clones

838 England First Viking raid mentioned in Anglo-Saxon histories takes place in Cornwall

838 Ireland Vikings establish camp in Ireland

838 Ireland Vikings victorious in Connacht

838 Middle East First Swedish Vikings reach Constantinople

839 Ireland Vikings establish camp at entrance to Bann River in Ulster

839 Scotland Picts ravaged by Vikings

840 Ireland Vikings raid Killeedy in Munster; Connor, Muckno and Louth in Ulster; Armagh, main center of Irish Church, they sack three times

841 Europe Walcheren granted to Harald Klak by Lothar

841 Ireland Dublin, Ireland's first true "town" built by Vikings to protect their ships and act as a raiding base

841 Ireland Vikings set out from camp at Annagassen and head through Meath

842 Ireland Vikings raid Slane and Clonard in Meath

842 Ireland Vikings set out from Annagassen and raid Clogher

842 Ireland Vikings set out from Dublin and raid Birr

843 Europe First Viking attack on Nantes in Brittany. Nantes attacked frequently until 960

843 Europe Vikings first raiding base established on mainland Europe at Noirmoutier

844 England King Raedwulf of Northumbria killed by Vikings

844 Mediterranean 20 Aug 844 - Vikings sack Lisbon, then sack Cadiz and Medina Sidonia in Spain and Asilah in Morocco

844 Mediterranean 3 Oct 844 - Vikings take and sack Seville in Spain. Five weeks later are defeated by Muslim army and return to Francia

844 Mediterranean Local forces drive off Vikings with heavy losses at Gijn and Corua

845 Europe Vikings hang 111 Frankish prisoners and advance on Paris

845 Ireland Turgeis captured by Mael Seachlainn, King of Meath, and drowned in Lough Owel

845 Ireland Vikings establish camp on Lough Ree in Meath and raid Baslick in Connacht

845 Ireland Vikings raid Killeedy and Mungrel in Munster

846 Ireland Vikings victorious near Rosecam in Connecht

847 Ireland Mael Seachlainn routs Viking army, killing 700

847 Ireland Vikings suffer four major defeats causing many of them to move to Francia

849 Ireland Dublin sacked by Irish

850 England Anglo-Saxons defeat Vikings in naval battle

850 Europe Frisia held as fief by Roric (850-973)

850 Scotland Vikings raid Isle of Man

851 Ireland Danes take control of Dublin

852 Ireland Danes defeat Norwegian Vikings to win control of Dublin; Armagh sacked again

853 Ireland Norwegian Vikings Olaf the White and Ivar drive Danes out of Dublin

854 Mediterranean Muslims capture two Viking ships

856 Ireland Vikings victorious near Derry

858 Europe Charles the Bald beseiges Vikings on the Isle of Oissel, but is forced to lift seige when his brother, Lothar, invades

859 Europe Weland, a Viking chief, raids Quentovic in Flanders

859 Mediterranean Hastein and Bjorn set out from Frisia with 62 ships bound for Mediterranean

859 Mediterranean Vikings winter on the Mediterranean island of Camargue

860-896 A.D.

860 Baltics c. 860 - Novgorod become "Rus" capital. "Rus" is Finnish for Swedes, meaning a "crew of oarman." Russia derives it's name from the "Rus."

860 England Weland raids Winchester but defeated by Anglo-Saxons soon after

860 Europe Charles the Bald pays Weland 5,000 pounds of silver to fight Seine Vikings

860 Europe Weland beseiges Seine Vikings on island of Oissel, who pay him 6,000 pounds of silver to let them escape

860 Europe Weland winters at Melun

860 Iceland Gardar the Swede blown off course while trying to sail to the Hebrides. Made landfall near the Eastern Horn of Iceland.

860 Iceland Gardar the Swede spent year cirumnavigating "Gardarsholm" - his name for Iceland. Winters over near Husavik.

860 Ireland Vikings defeated at Waterford

860 Mediterranean Vikings may have raided the eastern Mediterranean, though the movements are uncertain

860 Mediterranean Vikings sack Narbonne, Nimes, Arles and Valence before sacking Luna (thinking it was Rome); and Pisa and Fiesole.

