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Anglo-Sacandanavian (Viking) stirrup strap mount with art of back to back beasts in Urnes style.

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One of our Education Officers can come into school to deliver a session about Vikings including:

Replica artefacts handling

General introduction to Viking era and people

Jersey's links with the Vikings

Battle of Hastings re-enactment if required

Please email: education@jerseyheritage.org to book a session

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Although the Vikings were great traders, settlers and explorers, their most famous reputation seems to be their apparent bloodthirsty and insatiable appetite for war.

Whilst there is far more to the Vikings than just raiding and pillaging, they did breed some of the most hardened warriors the world has ever known.

We've compiled a list of five of the fiercest Viking fighters, a collection that doesn't even include famed Viking warrior Ragnar Lothbrok or his brother Rollo (we already know how fierce they are). But these five were clearly not to be messed with.

Harald Hardrada

His name meant 'Hard Ruler' and from a young age Harald Hardrada gained a taste for blood. As a teenager, he fought in a bloody power struggle alongside his half-brother Olaf against king Cnut the Great. They lost and Harald went into exile.

Stumbling into Constantinople, he joined the Varangian Guard - an elite force of mostly Norse fighters who served to protect Byzantine. Harald distinguished himself in the guard, garnering a reputation as a mighty warrior with a 'talent for war' and a penchant for brutality.

Described as cold, ruthless and aggressively ambitious, Harald soon amassed himself a large wealth. He then turned his sights to Norway, where Olaf's son Magnus had recently been crowned king. The pair came to a compromise to co-rule, an agreement that lasted just one year as Magnus passed away, leaving Harald the new King of Norway in 1046.

After swiftly crushing any resistance to his reign, the formidable warlord turned his sights on the English throne, mounting an audacious invasion in September 1066. Initial success couldn't be sustained and Harald was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge by the forces of Harold II, who would go on to lose to William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings a few weeks later.

Although Harald was said to have fought during the Battle of Stamford Bridge with the fury of a beserker, with no body armour on, an arrow to the throat felled him. His death marks the end of the Viking Age, making Harald the last great Viking ruler.

Ivar the Boneless

A lot of what we know about Ivar the Boneless comes from legend. Said to be the youngest son of Ragnar Lothbrok, Ivar gained his epithet due to an apparent medical condition that made his bones brittle and easy to break. Considering he suffered from such an ailment it is impressive he built the fearsome warrior reputation that he did. According to the Norse sagas he is often depicted as leading his brothers into battle whilst sat atop a shield or a stretcher and wielding a bow.

After King Ælla of Northumbria had thrown his father into a pit full of venomous snakes, Ivar and his other brothers gathered together a force known as the Great Heathen Army and invaded England in 865 AD to exact revenge.

In 866, Ivar's forces captured York and the following year they got their hands on King Ælla. According to some accounts, they tortured him to death by the method of the blood eagle - a gruesome Norse ritual of execution that saw the shape of an eagle carved into a victim's back before their ribs were severed from their spine and their lungs pulled from their back and spread out to create a pair of wings. Historians debate whether or not this practice was ever a reality or an invention of the Nordic sagas.

The coming years saw Ivar rampage and pillage across parts of England and Scotland before he settled in Dublin, Ireland, as the king of the Norsemen of all Ireland and Britain. Unlike many of his countrymen, it seems Ivar got to enjoy old age before passing away.

Eric Bloodaxe

Perhaps one of the most famous Vikings in history, Eric Bloodaxe was also one of the toughest. You don't gain a nickname like 'Bloodaxe' without cracking a few skulls, something Eric started doing from a young age.

According to the sagas, Eric began his violent career at the age of 12, raiding and pillaging along the Baltic coasts. Eric was supposedly the oldest and favourite son of Harald Finehair, the first King of Norway and he secured his inheritance by murdering his other brothers.

Eric's rule of Norway was harsh and unpopular, leading to his deposal by his last surviving brother, Haakon the Good. Eric fled to England where he enjoyed two stints as King of Northumbria during the mid 900s. During his reigns, he would go violently raiding in Scotland and around the Irish Sea, driven by a thirst for plunder and power.

He was said to have eventually died in battle in 954 AD.

Erik the Red

Perhaps the epitome of the archetypal bloodthirsty Viking, Erik the Red violently murdered his way through life.

Born in Norway, Erik gained his nickname most likely due to the colour of his hair and beard but it could also reflect upon his violent nature. Brutality was clearly in his blood - at a young age, his family were uprooted and taken to Iceland after his father had been banished from Norway due to some killings.

Soon Erik found himself in temporary exile after murdering two neighbours who killed his slaves. Another bloodthirsty rampage ensued when Erik returned from exile to retrieve some personal possessions.

In the end, Erik would leave and go on to discover Greenland in around 982 AD and the sagas would credit him with founding the first settlement there. He managed to persuade many people to follow him from Iceland to Greenland to establish a colony there, although only 14 of the 25 ships that left Iceland would survive the voyage. The 500 or so settlers established a colony that lasted until the mid-15th century.

As for Erik, he died during an epidemic that swept through the colony a short while after his son, Leif Erikson, had set sail westwards on a voyage that would see him become one of the first Europeans to reach North America.

Freydís Eiríksdóttir

As the daughter of Erik the Red, the family propensity for violence continued with Freydís. Very much her father's daughter, legend states she also voyaged to Vinland (Newfoundland, North America).

Whilst exploring there, her party were attacked by Native Americans, which sent many of Freydís' kinsman fleeing. She, however, was said to have grabbed a sword from a fallen Viking, exposed one breast and beaten the side of the sword against it before giving off a furious battle cry. The sagas state she singlehandedly won the fight, achieving the victory whilst also eight months pregnant, proving that Viking women could be equally fearsome warriors as men.

Another saga mentions her more murderous side whilst exploring Vinland with her husband and two business partners who were brothers. Tensions soon arose between Freydís and the two brothers who had settled in different places on Vinland. Freydís then cried wolf to her husband, stating that the brothers had beaten her. She demanded he killed them and if he refused she threatened to divorce him. He mustered his men and they killed the brothers and all the men in their camp, stopping short of a complete massacre as they spared the lives of the five women present.

Freydís demanded they all be slaughtered and when her husband refused, she picked up an axe and massacred the women herself. In the end, her brother Leif spared her any retribution for the murders, but legend states she and her descendants were forever shunned.
For more articles about the history and culture of the Vikings, check out our Viking history hub.

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5 fiercest Viking warriors: From Harald Hardrada to Ivar the boneless

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Although the Vikings were great traders, settlers and explorers, their most famous reputation seems to be their apparent bloodthirsty and insatiable appetite for war. Whilst there is far more to the Vikings than just raiding and pillaging, they did breed some of the most hardened warriors the world has ever known.

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The Vikings are commonly thought of as purely warriors and raiders. Historical documents from the Viking Age that tell of this fierce group were written not by the Vikings themselves, but by those who were often the victims of raids and violence.

Because of this, much of what we know about Viking warriors and military campaigns is skewed. While it is true that the Vikings fought and raided areas in Europe, not all of their time was spent wreaking havoc.

Myths surrounding specific types of Viking warriors also warp our understanding of how the Vikings participated in battle. The berserker is one such category of warrior that is oftentimes misunderstood.

The goal of this article is to provide a brief but accurate picture of life as a Viking. We examine the social structure of the Vikings and the influence it had on warriors. The article concludes with an overview of some elite Viking warrior groups.

While "Viking" is a modern name and not always preferred, we will continue using it in this article because of its familiarity with most readers.

Social Structure and Status in the Viking Age

Like other societies in the early medieval world, the Vikings lived in highly stratified culture. During much of the Viking Age, society was divided into three main classes.