860 Middle East c. 860 - Askold and Dir attack Constantinople with fleet from Kiev and ravage Bosphorus

861 Mediterranean Muslim fleet defeats homeward-bound Vikings

862 Europe Charles the Bald begins construction of fortified bridge on River Seine at Pont de l'Arche near Pitres

862 Europe Count Robert of Angers captures 12 Viking ships and kills their crews

862 Mediterranean Twenty ships from Hastein and Bjorn expedition return to the Loire

863 Europe Vikings sail towards Cologne. Emperor Lothar traps them at Xanten, and Roric persuades them to leave peacefully

863 Europe Weland accused by a Viking of converting (to Christianity) in bad faith and challenged to a dual. Weland killed.

864 Europe Count of Auvergne defeated and killed by Vikings near Clermont

864 Europe Vikings defeated near Poitiers

864 Middle East Abasgun, in the Alid Emirate, sacked by the Rus

865 England Commanded by Ivar and Halfdan, Great Army establishes a camp at Thetford

865 England Danish "Great Army" of Vikings arrives in East Anglia. East Anglians supply horses in return for peace

865 England The Danish "Great Army" of Vikings arrives in England setting up camps in East Anglia and Wessex

865 Europe Aquitinians kill 400 Vikings

865 Europe Bretons ally with Loire Vikings to attack Frankish fort at Le Mans

865 Europe Count Robert of Angers kills 500 Vikings with no Frankish losses

865 Europe Vikings gain control of Pont de l'Arche fortified bridge area

865 Iceland c. 865 - Naddod climbs mountain to look for signs of human life. Seeing none, he left.

865 Iceland c. 865 - Naddod, another Viking, blown off course while sailing from Norway to the Faeroes. Lands near Iceland's East Fjords.

866 England Danes leave Thetford and invade York

866 England Nov. 866 - Danes capture York

866 Europe Roric temporarily driven out of Frisia

866 Europe Seine Vikings disperse to Frisia and England

866 Europe Vikings rout Frankish army. Charles the Bald pays them 4,000 pounds of silver to leave the Seine

866 Iceland c. 866 - Floki Vilgerdarson forced to spend next winter on Borgarfjord near Reykjavik due to late sea-ice break up. Named island, "Iceland."

866 Iceland c. 866 - Floki Vilgerdarson sets out from Rogaland via Shetland and the Faeroes to explore Naddod's sighting.

866 Iceland c. 866 - Floki Vilgerdarson spends first winter near Vatnsfjord at Breidafjord. Livestock starved to death.

866 Ireland Irish destroy Viking base at Youghal; King Aed Findliath destroys Viking bases

866 Scotland Picts ravaged by Vikings

867 England Danes invade Mercia and are beseiged at Nottingham by joint Mercian-West Saxon force

867 England Mar. 867 - Northumbrians fail to recapture York from Danish control. Two rival Northumbrian kings killed

868 England Danes retreat to York

868 Europe Vikings defeated at Poitou

869 England Nov. 869 - Danes return to East Anglia defeating and killing King Edmund

869 Ireland Armagh sacked again

869 Scotland Vikings defeat Irish fleet under Kjarval

870 England Danes invade Wessex. West Saxons fight five battles against Danes at Wilton, Ashdown, Englfield, Basing and Reading. Danes withdraw to Reading

870 Europe Fortified bridge at Pont de l'Arche finally completed

870 Iceland c. 870 - Following late 860s reconnoiter, foster brothers Ingolf and Hjorleif returned to settle. Hjorleif was killed by his Irish slaves.

870 Iceland c. 870 - Ingolf spends first winter in southern part of Eastern Quarter of Iceland

870 Iceland Settlers begin to arrive on Iceland

870 Scotland Dublin Vikings destroy Strathclyde capital, securing Dublin-York trade route

871 England Danes withdraw to London

871 Iceland c. 871 - Ingolf spends second winter near site of Hjorleif's death. Hjorleif's slaves flee to Vestmannaeyjar Island where Ingolf hunts them down.