The jarls were the highest ranking class for several centuries. They held regional power and controlled petty kingdoms. Jarls can be compared to earls.

Karls made up the majority of Vikings society and lived under the rule of jarls. Karls were Norsemen living in freedom. They worked as farmers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and fishermen.

The final and lowest class of people were the thralls. These slaves had no freedom and very limited mobility within the social hierarchy. Most people were born into this class but others became thralls after losing assets.

By the end of the Viking Age in the 10th and early 11th centuries, kings took over much of the power of the jarls. Kings controlled much larger territories and the jarls worked under kings to control regional lands.

It is important to note that the social class system described here is related to Vikings in Norway and surrounding areas. Interestingly, the social structure of far-flung territories like Iceland and Greenland had much more democratic social rules.

Vikings in these areas met to discuss issues and resolve conflicts. While a general hierarchy still existed, people of all occupations and backgrounds had more of a voice within this alternate system.

Viking Social and Military Ranks

The social distinction between kings, jarls, karls, and thralls extended in some ways to the military. Viking armies were not organized using modern methods.

Groups of Viking warriors usually numbered as many as 1,000, which by modern standards is very small. Vikings simply did not need to have a complicated ranking system for warriors as was necessary in later centuries.

Most Viking karls and jarls served as warriors when needed. Farmers and blacksmiths would set aside their work when called to raid.

How would a farmer know when it was time to serve? Each region under the control of a jarl would also have a hersir. The hersir was a military commander who organized overseas raids. Hersirs gathered able-bodied men of their particular region to fight. The influence of the hersir would diminish in the 10th century as kings took control.

Jarls and karls participated in war but had different roles. Jarls operated as warlords or generals in times of war. Karls were common soldiers who made up the majority of fighters.

The last major categories of warriors influenced by the overall social structure were the housecarls and Jomsvikings. They are described in detail in the next section.

Elite Types of Viking Warriors

While the influence of jarls and kings is indisputable, Viking society also included elite warriors who served in unique ways. Elite fighters were called housecarls. These included shamanic warriors and the Jomsvikings.

The role of the housecarl was service to nobility. They operated as shook troops, military leaders, and personal bodyguards.

Berserkers were one type of shamanic warrior within Viking society. They are arguably the most famous Viking warriors but are also commonly misrepresented.

Shamanic warriors of Scandinavia and Germanic Europe were linked to a particular animal totem. Berserkers operated under the influence of the bear, and thus wore bear skins.

Initiation into shamanic service usually included time spent in the wilderness learning the characteristics of the animal totem.

After initiation, berserkers were well prepared for fierce fighting. Their appearance alone intimidated the enemy.

Berserkers were worshippers of Thor and Odin.

Like the berserkers, ulfhednar warriors were shamanic warriors with a totem. Ulfhednar fighters wore wolf skins rather than bear skins and worshipped Odin.

Jomsvikings were not shamanic, but instead were elite mercenaries who operated under a strict code of conduct. The influence of the Jomsvikings led to a strong warrior culture within Viking society.

Membership into the Jomsviking class was very strict. Physical strength, discipline, and the ability to protect were just a few of the necessary qualifications.

While the Jomsvikings greatly impacted Viking warrior culture, they only existed near the end of the Viking Age in the 10th and 11th centuries.

A less common type of shamanic housecarl was the svinflylking. These warriors were associated with the wild boar and the goddess Freya.

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Types of Viking Warriors [Status & Characteristics]

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The Vikings are commonly thought of as purely warriors and raiders. Historical documents from the Viking Age that tell of this fierce group were written not by the Vikings themselves, but by those who were often the victims of raids and violence. Because of this, much of what we know about Viking warriors and military campaigns is skewed.

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The Rise and Fall of Viking King Harald Hardrada

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The Rise and Fall of Viking King Harald Hardrada

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The Rise and Fall of Viking King Harald Hardråde

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Harald Hardrada ruled Norway from 1046 to 1066. Whichever way you spell his name, here is the story of the last great Viking ruler. 1066 was a major turning point in British history as Anglo-Saxon rule

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Harald Hardrada: Viking Mercenary (Part 1)

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Harald Hardrada: The Last Viking (Part 2)

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This is part 1, but each of the videos is a great resource and builds a wonderful picture of the events of 1066 and the fight between England, the 'Vikings' and the Normans (formerly also Vikings)

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Who were the claimants to the throne in 1066? (1/6) | History – The Norman Conquest

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Odin, Thor, Loki - the Gods of the Vikings - had many wonderful adventures which have inspired the likes of Wagner.

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Writing for History Extra, Rosalind Kerven, author of Viking Myths & Sagas: Retold from Ancient Norse Texts, explores some of the most memorable Viking tales...

The curse of Andvari's ring

This lively epic inspired Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It is really two separate legends, linked by a supernatural ring that brings brutal tragedy to all who wear it. Its colourful cast includes heroic warriors and callous villains: three gods, a dwarf, a valkyrie, a dragon, a witch-queen, the infamous tyrant Atli (Attila) the Hun, and another queen who single-handedly destroys him.

With multiple gruesome murders (most notably by being suspended over a pit full of poisonous snakes), dramatic suicides, deceits and broken hearts, the plot more than purges the emotions, and it's richly embroidered with enchanted fire, treasure hoards and birds that possess the power of human speech.

Undoubtedly one of the Vikings' favourite stories, the legend is recounted in many ancient written sources, and scenes from it are depicted on a number of surviving Viking Age carvings in England, the Isle of Man, Norway and Sweden.

The theft of Thor's hammer

Viking pagan mythology is dominated by eternal conflict between the gods and their archenemies, the giants. Among the gods, the role of 'chief giant-basher' belonged to mighty Thor. As defender of both the divine and human realms, he had a penchant for smashing in the skulls of giants with his magic hammer, Mjollnir. This short, humorous tale is a fine example.

Mjollnir is stolen by one of the giants, who refuses to return it unless the beautiful goddess Freyja agrees to marry him. Thor gallantly disguises himself as the requested bride - a truly courageous act in a society where cross-dressing was considered an outrage against virility - travels to Giantland, and pretends to take part in the wedding. As soon as the hammer is delivered, in accordance with the bargain, Thor seizes it and destroys the giant in a single blow.

Thor's popularity in Viking times is demonstrated by the many pagan temples that were dedicated to him; the large number of miniature 'Thor's Hammer' pendants ex-cavated, and the prevalence of personal names in the Sagas that include the component 'thor' - for example, 'Thorunn' for women, and 'Thorstein' for men.

Odin wins the runes

During the pagan era, Odin was respected as the mysterious and omniscient god of war, wisdom, death and fate. Sacrifices were often made to him, particularly in times of conflict. He was also feared, particularly because he sometimes travelled through the human world in disguise, meddling in people's affairs or changing the course of battles.

This brief and exquisitely mystical story links Odin to the Vikings' only form of writing during the pagan era - by carving rune-letters into wood, stone, metal or bone. The myth appears in 25 cryptic verses of a poem called Havamal ('The Sayings of the High One'), possibly dating back to the ninth century.

Usually claimed to be in Odin's own words, it describes him sacrificing "himself to himself" by hanging upside-down on a lonely tree for nine nights. Finally, he has a vision of the runes, alongside the secrets of many esoteric spells.

Most surviving Viking stories are very down to earth, but this one demonstrates that the old pagan religion had a highly mystical and spiritual side.

An explosive love triangle: Gudrun, Kjartan and Bolli

This tragic love story forms the central thread of the 13th-century Laxdaela Saga, probably based on real 10th and 11th-century people and events.