872 England Danes withdraw to York

872 Iceland c. 872 - Ingolf spends third winter in Iceland's Southern Quarter.

873 England Danes take Repton in winter. Mercian King Burgred flees to Rome. Great Army splits into two

873 Europe Charles the Bald drives Vikings out of Angers

873 Europe Vikings defeated near Enis river in Frisia

873 Iceland 873-900 - More settlers from western Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Hebrides arrive

873 Iceland c. 873 - Ingolf makes permanent settlement at Reykjavik

873 Ireland Olaf the White's successor, Ivar, dies. Many Vikings leave Ireland for England, Francia and Iceland

874 England Guthrum takes half of Great Army to Cambridge and sets up camp

874 England Halfdan takes other half of Great Army to Strathclyde and Lothian

874 Scotland Danes raid Northumbria and Strathclyde

875 England Guthrum invades Wessex, establishes a camp at Wareham

875 Ireland Halfdan driven off from Dublin by Norwegians (Viking vs Viking)

876 England Guthrum moves to Exeter where he sets up new camp

876 England Halfdan sets up Viking Kingdom of York

876 England Northumbria, north of Tees river, maintains its independence under the Earls of Bamburgh

877 England Danes leave Exeter and establish camp at Gloucester

877 Ireland Halfdan, from York, killed by Norwegian Vikings while trying to win control of Dublin (Viking vs Viking)

878 England (Date unknown but most likely 878) - Alfred defeats fleet of seven Viking ships in sea battle. One Viking ship captured.

878 England Spring 878 - Alfred defeats Guthrum's Danes at Eddington. They agree to leave Wessex

878 England Viking fleet enters Thames Estuary and sets up camp at Fulham, west of London

878 England Winter 877-78, - Danes beseige Chippenham. Alfred flees to Athelney marshes to raise a new army

879 England Remainder of Guthrum's Danes leave Wessex

879 England Viking fleet leaves Fulham and departs through Thames Estuary after acquiring horses, lands at Calais

879 Europe July 879-880 - Viking fleet rejoins Viking army at Ghent, where they winter over

880 Europe 880-881 - Vikings winter over at Courtrai

880 Europe Vikings victorious in attack at Saxony

881 Europe Vikings defeated at Sancourt and Tournai

882 Europe Franks fail to take Viking camp at Ascloha

882 Europe Vikings defeated at Avaux

882 Europe Vikings victorious near Metz

882 Middle East c. 882 - Kiev becomes "Rus" capital

884 England 884-885 - Vikings winter over in Louvain

884 Europe Frankish blockade forces Vikings to withdraw and join main army at Louvain

884 Europe Franks defeat Vikings at Norden

884 Europe Vikings under Sigfrid leave Amiens after being paid 12,000 pounds of silver

884 Middle East Abasgun, in the Alid Emirate, sacked by the Rus

885 England Vikings attack Rochester in Wessex but are driven off by Alfred

885 Europe 885-886 - Paris holds out against Viking seige for a year. Emperor Charles the Fat gives Vikings permission to pass Paris and ravage upstream

885 Europe Frankish forces defeat Vikings at Waal

885 Europe July 885 - Sigfrid's fleet arrives on the Seine from Louvain

885 Europe Summer 885 - Vikings burn unfinished fortified bridge near Rouen

886 England Alfred retakes London from the Danes and restores its defenses

888 Europe 888-889 - Vikings winter over in St. Lo

888 Europe Emperor Charles the Fat deposed for not ridding the Vikings from the Seine

888 Europe July 888 - West Frankish King Odo defeats Vikings at Montfaucon

888 Europe Vikings defeated in Brittany

890 Europe 890-891 - Vikings winter over in Louvain

890 Europe Bretons repulse Viking invasion of Brittany

891 Europe 891-892 - Odo defeats Vikings near St. Quentin

891 Europe Nov. 891 - East Frankish King Arnulf defeats Vikings at Dyle, who move to Boulogne and prepare to invade England

891 Europe Vikings defeated at Nantes

892 England 80 Viking ships arrive from the Loire and settle in Milton. 250 arrive from Boulogne and settle at Lympre

892 Europe Most of the Vikings on the Seine crossed English Channel to raid in England

892 Europe Vikings go to England

893 England Danes take Chester after rapid march from East Anglia. English destroy food supplies, forcing them to move to Wales

893 England Saxons capture Danish camp at Farnham while Danish army is out raiding. Danes move to Shoebury

893 England Spring 893 - Two Viking fleets from East Anglia and Northumbria beseige Pilton and Exeter but fail to take them

893 England Spring 893 - Viking fleet under King Sigfrid of York seiges Pilton then goes to Dublin

893 England Summer 893 - English and Welsh beseige camp at Buttington. Danes break out with heavy losses and take their families to East Anglia

893 England Winter 893-894 - Danes return to East Anglia through northumbria to avoid English forces

894 England Vikings return from Exeter and ravage coast, but are defeated by townspeople near Chichester

895 England Alfred blockades river Lea, trapping Danes, who abandon their ships and escape to Bridgnorth

895 Europe Viking chief "Rodo" [Rollo] arrives on Seine

896 England Danish army disperses. Some go to Northumbria and East Anglia, others to Seine. English fleet defeats Viking raiders

900-999 A.D.


900 Greenland c. 900 - Gunnbjorn Ulf-Krakuson first Viking to see Greenland

900 Iceland c. 900 - Local leadership provided by wealthy chieftain-priests called "godar." District assemblies called "Things" established to resolve disputes.

902 Ireland Vikings expelled from Dublin

903 England 903-904 - Dublin Viking attack English Mercia and Wales

903 England Danes defeat Anglo-Saxon reprisal attack. Aethelwold and Danish King Eohric killed

903 Scotland Picts ravaged by Vikings

904 Scotland Picts ravaged by Vikings

907 Middle East Oleg makes trade treaty with Constantinople

907 Middle East Prince Oleg of Kiev attacks Constantinople with large fleet of Rus and Slav allies

909 England Anglo-Saxon army ravages Kingdom of York

910 England Danes launch reprisal for 909 attack but suffer major defeats at Tettenhall. Three Danish Kings killed.

910 Middle East 16 Rus ships pluner Persian coast, off Caspian Sea

911 Europe Charles the Simple and Rollo make peace

911 Europe Rollo converts to christianity and made Count of Rouen - given large swath of land between Flanders and Brittany

911 Europe Rollo unsuccessful in seige of Chartres

911 Middle East Oleg makes trade treaty with Constantinople

912 Middle East 500 Rus ships sail through northern part of Black Seat through Tmutorokan and Sarkel, carry their ships over portage from Don River to Volga

912 Middle East Rus sack Ardebil on Caspian Sea, and defeat Muslim fleet

913 Europe Vikings raid Landevennec monastery - Monks flee with relics of St. Winwaloe

913 Middle East Khazars ambush and destroy Rus fleet at Itil

914 England Hroald and Ohtor raid from Brittany. Defeated by Anglo-Saxons, Hroald killed.

915 Ireland Irish-Norse campaign begins

917 England Danes of East Anglia and Mercia repulsed at "Wiggingamere"

917 England Danes repulsed at Towcester

917 England Danish king of East Anglia killed and garrison slaughtered at Tempsford

917 England Mercians under Aethelflaed storm Derby

917 Ireland Vikings victorious at Clonnel and Waterford; re-establish kingdom at Dublin

918 England Danes of York submit to Mercia

918 England Ragnald annexes Earldom of Northumbria; defeats Scots and Northumbrians at Corbridge

918 Ireland 918-919 - Ragnald heads to York

918 Scotland Dublin Vikings under Ragnald sack Dunblane, Scotland

919 England Ragnald seizes Kingdom of York

919 Europe Vikings make Nantes their capital

919 Ireland high king of Tara and 12 sub-kings killed in failed attempt to drive Vikings from Dublin

920 England Dublin Vikings land in English Mercia near Chester

922 Middle East Arab merchant Ibn Fadlan meets Rus slave traders

924 Europe Rollo granted further lands around Bayeux

924 Ireland Dublin Vikings defeated while attempting to conquer Limerick Vikings (Viking vs Viking)

925 Europe Amiens and Arras in Flanders sacked by "Normans" - new name for Vikings who settle in Rollo's lands called "Normandie" (aka Norse Land)

925 Europe Normans march on Noyon in Vermandois

927 England King Athelstan of Wessex storms York and drives out Sigtryg and Guthfrith

927 Scotland Kings of Scots and Strathclyde, and Earls of Northumbria, recognize Athelstan's supremacy

930 Iceland Althing established at Thingvellir to resolve major disputes. Only chieftains could vote. Iceland divided into four quarters with equal voting rights in the Althing

935 Europe Normans defeated at Therouanne in Flanders

936 Europe Alan Barbetorte defeats Vikings at St. Brieuc

936 Europe Alan Barbetorte surprises party of Vikings at a wedding and executes them

936 Europe Alan Barbetorte, Duke of Brittany in English exile, returns with fleet from England

937 England Athelstan defeats coalition of Dublin Vikings, Scots and Strathclyde Britons led by Olaf Guthfrithsson at battle of Brunanburh