The beautiful and capable Gudrun - twice married, divorced and widowed at an early age - falls in love with the charismatic Kjartan. However, his father believes Gudrun to be very unlucky, so he tries to extricate Kjartan from the relationship by sending him on a trading expedition to Norway.

There he is held hostage by the king, and during his prolonged absence, Kjartan's cousin and foster-brother, Bolli, persuades the reluctant Gudrun to marry him instead. Kjartan returns shortly afterwards, and Gudrun realises she has made a terrible mistake. Her regret sparks off a series of inflammatory events, which culminate in Bolli slaughtering his beloved foster-brother - who dies in his arms - and then being killed himself in revenge.

Intriguingly, the saga reveals elements of Viking Age culture that are mirrored in the modern world - for example, pre-nuptial agreements, freely available divorce, forced religious conversion and youths going on 'gap year'-style travels abroad.

The Norse discovery of America

Two medieval manuscripts, Graenlendinga Saga and Eirik's Saga, claim that in the early 11th century, 500 years before Columbus, Viking men and women reached North America. They describe how an unknown country was initially sighted by a ship blown off-course in bad weather, and shortly afterwards, by a series of expeditions that set out from the Viking colony in Greenland in order to explore it.

Following the strange coast southward, the explorers came to a rich and fertile land full of game and timber. They also found wild grapes growing in profusion, so they called it Vinland (Wineland). One group attempted to settle there, including a woman who gave birth to the first European child born on American soil, but they beat a hasty retreat after an altercation with the local Native American people whom they disparagingly called Skraelings.

For many centuries, these accounts were regarded with great scepticism. However, during the 1960s a Norwegian husband-and-wife team of explorer-archaeologists followed the descriptions and sailing directions given in the two sagas. Eventually, they found themselves at L'Anse aux Meadows in northern Newfoundland, Canada. There they excavated eight 11th-century Viking-style houses, a forge and four workshops - offering exciting and conclusive proof that the so-called 'Vinland sagas' really were true.

The burning of Njal

The sagas reveal that surprisingly complex laws and legal procedures played an important role in the Viking lands. These form the background to another supposedly true story of the late 10th century, recorded in the medieval Njal's Saga.

Njal is an Icelandic lawyer, renowned throughout the country for skilfully contriving peaceful monetary settlements to end some of the long blood feuds that blighted all Viking societies. Despite this, he is unable to prevent his wife, best friend and finally his sons from being caught up in vendettas of their own.

Eventually he too is drawn in, and finds himself burned alive in his own house - a common act of revenge at the time. It's a long and chilling cautionary tale full of twists and turns. Like Laxdaela Saga, it also offers plausible information on the Norse conversion to Christianity.

The Penguin Classics paperback edition of Njal's Saga. © sjbooks / Alamy
Amleth

If the name looks like an anagram of something rather familiar, you're not mistaken - this is one of the main sources that William Shakespeare used for Hamlet. It's a legend from Viking Denmark, based on a cast of royal characters who lived several hundred years earlier.

Just as in Shakespeare's play, Amleth's uncle kills his father and marries his mother; Amleth feigns madness as a way of coping with his terrible predicament, and he is sent to England by his wicked uncle in a thwarted attempt to have him murdered.

The Viking version doesn't include any love interest, and the plot is less complex than Shakespeare's. However, there are comical scenes featuring humorous word-play, which possibly inspired the great playwright.

Volund the Smith

This heroic legend, illustrated on Viking Age carvings from England and Sweden, is part fairy tale, part horror story.

Volund is a princely goldsmith who fashions exquisite rings. In the romantic yet melancholy opening, he falls in love with a spirited valkyrie, who comes to him in the form of a swan maiden. However, after a brief marriage she abandons him and returns to work on the battlefields, gathering up slain warriors to be honoured by Odin.

As he grieves over his loss, Volund is abducted by an enemy king who imprisons him in an island smithy for refusing to marry his daughter. The hero's revenge is to murder the girl's brothers and fashion their body parts into grisly jewellery, which he presents to his unwitting captors. In a final twist, he forges himself some golden wings and flies away to resume the search for his lost wife.

The popularity of this tale clearly extended even beyond the Viking world, for Volund is also mentioned in Anglo-Saxon poems, including .

Grettir the Outlaw

This cycle of folk tales, apparently based on the exploits of a real 11th-century Viking troublemaker, were collected together in the 14th-century Grettir's Saga.

Grettir 'the strong' is powerfully built, constantly takes offence, relishes violence, and has a talent for composing acerbic poetry. He is outlawed several times, which means losing all his property, being banished abroad and condemned to be killed by anyone with impunity.

His larger-than-life adventures include single-handedly killing monsters, trolls, ghosts, a bear and a whole troop of berserkers, only to be vanquished in the end by an elderly sorceress whose spells bring about a humiliating death.

Ragnarok

Like other world religions, Viking paganism included an apocalyptic vision predicting that the existing world will be destroyed by cosmic forces and characters, and will then be reborn into a new, more perfect age.

This scenario is most vividly brought to life in a 10th to 11th-century poem called Voluspa ('The Prophesy of the Seeress'), possibly developed from a series of dreams experienced by a real-life wise woman.

As horror overwhelms the world, causing it to freeze and wither, gods, monsters and giants engage in cosmic battle until even Odin and the sun itself are vanquished. However, the poem ends with the optimistic promise of a new world rising from the ruins of the old - a powerful and haunting tale.
Rosalind Kerven is the author of Viking Myths & Sagas: Retold from Ancient Norse Texts (Talking Stone, 2015). Buy it now on:

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10 incredible Viking stories from Norse mythology

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The Viking Age - the period of great Scandinavian expansion from the late 8th to the late 11th century - is normally associated with violent raids and warfare. But in fact, Viking people were highly civilised, and greatly valued the arts - especially storytelling

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Download FREE resources to teach children about 'Viking Gods'

Who were the Viking Gods?

Like many cultures from around the world, the Vikings believed in a pantheon of different gods, each of which was responsible for different areas of life. However, unlike most polytheistic faiths, the Vikings actually had two pantheons: the Aesir and the Vanir. While other cultures often have two pantheons, usually one of them wipes out the other and replaces them as part of their creation myths or early in their cosmology, such as the ancient Greek Titans and Olympians.

The Vikings, however, had two active pantheons who interacted constantly in the same way that many clans of Vikings did - sometimes allied, but often at war. Most of the gods that the Vikings worshipped regularly were members of the Aesir clan, who were kind of the 'main gods'.The other clan, the Vanir contained the fertility gods and counted Njord, Freyr, and Freyja as their most notable members, who were often considered honorary members of the Aesir. Despite the antagonism between them, it was necessary for the two families to combine their powers and ideals for all to prosper.

Here's a rundown of some of the most important gods worshipped by the Vikings:

Odin

The supreme deity of Norse mythology and the greatest among the Norse gods was Odin, the Allfather of the Aesir. He was the awe-inspiring ruler of Asgard, and most revered immortal, who was on an unrelenting quest for knowledge with his two ravens, two wolves, and the Valkyries. He was the god of war and (somehow) also the god of poetry and magic. He was famous for sacrificing one of his eyes in order to be able to see the cosmos more clearly and his thirst for wisdom saw him hang from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nine nights until he was blessed with the knowledge of the runic alphabet. His unyielding nature granted him the opportunity to unlock numerous mysteries of the universe.

Frigg

Odin's wife, Frigg, was an equally powerful figure. She was the mighty queen of Asgard, a venerable Norse goddess, who was gifted with the power of divination, and she was revered as the goddess of fertility, the household, motherhood, marriage, and all domestic matters. She was the only goddess allowed to sit next to her all-powerful husband. Frigg was a very protective mother to her children and would go to remarkable lengths to try and shield them from danger.