937 Europe Bretons expel Vikings from Nantes. Survivors withdraw down Loire valley

937 Ireland Olaf Guthfrithsson, King of Dublin, destroys Limerick Vikings (Viking vs Viking)

938 Europe Vikings from Nantes build fort at Dol near Mont St. Michel

939 England King Edmund of Wessex cedes Five Boroughs to Olaf

939 England Olaf Guthfrithsson retakes Kingdom of York

939 England Tamworth in English Mercia sacked

939 Europe Bretons storm fort near Dol

941 Ireland Muirchertach, King of northern Ui Neill, ravages Hebrides in reprisal for Viking raids

941 Middle East Igor attacks Constantinople but his fleet is destroyed by Byzantines using Greek fire

942 England Edmund recaptures Five Boroughs

942 Europe Newly arrived settlers start pagan revival in Normandie that fails

943 Europe 943-945 - Frankish forces unsuccessful in campaign to reconquer Normandie

943 Middle East Rus sack and hold Barda for several months in face of Muslim counterattacks. They withdraw after an epidemic breaks out

944 England English, under King Edmund of Wessex, retakes Kingdom of York

948 England Eric Bloodaxe takes York, becomes last Viking king there

954 England Eric Bloodaxe expelled from York and is killed in an ambush at Stainmore

960 Scotland Scottish attempts to recapture Caithness defeated

966 Mediterranean Vikings raid Western and Northern Spanish coast

968 Ireland 968-969 - Mathghanain, King of Del Cais, plunders and temporarily expells Vikings

968 Mediterranean Vikings raid Western and Northern Spanish coast

971 Mediterranean Vikings raid Western and Northern Spanish coast

971 Middle East July 971 - Svyatoslav abandons attempt to conquer Bulgaria after defeat by Byzantines at Pereyslavets

971 Middle East Svyatoslav sacks Itil, permanently destroying Khazar power

972 Middle East Syvatoslav ambushed an killed by Pechenegs

978 Greenland c. 978 - Snaebjorn Galti second Viking to see Greenland and attempts to establish settlement in "Gunnbjorn Skerries" near Angmagsalik

980 England 980-990 - Widespread Viking attacks from Ireland and the Isle of Man

980 Ireland Tributes paid to Mael Sechnaill, King of Meath

983 Greenland c. 983 - Erik the Red dicovers ice-free region west of Gunnbjorn Skerries and names the area "Greenland" to encourage settlement

986 Greenland Erik the Red sets out from Iceland with 25 ships. Fourteen make it around Cape Farewell and establish Western Settlement near Godthab

986 Greenland Remaining 11 ships from Erik the Red's expedition settle 300 miles south and create "Eastern Settlement" near Julianhab

986 Vineland c. 986 - Bjarni Herjolfsson blown off course from Greenland, sights land (Labrador) and follows coast before heading back to Greenland

989 Ireland Tributes paid to Mael Sechnaill, King of Meath

991 England Vikings defeat and kill ealdorman Byrhtnoth

993 England Londoners drive off Danish assault with heavy losses

994 England Olaf and Svein paid 16,000 pounds of silver in Danegold. Olaf meets Aethelraed and is baptized

995 Ireland Tributes paid to Mael Sechnaill, King of Meath

997 England Danes ravage South Wales and West Country

998 England 998-999 - Danes set up base on Isle of Wight, raiding Sussex and Hampshire for food

999 England Danes ravage Kent

999 England Widespread Viking raids from Ireland and Isle of Man

999 Ireland Tribute paid to Brian Boru, King of Munster

1000-1098 A.D.

1000 England Aethelraed's fleet ravages Isle of Man in reprisal for raids

1000 England Danes winter in Normandie

1000 Iceland The Althing agrees to accept Christianity as official religion.

1000 Iceland Thorgeir, the pagan Lawspeaker, throws his pagan idols into waterfall to adhere to his new faith. Falls named, "Godafoss," the falls of the gods

1000 Vineland Leif Eriksson heads south from Helluland to an area he called "Markland" (probably Labrador) which had a low forested land

1000 Vineland Leif Eriksson leaves Markland and heads to "Vineland" (probably Nova Scotia) with mild climate, wild grapes and salmon-filled rivers

1000 Vineland Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, sets out to explore lands sighted by Bjarni Herjolfsson. Lands at "Helluland" (probably Baffin Island)

1001 England Danes raid south coast of Wessex, defeating Saxon armies at Pinhoe and Dean

1004 England Svein withdraws after hard-fought battle with East Anglians at Thetford

1006 England 1006-1007 - Svein winters on Isle of Wight

1007 England Svein defeats Saxon army at East Kennet, trying to cut off his retreat to the sea

1007 England Svein departs. Aethelraed orders shipbuilding program

1009 England English fleet breaks up after quarrels and accusations of treason. Vikings, under Thorkell the Tall, land unopposed