Baldr

Frigg and Odin were the parents of Baldr, who was described as living between heaven and earth. Baldr was the epitome of radiance, beauty, kindness and fairness. He was believed to be immortal, thanks to the valiant efforts of his mother, but he was killed with the one thing his mother didn't expect to pose a threat: mistletoe.

Loki

Loki technically speaking wasn't a god at all, but was instead the child of a Jötunn, or giant. However, he was often included among the gods as an equal, if not always a very trustworthy one. Loki was the god of trickery, and he revelled in causing chaos and plotting schemes that ranged from the 'quite funny in hindsight', like shaving off the long golden hair of Thor's wife, Sif (he later provided her with a spectacular wig that grew like real hair, which mostly made up for the stunt), to the terribly cruel, including tricking the blind god, Hod, into killing his own brother with a dart made of mistletoe. As a result, he frequently switched between being the Aesir's ally and enemy, depending on who he'd most recently decided to 'play a prank' on.He was able to shape-shift into many forms, and if something is stolen or goes missing in Asgard, Loki was usually blamed - if he hadn't done it himself, he'd usually be the first to figure out who did.

Thor

Thor was Odin's most widely-known son, and he's arguably the most famous of the Norse gods nowadays. He was the protector of humanity and the powerful god of thunder who wielded a hammer named Mjöllnir. Among the Norse gods, he was known for his bravery, strength, healing powers and righteousness, as well as his terrible temper!

Freya

Freya was one of the most popular of the Norse gods, and for good reason! Freya was associated heavily with fertility, much like Frigg, but while Frigg's connections with that domain were also tied to her nature as Mother to all, Freya was the goddess of love and beauty. Originally, Freya was one of the Vanir, but she came to the Aesir along with her father and twin brother as hostages after a huge war between the Aesir and Vanir. She and her fellow captives were quickly accepted, though, and became honorary Aesir.

Freyr

Like his twin sister, Freya, Freyr was associated with fertility, but in a very different way. Freyr was the god of agriculture and the harvest, making him an extremely important god to keep happy!

Njord

Freyr and Freya's father, Njord was also an honorary Aesir taken in from the Vanir, and for good reason! Njord was the god of the sea, and by extension, wealth - making him one of the most revered gods for the sea-faring Vikings.

Hel

Hel was Loki's daughter, and the goddess and ruler of the Norse underworld of the same name (also known as Helheim). She has pale skin and appears to be death-like. She nurtured and housed any who entered her realm - and there were a fair few. Helheim was home to the 'dishonorable dead' - anyone who died of old age or sickness would end up there, whereas those who died heroically would join Odin in Valhalla.

Tyr

The deity of war and heroic glory, Tyr was regarded as the bravest of the Norse gods. Although we don't know that much about him, one key part of his mythic legacy is his role in the binding of Fenrir, a monstrously huge wolf (and another one of Loki's other children). In order to keep Fenrir in place long enough for him to be bound in an unbreakable chain, so that he couldn't continue marauding around eating , Tyr stuck his hand in the wolf's mouth, allowing his hand to be chewed off while the other gods quickly finished tying Fenrir up. A truly remarkable demonstration of courage that should absolutely not be tried at home!

Bragi

Bragi was the god of eloquence and poetry - while he wasn't a hugely influential god, he was widely praised as the gods' court bard.

Viking Gods: facts to fascinate kids!

Freya, the Norse goddess of love and beauty had a... rather unusual way of getting about. Rather than riding a horse, she drives a flying chariot pulled by giant cats.

The Vikings believed that there were 9 realms of existence, with humans living on just one, and the gods on another. In order to travel between realms, you had to use the Bifrost - a bridge made out of a rainbow.

Odin's the All-Father of the Norse pantheon, but he wasn't the first of the Asgardians. Odin's grandfather, Buri, sprang from salty ice that was constantly licked by a cow, until it uncovered a person.

While we've mentioned two of Loki's children, Hel and Fenrir, his other two well-known children are even stranger than the Queen of the underworld and a giant wolf! First up isJörmungandr - also known as the World Serpent. Like the name would imply, this is a truly enormous sea serpent -Jörmungandr is so big that it wraps all the way around the world and bites its own tail. The last well-known child of Loki is Sleipnir - an eight-legged horse!

According to Norse mythology, the first human couple wasn't Adam and Eve, but was Ask and Embla. The man, Ask, was made from an Ash tree, while his partner, Embla, was made from an Elm tree.

In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr was a squirrel, whose sole job was to carry insulting messages between a great eagle and a dragon.
The eagle and the dragon were at opposite ends of Yggdrasil, the great World Tree.

Thor once dressed as a bride and was presented to the giant Thrym (Þrymr) with Loki as his bridesmaid. Thrym had stolen Thor's hammer and demanded Freya as his bride, so Thor and Loki came up with the plan to sneakily get Thor's hammer back. The giants got a bit suspicious when Thor ate an entire ox, 8 salmon, and drank many barrels of mead!

During Ragnarok (the end of the world in Norse mythology), Odin's son Vidar, avenges his Father by killing the wolf Fenrir using ... a giant boot. Vidar tears Fenrir's jaws open with a giant boot, made from the spare parts of every shoe ever made.

Thanks to a pig calledSæhrímnir, the Norse gods had unlimited bacon!Sæhrímnir provides food for the Aesir and Einherjar in the feasting hall of Valhalla.

According to the Vikings, Odin and his brothers made the world out of the dead body of Ymir, the very first lifeform!

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Download FREE resources to teach children about 'Viking Gods' Like many cultures from around the world, the Vikings believed in a pantheon of different gods, each of which was responsible for different areas of life. However, unlike most polytheistic faiths, the Vikings actually had two pantheons: the Aesir and the Vanir.

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The Vikings' belief in the Norse gods was of significance to almost all activities - in everyday life or for warriors in battle. They therefore sacrificed to the gods to obtain their goodwill. In recent decades dramatic finds have shown that large religious sacrifices in honour of the gods were held at magnates' residences.

Christianity was a potent force throughout the Viking period and by the 800s part of the population was already Christian. The first churches also appeared at this time. Kings and magnates erected the first buildings in honour of the new god. But why was the old Nordic religion replaced by Christianity? In addition, why did some Vikings never completely abandon Odin, Thor and the other old gods in favour of Christ?

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Religion, magic, death and rituals - National Museum of Denmark

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The Vikings' belief in the Norse gods was of significance to almost all activities - in everyday life or for warriors in battle. They therefore sacrificed to the gods to obtain their goodwill. In recent decades dramatic finds have shown that large religious sacrifices in honour of the gods were held at magnates' residences.

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What was life like in Viking Britain?

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How was Viking society organised?

The Vikings were not all bloodthirsty raiders. Some came to fight, but others came to Britain to live peacefully.

Viking | Who were they? | What did they do?
King | The most powerful person in all the land | Ruled the people and everyone looked up to him
Jarls (nobles) | Rich landowners or traders | They employed men to work for them
Karls | Everyday people like farmers and craft workers | They weren't as rich or important as jarls but they weren't poor either
Thralls (enslaved people) | Bottom of the hierarchy | They did the hardest, dirtiest jobs and if they tried to run away they could be killed. However, if thralls could earn enough money they could buy their freedom

Who was Eric Bloodaxe?

Eric Bloodaxe was the King of the Viking city of Jorvik. This is one of his silver coins. It has ‘Eric Rex’ written on it, which means ‘King Eric’ in Latin.

Norwegian Eric ‘Bloodaxe’ led his own kingdom in York in the 950s.

31 coins minted at York bear Eric’s name but he was betrayed and killed in AD954.

What jobs did Vikings do?

Many Vikings worked as farmers. Everything had to be done by hand on a Viking farm, so life was tough.

Farmers grew oats, barley and wheat. They ground the grain to make flour, porridge and ale. They planted vegetables, and kept animals like cows, sheep, pigs and chickens.

Vikings were skilled at shaping things from wood. These wooden bowls and cups were 'turned' (cut to shape) on a machine called a lathe.

Other jobs were:

Craft workers who made plates, cups, belts and shoes.

Jewellers who made rings and brooches from precious metals.

Blacksmiths who hammered red-hot iron into tools, knives and swords.

Potters who baked clay pots in a wood fire oven.

People sold these goods at markets. Here a family could buy anything from amber beads and apples, to walrus tusks and wolf-skins. Vikings also sailed the seas to buy silver, silk, spices and furs.

Where did Vikings live?

With just one room for all the family to share with their animals, a longhouse would have been a crowded and smelly place to live.

This was built from wood or stone and had a thatched or turf roof on top.

There was no bathroom inside, but the Vikings kept clean by washing in a wooden bucket or beside a stream.

Instead of toilets, people used a cesspit, which was a hole outside dug for toilet waste.

What did the Vikings believe?

The Norse people worshipped many gods and loved to tell stories of magic and monsters around the fire.

The Vikings loved to tell myths and legends about their gods.

Watch: Viking beliefs

Find out more about what the Vikings believed

The gods were very important to the Vikings. They loved to talk about them, worship them and argue about them which was their favourite!

The Chief god was Odin. He created Midgard, the home of the humans, and Asgard, the home of the gods.

Thor was the god of thunder, who fought with a mighty hammer so powerful it could crush mountains.

He rode a chariot pulled by two goats, which he often ate and then brought back to life!

The Norse people loved Thor, because he was the god who protected them and their world.

His goats might not have been so keen on him though!

Loki was a trickster and he loved making trouble.

He also had the rather cool power of being a shape-shifter.

Eventually Loki went too far with his pranks and the gods punished him severely!

There were other gods too like Frigg, the wife of Odin, and Mani the god of the moon.

There were also gods for things like peace, winter and even old age!

The Vikings believed that they might wonder the world as ghosts if they weren’t given the right type of funeral.

And important Vikings, such as chiefs, wanted to be just as powerful in the afterlife, so they were often cremated on a burning ship along with their favourite treasures, weapons, pets and even servants.

If Vikings died bravely in battle they might be selected by Odin to go to great feasting halls such as Valhalla.

Flying warrior maidens called Valkyries would escort them from Midgard to the afterlife.

There they would fight, drink and eat all day and night with the gods – and Thor’s goats, of course.

Did the Vikings have laws?

Vikings had their own laws and government.

People gathered at a meeting called a ‘Thing’. Here they would settle problems and make decisions.

People could vote on what should happen. For example, the Thing might decide who owned a piece of land or how to punish a criminal.

All this was overseen by a judge known as a law-speaker.

Viking laws were not written down, so laws were passed from person to person by word of mouth.

People who broke the law became outlaws. They had to live in the wilderness and anyone was allowed to hunt them down and kill them.

Vikings could also settle arguments with a fight known as a Holmgang. Whoever won the duel was seen as chosen by the gods.

The 'Thing' was an early version of today's parliament where people met to discuss new laws and settle disputes.

Activities

Activity 1: Viking families

Click on each of the Viking family members below to find out more about their life.

Activity 2: Viking homes

Click on the labels to find out more about what was inside a longhouse.

Activity 3: Quiz – Viking life

There's more to learn...

What was life like in Viking Britain?

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What was Viking Britain like? Learn about family life, settlements and Viking beliefs in this BBC Bitesize year 5/6 history guide.

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It has been nearly one thousand years since the last Vikings ventured abroad raiding and pillaging peasant towns and Christian monasteries. Yet the enduring imagery of monks being slaughtered and churches being looted is ever present in our minds. Every time someone utters the word ‘’Viking’’ we…

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Most Norsemen were farmers. On a farm, everyone worked, even kids. The soil was sandy and not very good for farming, so it took a lot of work to grow crops. The Vikings built their homes near water, both fresh water and seawater, because much of their food came from creeks and the sea. Boats were important, and time was spent as needed keeping boats watertight and safe. The men hunted as well as fished. The women gathered food, like berries and mushrooms. Food was also stored for use during the worst of the winter months.

The Vikings were clean and usually bathed at least once a week, even in the winter. They also believed in a clean house. Homes were simple, with little furniture, so cleaning was a relatively quick job for the women in the summer, done mostly with a broom and a dust rag. In the winter, however, the animals were brought inside at night to keep them safe and warm, unless the family had a separate barn. It took longer in the winter to keep their homes clean, not only to clean up after the animals, but also because they brought in dirt and snow from the outside when they shook off their boots or skiies or snowshoes. Still, to a Viking, a clean house was just as essential as a clean body and clean clothes. It was a job that had to be done.

There was no formal school that kids attended, but parents taught their kids. Boys learned how to farm, row, sail, hunt and fish. Girls were taught how to spin, weave, milk cows and goats, gather berries, and how to make colorful clothing with dyes, embroidery, and fancy stitches. If a parent had a specialized profession, such as a jewelry maker or blacksmith, they taught their children, both boys and girls, their craft during the long winter months.

As busy as they were each day, time was always put aside for some fun. Games of strength, agility, and quick thinking were ways the Vikings kept themselves strong. At night, Viking families gathered around the fire in the center of their home and told stories - wonderful stories of their gods and their victories - which helped to keep them proud.

Norsemen were social. They often got together with neighbors and friends to enjoy music, festivals, market days, and sporting events.

Each Norse village was run by a village chief or king, assisted by a council. There was also an assembly composed of all freemen in the village, who made laws and voted on the outcome of a trial. Rather than a religious leader, it was the Law, Viking law, that decided what people could and could not do. Everyone knew the law. The word "law" comes from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings.
Viking Families - Click on a family member to learn more about them Vikings Homes Viking Society - Kings, Jarls, Karls, Thralls Viking Names Viking Food and Drink Viking Clothing, Hairstyles, Jewelry Viking Entertainment & Sports Viking Jobs Viking Religion, Gods & Goddesses Viking Government, Courts, and Laws Viking Written Language - Runes Viking Warriors Viking Exploration, Pirates, and Looting Interactive Games about the Vikings Vikings Daily Life (BBC) The Vikings (Mandy Barrow's fabulous site) Daily Life in the Viking era
The Vikings, free presentations in PowerPoint format

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Daily Life - The Vikings for Kids and Teachers - Lesson Plans, Games, Powerpoints, Activities

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Most Norsemen were farmers. On a farm, everyone worked, even kids. The soil was sandy and not very good for farming, so it took a lot of work to grow crops. The Vikings built their homes near water, both fresh water and seawater, because much of their food came from creeks and the sea.

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From the day of the Sun to the day of the Moon

Today the week starts with the day of the moon, Monday and ends with the day of the sun, Sunday. Previously, Sunday, was the first day of the week and the 'washing day' - Saturday - ended the week.

Roman gods become Nordic weekday names

The Romans named the days of the week after the Sun and the Moon and five planets, which were also the names of their gods.
The gods and planets were Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn.

In the Nordic countries, the Sun (Sunday) and the Moon (Monday) also became the first two days of the week, and the Roman gods became four of the Nordic gods with similarities:

Mars became Tyr (Tuesday), Mercury became Odin (Wednesday), Jupiter became Thor (Thursday) and Venus became Frigg (Friday). Saturday came outside the system: The Norse form 'Saturday' means 'hot water day' - which can be translated as 'washing day' or 'washing water day'.