1009 England Thorkell the Tall's Vikings raid Hampshire, Sussex and Berkshire. Canterbury and Oxford sacked

1010 England 5 May 1010 - Danes defeat the Saxons at the Battle of Ringmere

1010 England Spring 1010 - Thorkell the Tall repairs ships before raiding East Anglia and Mercia.

1010 England Spring 1010 - Thorkell's Vikings sack Ipswich, Thetford, Cambridge, Bedford, Tempsford, Northampton, Bishop's Canning and Wallingford

1013 England Christmas 1013 - Aethelraed flees to Normandie

1013 England Londoners repulse Svein's attack with support from Thorkell, but submit later that year

1013 England Northumbrians and Five Boroughs submit to Svein; Winchester submits to Svein and gives hostages; West County submits to Svein

1013 Europe 1013-1014 - Viking army fights for Richard II against Count of Chartres - last Viking involvement in Normandie

1013 Mediterranean Vikings raid Western and Northern Spanish coast

1014 England Feb. 1014 - Svein dies

1014 England Spring 1014 - After Svein's death, Aethelraed returns to ravage Lindsey forcing Vikings to retreat to Denmark

1014 Europe Dol burned in last recorded Viking attack in Brittany

1014 Ireland Brian Boru, King of Munster, defeats Leinster-Viking coalition

1014 Ireland Earl Sigurd and King Brodir of Mann killed at Clontarf

1015 England 1015-1016 - Cnut winters at Poole Harbour

1015 England Sept 1015 - Cnut lands in Wessex near Sandwich

1015 Norway Olaf Haraldson defeats pro-Danish Vikings to become King of Norway

1016 England 18 Oct 1016 - Edmund, abandoned by Mercians, is defeated by Cnut at Ashingdon

1016 England 7-9 May 1016 - Danish fleet arrives at Greenwich

1016 England Fall 1016 - Cnut follows Edmund to Gloucestershire. Treaty of Alney divides country between them.

1016 England Fall 1016 - Edmund dies shortly after Treaty of Alney; Cnut becomes King of all England

1016 England Spring 1016 - Danes repulsed from London

1016 England Spring 1016 - Northumbrians submit to Cnut

1016 England Summer 1016 - Danes defeat English; London again repels Danish attack

1019 Denmark Cnut returns to Denmark upon death of King Harald, his brother. Cnut leaves a regent in charge of Denmark and returns to England

1026 Denmark Norwegian and Swedish Vikings invade Skane and defeat Cnut at Helga a (Holy River)

1026 England Cnut leaves England and visits Rome to attend coronation of Emperor Conrad II

1028 England Cnut leaves England with 50 ships and sails for Norway. Arrives in Trondheim and is recognized as King of Norway. Olaf Haraldson flees to Sweden

1030 Norway Defeated at Stiklestad, Harald Hardrada flees Norway and heads to Sweden then to Russia

1030 Norway Harald Hardrada survives "Battle of Stiklestad" at age 15. Fights for King Olaf Haraldson, his half brother.

1030 Norway Olaf Haraldson is killed at Stikelstad in Norway while tyring to win back his kingdom. Sweden is under Cnut's influence

1031 Baltics Harald goes into exile at Novgorod at court of Prince Jaroslav. Becomes Jaroslav's mercenary and campaigns against the Poles

1035 Middle East 1035-1044 - Harald Hardrada serves in Varangian Guard at Constantinople

1035 Scotland Battle of Tarfness in County Ross, Scotland

1035 Scotland Thorfinn the Mighty defeats Scottish attempts to recover northern Scotland

1037 Middle East Harald Hardrada escorts craftsmen to restore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

1038 Mediterranean 1038-1041 - Harald Hardrada campaigns against Saracens and Lombards in Sicily

1040 Middle East c. 1040 - Ingvar the Widefarer attempts to reopen trade routes to "Serkland"

1041 Mediterranean Harald Hardrada campaigns against the Bulgars

1041 Middle East Ingvar killed as his expedition ends in disaster somewhere in Central Asia

1042 Scotland Thorfinn raids North West England with Norse-Scots-Irish force

1043 Denmark Magnus the Good sacks Wolin in reprisal for Wendish raids

1043 Denmark Wendish invasion is defeated by Danish-Norwegian-Saxon force under Magnus the Good

1043 Middle East Rus fleet destroyed by Byzantines in last attack on Constantinople. Survivors attempt to return home overland but are captured or killed at Varna

1046 Denmark 1046-1064 - Harald Hardrada campaigns against the Danish Vikings in Denmark

1046 Denmark Harald Hardrada ravages Sjaelland and Fyn in Denmark

1046 Norway Harald Hardrada raises an army to win control of Norway

1048 Scotland Thorfinn visits Rome, then establishes Bishopric at his Palace at Birsay in the Orkney Islands

1049 Denmark Harald Hardrada sacks Hedeby in Denmark

1056 Iceland Bishopric established at Skalholt in Iceland's Southern Quarter

1064 Europe Duke William of Normandie beseiges castle of Dinan in Brittany

1064 Scotland Thorfinn the Mighty dies

1066 England After going to Shetland and Orkney Islands from Trondheim, Norway; Harald Hardrada attacks England and is killed at Stamford Bridge

1066 England Dec. 1066 - English nobles submit to William, who is crowned William I, King of England

1066 England Nov. 1066 - Duke William of Normandie receives reinforcements after the Battle of Hastings

1066 England Oct. 1066 - Duke William of Normandie victorious over English forces at Hastings

1066 Europe 28 Sept 1066 - Duke William of Normandie and his forces crosses the English Channel under the Papal banner and lands at Pevensey

1068 England 1068-1070 - Pirate raids by Harald Hardrada's sons and Irish-Norse Vikings

1069 England Dec. 1069 - King William retakes York

1069 England Nov. 1069 - King William defeats English rebels

1069 England Sept 1069 - 240 Danish Viking ships under Svein Estrithson land to assist English rebels

1070 England Danes withdraw from England

1070 England June 1070 - Danes and English rebels under Hereward sack Peterborough

1070 Scotland 1070-1090 - St. David sacked three times

1070 Scotland Bangor sacked by Vikings from the Isles

1071 England English rebels defeated

1075 England 200 Danish Viking ships under Cnut assist rebel earls

1075 England Danes sack York

1086 Denmark Cnut assassinated

1098 Scotland Magnus Barelegs establishes his authority over Kingdom of Man and the Isles; Magnus defeats two Norman earls at Bangor

1100-1980 A.D.

1100 Greenland c. 1100 - At it's peak, Greenland had a population around 4,000 including 300 farms, 16 churches, a cathedral, monastery and nunnery

1100 Iceland c. 1100 - Bishopric established at Kirkjubour on Faeroe Islands

1104 Scotland Magnus Barelegs killed in Ireland

1106 Iceland Bishopric established at Holar in Iceland's Northern Quarter

1107 Middle East Norwegian King Sigurd Jorsalaferi takes part in crusade to Jerusalem

1134 Denmark Danish Royal Army checked by a small rebel cavalry force

1147 Denmark Danish-Saxon crusades against pagan Wends ends inconclusively

1150 Finland c. 1150 - Swedish settlement of Finland begins

1153 Scotland King Harald Eystein leads last recorded Norse raid on England to Hartlepool, Whitby, Scarborough and the Wash

1156 Scotland Somerled, chieftain of Argyll, defeats Godred of Man in sea battle

1158 Scotland Somerled devastates Isle of Man

1160 Scotland Gall-Gaedhil (Galloway) conquered by Scotland

1164 Scotland Somerled killed in ambush while raiding Scotland

1169 Baltics Danish expansion in the Baltic begins with conquest of Rugen

1170 Ireland Anglo-Normans conquer Dublin

1170 Ireland Dublin falls to Anglo-Normans

1171 Ireland Svein Asleifarson killed while raiding Dublin

1172 Denmark Danish and German conquest ends Wendish raids

1261 Greenland Greenland lost independence and came under Norwegian rule

1263 Iceland Iceland under direct rule from Norway after concentration of power in hands of a few chieftains led to a civil war on the island

1263 Scotland Hakon IV dies in Orkney

1263 Scotland Hakon IV's "Great Fleet" attempts to reassert his authority in the Isles. Hakon defeated by Scots near Largs

1300 Greenland c. 1300 - Violent clashes occurred between Eskimos and Viking settlers as climate deteriorated moving the Eskimos further south

1347 Vineland Expeditions to Vineland continued by Thorvald, his brother; Freydis, his sister; and Thorfinn Karlsefni and others until 1347