Sunnudagr - Sunday, the day of the Sun

Sól is a goddess in Norse mythology. 'Sol' means Sun. Over time, the day of the sun became Sunday.
In the runic alphabet, the rune-S name is Sun.

Mánadagr - Monday

The name Monday is related to the moon. The Latin name for moon is 'Luna', and in French Monday is still called 'Lundí'.
In the Nordic areas, the moon was called "Mani", and in time Mánadagr became Monday.

In Norse mythology, a distinction is made between two different meanings of the name 'Maní', meaning moon.
One is the cosmic phenomenon 'the moon', and in the other sense it referes to a mythical person. Monday was the day of the moon, and is named after the mythical person 'Maní'.

Tysdagr - Tuesday

Mars is a god of war, and so is the Nordic god 'Tyr' or 'Tír'.
It is Týr who has given his name to Tuesday.
In Norse mythology, Týr is one of the Aesir. He is primarily known as the god of justice and war, but is also described as wise and brave.
The T-rune was associated with Tyr.

Óðinsdagr - Wednesday

Odin can be compared to the Roman god Mercury, so in the Nordic tradition Odin (also known as 'Woden') gave his name to Wednesday.

Odin is the most prominent god in traditional Norse mythology.
He is particularly associated with war luck, royal power, rune power and wisdom.

Odin is the most powerful and eldest of the Æsir. He rules all things, and is mightier than the other gods, they all serve him as children obey a father. Frigg is his wife, and she knows all the fates of men, though she speaks no prophecy.
Odin is called All father because he is father of all the gods. He is also called father of the Slain, because all those that fall in battle are the sons of his adopt on, for them he appoints Valhal.

Þórsdagr - Thursday

Thor is reminiscent of Jupiter, as they both deal with lightning and thunder. So this day of the week became Thursday.
Thor is in Nordic mythology Sif's husband and was the god of thunder.
The name Þórr (Thor) is related to the word 'thunder'.
Thor controlled the weather, and fought the enemies of civilization, who at that time were giants and trolls.
He is associated with strength, aggression and reliability.

Thor is strongest of all the gods and men. He has his realm in the place called Thrúdvangar, and his hall is called Bilskirnir, in that hall are five hundred rooms and forty.
Thor has two he-goats, that are called Tooth-Gnasher and Tooth-Gritter, and a chariot draen by the he-goats.

Frjádagr - Friday

Venus is the goddess of love, and so is Frigg (and maybe also Freya, as they may have originally been the same goddess).
Frígg gave the name to Friday.
Frigg is Odin's wife in Norse mythology. She was perceived as the goddess of marriage.
She was also a protector and helper in traditional women's work, such as weaving, sewing and cooking.
Frigg has a farmstead called Fensalir, and it is most glorious.

Laugardagr (sunnunótt) - Saturday

Most inexplicable among the Old Norse day-names is laugardagr.

'Laug' mean bath or hot water and 'dagr' means day. So you can translate the Nordic word for Saturday into 'the day of the hot water' or 'bathing dag'

Saturday was also known as Sunnunótt - the night before Sunday and can be recognized - in some parts of Germany - often used words for Saturday: 'Sonnabend'

In Latin the day was named after Saturn (Saturni), and we can recognize it in the English language; Saturday.

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Today the week starts with the day of the moon, Monday and ends with the day of the sun, Sunday. Previously, Sunday, was the first day of the week and the 'washing day' - Saturday - ended the week.

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139 Old Norse Words now in the English Language

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139 Old Norse Words now in the English Language

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Modern English is commonly thought of as a West Germanic language , with lots of French and, thanks to the church, Latin influence thrown in the mix. But this take on English leaves out a very important piece of the linguistic puzzle: Old Norse, the language of the Vikings. The English we speak today is riddled with lingual remnants leftover from a time when wearing ornately-decorated helmets was all the rage. Let's take a look at some Old Norse words that have withstood the test of time by fighting their way into our modern vocabulary.

How To Speak Viking

The Old Norse word meant an overseas expedition, and a was someone who went on one of these expeditions. In the popular imagination, the Vikings were essentially pirates from the fjords of Denmark and Norway who descended on medieval England like a bloodthirsty frat party - they pillaged, murdered and razed villages, only to sail right back across the North Sea with their loot.

Reality is far more nuanced, though. The earliest Viking activity in England did consist of coastal raids, but by the 870s, the Danes had traded sword for plow and were settled across most of Northern England in an area governed by treaties known as the Danelaw. England even had Danish kings from 1018 to 1042. However, the more successful and longer-lasting Norman conquest in 1066 marked the end of the Viking era and virtually erased Danish influence in almost all aspects of English culture but one: its effect on the development of the English language.

me, (though) it may seem at first, we still very to use the words the Vikings did in our everyday speech. (their) language evolved into the modern-day Scandinavian languages, but (they) also gave English the of hundreds of words.

[A note on the letter þ: the Old Norse letter, called thorn, makes the same sound as the "th" in "thin".]

Days Of The Week

The most obvious Old Norse influence on modern English is the word Thursday ( Þorsdagr), which you might guess means "Thor's day."

"Tuesday," "Wednesday" and "Friday" are sometimes also attributed to the Norse gods Tyr, Odin and Freya respectively, but the weekdays are actually named for the Anglo-Saxon equivalents of these gods, Tiw, Wodan and Friga. The similarity of these names points to the common ancestry shared by the various Germanic tribes in prehistoric northern Europe, centuries before their descendants clashed on England's shores.

War And Violence

If the Vikings are famous for one thing, it's their obsession with war. They didn't just bring death and destruction to medieval England, they brought really cool words for death and destruction. They were certainly a rough bunch. Just look at a Viking the (wrong) way, and he might (thrust) a into your .

Here are some more violent Old Norse words we can thank the Vikings for:

Society And Culture

Life in the Danelaw wasn't all murder and mayhem, of course. Ironically, these savage berserkers also gave us many Old Norse words now central to our more "civilized" culture:

Animals

Although most English animal names retain their Anglo-Saxon roots (cow, bear, hound, swine, chicken, etc.), the Vikings did bring a few Old Norse words to our animal vocabulary:

Some words associated with hunting and trapping also come from the Vikings. Sleuth now means "detective," but the original meant "trail" or "track." Snare, on the other hand, retains the original meaning of the Old Norse .

Landscape

Old Norse words are good for describing landscapes and weather. This was especially useful in Viking-inhabited northern England, where both and (rugged) terrain are often shrouded in , and oppressed by of wind and (low) (clouds).

Much of the Danelaw bordered swamps and alluvial plains, so it's no surprise that many Old Norse words for dirty, mucky things still survive in English:

The Norse Legacy In English

Thanks to the cross-cultural fermentation that occurred in the Danelaw, the English language is much closer to those of its Scandinavian neighbors than many acknowledge. By the time the Norman conquest brought the irreversible influence of French, Old English had already been transformed beyond its Anglo-Saxon roots.

This is still in evidence today: Modern English grammar and syntax are more similar to modern Scandinavian languages than to Old English. This suggests that Old Norse didn't just introduce new words, it also influenced how the Anglo-Saxons constructed their sentences. Some linguists even claim that English should be reclassified as a North Germanic language (along with Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish), rather than a West Germanic language (with Dutch and German). The Viking influence may be most apparent in the Yorkshire dialect, which uses even more Old Norse words in daily speech than standard English does.

English is probably too much of a hybrid to ever neatly classify, but its Old Norse is clearly there among the tangle of Anglo-Saxon, French and Latin roots. The language of the Vikings may have become subdued over the centuries, but make no about it: from (birth) we (die), Norse's raw energy simmers under the surface of everything we say.