1410 Greenland Date of last recorded contact with Viking settlers on Greenland.

1540 Greenland Last Norse settlement dies out. Skeletal remains of the last Norse Greenlanders show incidence of disease associated with poor nutrition

1960 Vineland L'Anse-aux-Meadows, a small Viking Age settlement discovered on Northern tip of Newfoundland - it served as a Viking ship repair facility

1980 Vineland L'Anse-aux-Meadows protected as Canadian National Historical Site

Wow!!!! That is all-inclusive and I think Pradeep, who is very interested in Norman history will appreciate that information. Thanks so much, Jeffrey.
Would the book from which this information was taken happen to be the one that I referenced in message #15?

by Trevor Rowley

No. It's by John Haywood

There are numerous pages of the atlas from different historical periods and different regions. It's a very cool atlas to read but can be very confusing with so much stuff happening concurrently in other regions. In order for me to grasp the enormity of the Viking influence, I created the spreadsheet with each event from each page and sorted it by date. My genealogy has been traced back from many of the major players involved and things weren't making sense in the way the original atlas was laid out.

Thanks....sounds like a good reference on Norman history.

You're welcome. I sent a copy of the spreadsheet to Mel Gibson's production company when it was announced that he was making a film about the Vikings. Surprisingly, it was sent back with a stern note saying "Don't send us this again." It was a frustrating response, to say the least.

Oh dear..........I guess they didn't want facts!!! :)

Geoffry, thank you for the comprehensive spreadsheet. Very informative. Also, I hope you can tell me whether the Scandinavian invaders of Southern Italy too were known as Normans or not.
Mel Gibson's "Berserker" is maybe about the Vikings in Scandinavia and not about their conquests. Am not sure. In any event, if his Braveheart is anything to go by, historical accuracy is not Gibson's strong point.

You have to look at the time period involved and the location of the invaders. Because the invasion occurred around 1000 A.D. and the invaders were primarily from the area in modern France known as Normandie/Normandy, it would be considered a "Norman" invasion. If you are looking at anything that occurred in the 9th century from the area between Norway, Sweden, Finland and Eastern Russia - they would be Viking invaders. It may seem like a matter of semantics, but the "Normans" built their own cultural identity and bred with Frankish people and Britons (Brittany), which gave them their own hemogenized identity.

Jeffrey wrote: "You have to look at the time period involved and the location of the invaders. Because the invasion occurred around 1000 A.D. and the invaders were primarily from the area in modern France known as..."

OK. What were they known as in Italy and Sicily?

Norman invaders

Thanks. By the way, have you seen 'Pathfinder'? A Vikings vs Native Americans movie. Entirely fiction or fantasy. But, not too bad. Maybe Gibson's will be the same. Ignoring your spreadsheet is one thing but telling you not to send it again seems a bit odd. Looks like they are already wary of criticism by historians.

No, I have not seen Pathfinder. I'll look into it. Thanks for letting me know about it.

Yes, I think they are wary of historical criticism. Believe me, I was frustrated by the letter that I received. I expected more professionalism than that. Makes me wish I had the funds to do my own Viking movie - LOL. Then when I heard they were talking about casting Leonardo DiCaprio in the leading role, I don't think I would want to do anything with that film project anyway. Leonardo as a Viking?? Well, I guess he got smart and pulled out of the film. The 4th draft of the screenplay was just submitted to Warner Brothers about 2 months ago.

This is a story that came out in February about where the project currently is at. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylis...

Hey, maybe the movie is about the Vikings (Normans according to you) in Italy. Hence DiCaprio in the leading role!!

Anyway action should be good. It was in Braveheart. But, Wallace fathering the English heir made historians cringe.

It's probably going to be about the Vikings in Greenland or Iceland, from what I've heard previously. We'll see what happens. I'm glad that Randall Wallace is attached as the screenwriter now. He's the one that wrote Braveheart. Despite making historians cringe, it was a damn good film! Gibson made fewer historical errors in Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto, so perhaps by now he might realize that historical accuracy is desired in a historical project. We'll see. It doesn't sound like Leo is involved in this anymore (thankfully).

Wish somebody would write a 'what if' alternate history (historical fiction/fantasy) in which Hadrada defeats Harold. Then, real Vikings would be pitched against former Vikings (Normans).

Now THAT would be an interesting concept!

Did that happen for real anywhere? Danes/Norse/Swedes raiding Normandy of the Normans?