More Old Norse Words

We use Old Norse words every day without even realizing it.

Verbs

Objects

Adjectives

The Body

People

Emotions

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139 Old Norse Words That Invaded The English Language

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Without the Vikings, English would be missing some awesome words like berserk, muck, skull, knife, and cake! Here's our list of Old Norse words in English.

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https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/viking-runestones-craft-instructions-t-h-616

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Runes are a set of letters which are used to write early languages such as Old Norse, a North Germanic language spoken by the Vikings.

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Tablet Weaving | Follow The Vikings

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Norman Channel Island & Guernsey History

It has been considered that the island had occasional visits by hunting nomads as far back as 5,500 B.C. The tomb found at L'Ancresse has been dated circa 4,500 BC. It is a pre-megalithic grave that must be included among the oldest in Europe. Other remains of a fertility religion such as Dolmens and Menhirs are dated as far back as 4,000 and 3,000 B.C. The exact date when a permanent settler arrived to the island, probably in the form of a farmer with domestic cattle, sheep and goats as opposed to the seasonal nomadic hunter has not been completely established.

During the first centuries (A.C.) the Bailiwick of Guernsey saw the Roman domination and collapse. It was a part of the administrative unit based on Constantia (Countances), Province of <<Gallia Lugudensis Secunda>>. The coming of Christianity is attributed to St. Martin de Tours, who died between 396 and 400 A.D.
Le Trepied Dolmen (circa 4,000 B.C.).

After the Roman domination there followed a period of frequent invasions by Norsemen. The Charlemagne descendant King Louis the Pious suffered severe attacks from Norsemen in the 830s.

The Norsemen caused great trouble to the Frankish King in Normandy (then known as Nuestria). The islands were ecclesiastically subordinated to the Bishop of Countances from the sixth century, but even this Bishop found it prudent for about a century to reside in Rouen as the pagan Norsemen so effectively subjugated the Cotentin region and near islands. It was not until 1049 that effective ecclesiastical control of Guernsey by the see of Countances could have been established.

The islands come into English possession. The Norman period
In the year 911 Rollo became the first Duke of Normandy and 22 years later the victory of William <<Longsword>> over Bretons added the archipelago to the Duchy of Normandy. However it was not until the year 996 that Duke Richard II established effective ducal control over the Islands as the Vicomptes of the Cotentin, Bessin and Avranchin retained their pagan warlike ways, continued speaking Norse rather than French, while defying the ducal authority and probably conniving in the piratical attacks for a share of the booty.

However, we do know for sure that Guernsey, like its neighours Jersey and Alderney, is Old Norse-y: the -ey part - from Old Icelandic ey (gen. eyja, 'island') - leaves little room for doubt. That Guernsey and the other islands should have a Nordic origin comes as no surprise at all, considering that they became part of the Duchy of Normandy in 933, when the Duchy was created and granted to the Norseman Rollo.

In the year 1020 Duke Richard II divided Guernsey diagonally in two halves, granting the east part to Neel, Vicomte of the Cotentin and the west part to Anchetel, Vicomte of the Bessin. In 1066 Duke William II conquered England becoming King William I of England. From that moment, the fate of the islands was linked to the English crown although a number of vicissitudes still had to pass before arriving at the current Islands status.

Oldest conserved document of Guernsey (dated 1060). Six churches pay tithes to an abbady in Normandy. Photo obtained by courtesy of Guernsey Candie Museum

In 1204 King John lost Continental Normandy. This started a long period of disputes between France and England over the islands with frequent French raids over the archipelago. It also presented to the Seigneurs to the alternative of rendering homage to the King of France and thus losing the properties on the island or rendering homage to the King of England (now no longer Duke of Normandy), and thus losing their Continental properties.

The islands were invaded by the French in 1338, who held some territory until 1345. Edward III of England granted a Charter in July 1341 to Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Alderney, confirming their customs and laws to secure allegiance to the English Crown. Later, King Richard II of England reconfirmed in 1378 the Charter rights granted by his grandfather, followed in 1394 with a second Charter granting, because of great loyalty shown to the Crown, exemption for ever, from English tolls, customs and duties.

Also interesting for us, on the lower part of the document over the seal the text "John Blondel Bailiff " is clearly understandable.

The islands after the King of England Lost the Normandy Dukedom
From 1204 onwards the Seigneurs had the obligation for rendering homage to the reigning English monarch in his or her capacity as successor of the rights formerly belonging to the Duke of Normandy. This is known as the meeting of the "Cour de Chefs Plaids" of the Royal Court and takes place at Hilary (later Christmas), Easter and Michaelmas. On a few occasions such as in 1957 and in 1978, the monarch personally presided at the Ceremony of Homage instead of His/Her delegate. A summary of the description of the 1957 ceremony as in James Marr's reference (page 85) follows: <<First came the Bailiff's procession with the Bailiff in ceremonial robes, then the Queen's procession preceded by the Sheriff with drawn sword. After the Greffier had said the Lord's Prayer, he read the roll and the Seigneurs answered to his or her name. The Bailiff read a loyal address to the Queen that was answered by Her Majesty. The Seigneur of Fief the Sausamez as the paramount Seigneur of the island was then called by the Greffier. Escorted by the Bailiff and the Lieutenant-Governor he approached the Queen, bent and knelt and spoke the words of homage. The Greffier then called the Seigneur des Eperons [He is not obliged to assist in the yearly homage sessions but must be present in case of assisting the monarch in his/her feudal obligation to offer a pair of spurs to the monarch], who touched them as a token of acceptance. The Seigneur then rose and withdrew. The proceedings closed with the Greffier reading The Grace.>>

In 1254 Henry II annexed the archipelago to the Crown and three years later dropped the title of Duke of Normandy although the islands continued to be administered as before.

The Ceremony of Homage: Many Seigneurs still swear homage to the crown, directly to the King or to the King's representative. It is performed three times a year at the Royal Court after St. Maurus' day (January 15th), Easter Chief Pleas (Monday after Easter week) and after the Feast of St. Michael (Monday after Michael's Day). This obligation holds only for the 17 seigneurs of certain fiefs at the time (XIII century) that the obligation began [*].

[*] The fiefs owing suit at Royal Court Chief Pleas are: Bruniaux-de Nermont, Philippes, Sausmarez, Fantome, Rohais, Blanchelande, Canely, Anneville, Maumarquis, Henry du Vaugrat and Bruniaux. The rest of the fiefs with that obligation are now held by Her Majesty (Le Roi, Saint-Michel, Saint-Martin, Eveque, Rue-Frairie and Caen)

* The Spurs dated 1675 belonged to Fief des Esprons (Spurs). The holder of this Fief had the service of presenting a pair of spurs to the King every time that H.M. visited Guernsey. Photos taken at H.M. Greffe with permission.

The XIV century was the time for five General Eyre and wars, including a French occupation of the Bailiwick (1338-1340) and the start of the 100 Years War. This conflict left some effects over the islands including the Castle-Cornet taken and re-taken by France and England. In 1360 by the Treaty of Bretigny France abandoned the claims to the islands in return for English recognition of the Bishop of Coutances. This dependence was interrupted during the Papal schism (1378-1417).
Papal Neutrality to Island Fiefs

In 1483 a remarkable historical document, the bull of Sixtus IV granted neutrality to the archipelago that would last for over two centuries. In 1496 Pope Alexander VI transferred the Islands to the Diocese of Salisbury. In 1569 Elizabeth I placed the Islands definitively under the See of Winchester. She also authorized the first privateering adventure in 1598.
The XVII century was the time of the Civil War. The islands declared for parliament in 1642. Castle Cornet remained royalist until 1651. In 1663 Anglicanism was officially established. The bishop of Winchester appointed John de Sausmarez as Dean of Guernsey.
The XVII century religious fights had less impact on the archipelago although in 1687 James II appointed a Roman Catholic as Lieutenant-governor. One year later after a protestant coup the Lieutenant-governor was taken into custody while Queen Mary was acknowledged.
Recent Centuries

The XVIII century was the golden era of privateering. In 1756 the Seven Years War started. With the coming of the French Revolutionary War, the assistance rendered by the privateers to the Royal Navy was so valuable that the islands were declared to be "One of the Naval Powers of the world". The opportunities for privateers became even wider during some more years of the following century with the entry of the U.S.A. as Napoleon's ally in 1812.

18th Century Grenadier's mitre worn by Thomas Le Patourel. The only known Guernsey Militia example to survive. Castle Cornet museum.

This period of the turn of the century saw also the construction of Fort George (started in 1780) and the Royal Court House (1799). It is interesting in our case that 1799 is also mentioned as a time for tension with the Russian troops quartered at Delancey. Also relevant in our family history is the fact that finally and after almost one hundred years of British customs attempts for the control of the islands trade, in 1807 the "British Smuggling Act" was applied to the Islands but not without protest.

The rest of the century was interesting for many reasons including several historical visits. 1829 was the time of the first visit to the Bailiwick of the Bishop of Winchester. 1846 saw the first visit of a reigning monarch (Victoria and Albert). From 1855 to 1870 Victor Hugo visited the Island

In 1921 another monarch's visit took place (George V and Queen Mary). From 1940 to 1945 the Islands were occupied by the Germans. In 1949 H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth visited the island and the Princess Elizabeth Hospital was opened. 1957, 1978 and 1989 were years of visits by Queen Elizabeth II. On February 25th 1976, the States voted in favour of abolishing "Congé". A one-time payment of 50,000 pounds was confirmed later (October 28th) for private Seigneurs in an attempt to reconcile opposite interests.

In summary, the islands were annexed to the Crown, but were not incorporated into the Kingdom of England then or at any subsequent time. Trading, and personal relations with Normandy remained very close until well into modern times. Although the title of Normandy had been surrendered, the King of England continued to rule the islands as though he were Duke of Normandy, observing their laws and customs and liberties, confirming them by charters of successive sovereigns.

Today, The Channel Islands fall into two separate self-governing bailiwicks, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. Both are British Crown dependencies, and neither is part of the United Kingdom. Guernsey has roughly 63,026 inhabitants and 23 private Ancient Fiefs.

The Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey are not part of Great Britain, they are not part of the United Kingdom and neither are they part of the European Union. They are self-governing British Crown dependencies

Guernsey and the Channel Islands fall into two separate self-governing bailiwicks, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. Both are British Crown dependencies, and neither is part of the United Kingdom. They have been part of the Duchy of Normandy since the tenth century, and Queen Elizabeth II is often referred to by her traditional and conventional title of Duke of Normandy. However, pursuant to the Treaty of Paris (1259), the Queen governs in her right as The Queen (the "Crown in right of Jersey",and the "Crown in right of the république of the Bailiwick of Guernsey"), and not as the Duke. This notwithstanding, it is a matter of local pride for monarchists to treat the situation otherwise: the Loyal Toast at formal dinners is to 'The Queen, our Duke', rather than to 'Her Majesty, The Queen' as in the UK

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de la fief of th-blondel st peter of the wood and torteval guernesiaise lehnsherr von th. blondel

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Seigneur Fief Blondel Lord Blondel George Mentz Lord of Fiefdom Blondel Court Baron & Freiherr of Fief Thomas Blondel Feudal Lord of Baronnie - Noble Fief Crown Dependency Baron Freiherr GUERNESIAISE Duke Normandy Foreshore Seasted Rights - Channel Island History Seigneur de la Fief of Blondel Lord Baron Mentz of Fief Blondel Geurnsey Crown Dependency Seigneur Fief of Blondel George Mentz Lord Baron of Fiefdom Blondel Freiherr of Fief Thomas Blondel Feudal Lord of Baronnie - Noble

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Seigneur Fief of Blondel George Mentz Lord Baron of Fiefdom Blondel Freiherr of Fief Thomas Blondel Feudal Lord of Baronnie - Noble Fief Crown Dependency Baron Freiherr GUERNESIAISE Duke Normandy Foreshore Seasted Rights Seigneur de la Fief of Blondel St Peter of the Wood and Torteval GUERNESIAISE Lehnsherr von Th.

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Return to Wayne's history pages
William was to become known as the second Duke of Normandy and as the size of his weapon suggests he also inherited the stature of his father Rolf the Ganger. While it is said his father was forty years a viking pirate before he became a prince his son would have had a very different upbringing in Rouen and it is claimed that as a young man he asked his father if he could become a scholar in a monastery.

He would have been about thirty when he inherited the land around Rouen from his elderly father who had maintained a close loyalty to his over-lords the West Frankish kingdom. In the West of Normandy however the viking settlers were not ready to lose their identity and felt the prince had gone too native for their tastes.

Early in the reign according to Dudo of St Quentin they rebelled under Count Riulf of Brittany and sent an envoy to William demanding control of all the land west of the Risle valley. Longsword offered them a share of the land but they responded by marching an army across the Seine and camping outside Rouen where the prince tried to placate them further by offering them control up to the Seine. But they became greedy sensing Williams weakness and wanted more. The prince was left with no further choice but combat and one night led his troops out of the besieged city and fell on Riulfs camp driving them into flight.

In 933 William met the West Frank King Ralph and on pledging loyalty received the land of the Bretons on the sea-shore which may have given him the chance to take control of West Normandy in the Contenin and Avranchin including the Channel Islands, but it would be many years before the area was to become united.

Longsword was conscious of having to please both sides and had his son Richard taught, by his old tutor Botho the Dane, in Bayeux where he could still hear Norse spoken. He also had to play one side against the other outside of Normandy.

The fifteen year old Louis IV DOutre Mer succeeded King Ralph in 936 and soon a war erupted with Otto King of the East Franks when Lotharingian nobles revolted. Many nobles such as Hugh the Great and Herbert of Vermandois sided with Otto and over the next few years there was a great deal of jockeying for position.

William did not have his fathers loyalty to the West Frank monarchy and instead tried to follow which way the wind was blowing. This took the form of marrying Herberts daughter Luitgarda and joining in the siege of the Kings Archbishop at Reims while at the same time committing himself to the king when he met Louis at Amiens.

It was to be near Amiens that William was to meet his doom. Despite not having taken a very active role in the Frankish civil war he had been involved in a bitter dispute with Arnulf the Count of Flanders as a consequence of raids in 939 which developed into a dispute over the control of Ponthieu, a region between the two of them. William received messengers from Arnulf asking that if he wished to settle their dispute to come to a meeting on an island on the Somme at Picquigny. The trusting prince arrived to be murdered by Arnulfs followers.

It is said that when the princes body was put on display at Rouen Cathedral it could be seen that he wore a rough sackcloth shirt under his fine clothes and that he had died as he had wished to live as a young man.

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Return to Wayne's history pages William was to become known as the second Duke of Normandy and as the size of his weapon suggests he also inherited the stature of his father Rolf the Ganger.

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A 9th century carved bone gaming counter (similar to draughts) was found in 1967 during an excavation at Cobo.
It is on display in Guernsey Museum at Candie, St Peter Port. Photo by Minjie Su

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Thor and Loki - The Lay of Thrym - Norse - Extra Mythology