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The last Roman soldiers left Britain in 410. New people came in ships across the North Sea – the Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon age in Britain was from around AD410 to 1066.

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Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? Learn about Anglo-Saxons settlements, daily life and jobs in this BBC Bitesize year 5/6 primary history guide.

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When did the Anglo-Saxons come to Britain?

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When did the Anglo-Saxons come to Britain?

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Britain no longer had the strong Roman army to defend it from the invaders. There were many battles between Anglo-Saxons and Britons. Over time, the Anglo-Saxons took control of most of Britain.

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Why did the Anglo-Saxons come to Britain?

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What happened when the Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain? Learn about the Anglo-Saxons, Picts, Romans and the Britons in this BBC Bitesize year 5/6 primary history guide.

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A girl and her father - Britons - watch ships approaching...settlers from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands...the people who will become the Anglo-Saxons.

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Narrator: England. Sixteen hundred years ago. A beach on the East coast. A man and a girl have seen something, a boat, coming their way.
Girl: Who are they Father?

Man: I don't know.

Girl: Are they Britons like us?

Man: I don't think so. Their boat looks strange. It's too long to be one of ours.

Girl: Look Father. There's another one. Two boats.

Man: No. Not two. Look further out; three...four...five. And see, there. More. Lots more.

Girl: Father - I'm frightened.
Narrator: They don't know it, but the girl and her father are looking at visitors from across the sea. People who will change Britain forever. People we call The Anglo-Saxons. Sixteen hundred years ago the Anglo-Saxons started coming across the sea to Britain from countries we now call Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. At first they were just raiders; they stole valuable possessions from the Britons and then went home. But soon the invaders became settlers. They brought their families, they built farms and villages. These Anglo-Saxons had come to stay. FX: A horse walking, a dog barking, a cockerel crows etc as a thane returns to his village/farm/home at evening. Narrator: Two hundred years later: The Anglo-Saxons now rule Britain. An Anglo-Saxon lord - a thane - is returning home to his wife and family.
Wife: I was worried; you've been away for days.

Thane: It was a long way.

Wife: Sit. I'll bring you food.

Thane: Has all been well?

Wife: The children are fine, the crops are ripening. No wolves have attacked the sheep. All is well. Now... tell me of the meeting.

Thane: The witan was held two nights ago.

Wife: Tell me.

Thane: I'm tired. Tomorrow.

Wife: Were you allowed to enter the Great Hall? Were all the other thanes there?

Thane: I need to sleep.

Wife: Did you see the king?

Thane: Later.

Wife: Tell me now. I want to hear everything.

Thane: Alright...Yes, I entered the Great Hall. Yes, all the thanes of the kingdom were there.

Wife: Is the hall big?

Thane: Huge. Twenty men standing on each other's shoulders wouldn't reach the ceiling. The walls are hung with furs and tapestries - the finest. And swords and shields... The tables stretch the entire length of the hall.

Wife: And the king?

Thane: The king sat at the highest table, surrounded by his advisors. The thanes sat down the sides.

Wife: Was there a great feast?

Thane: Meat was roasting on two huge fires. The king's servants poured horns of mead. Every man ate and drank his fill.

Wife: And...the witan?

Thane: The next day the King held his witan and we found out why he wanted us there; we are to prepare ourselves for battle.

Wife: A battle?

Thane: The kingdom to the north wants to take our land. We're going to attack them before they attack us. I must leave in three days.

Wife: You? Why do you have to go?

Thane: It's my duty as a thane. If the king asks me to fight then I must fight.

Wife: No, I don't want you to go. There is work to be done here. Harvest is coming. Who'll tell the servants what to do?

Thane: You will. You'll be in charge.

Wife: They won't listen to me!

Thane: They will listen. Anyway, I won't be away for long. This is just a brief quarrel between kings. It'll be over in no time.

Wife: You don't know that. Please...

Thane: I have no choice. The King calls me and I must go. If I have to fight then I will fight.

Wife: But you're not a fighter.

Thane: Really?

Wife: Once perhaps, but not any more. Now we are a farmers...landowners.

Thane: And why are we landowners? Why do we have a farm and fields and animals? Why do we have servants and live in this place? Because the king gave it all to us! So we serve the King. And when he calls us to battle, we do not argue. We pick up our weapons and fight, to the death if we have to.
Narrator: For the next three hundred years the five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms - East Anglia, Mercia, Kent, Northumbria and Wessex - became stronger and richer. Sometimes they quarrelled and fought battles against each other... but they also built castles and towns and farmed the fertile soil of England. But then, in 873, new ships appeared sailing towards the English coast - fierce invaders from the north. The Vikings.

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KS2 History: The Anglo-Saxons. 1: The Anglo-Saxons arrive

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KS2 History: The Anglo-Saxons. Audio drama covering the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in England and the society they created. BBC School Radio. BBC Teach.

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In Anglo-Saxon England, prior to invasion by the Vikings, the land was divided into 7 main Kingdoms. Here’s a crash course on each of them.

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In Anglo-Saxon England, prior to invasion by the Vikings, the land was divided into 7 main Kingdoms. Here's a crash course on each of them.

Northumbria was a large kingdom in the North of England. During the 7th Century Northumbria was the place to be and certainly the most powerful of the 7 Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In the 8th Century things went really wrong. Out of 14 kings, 4 were murdered, 6 were overthrown and 2 threw down their crowns and went to be monks. The Vikings put Northumbria out of its misery and took over the kingdom.

The kingdom of East Anglia could be found over on the 'pig's rump'. If that means nothing to you, then have a look at a map of the UK: where Norfolk and Suffolk are is where East Anglia used to be. The kingdom is most famous for leaving us 'Sutton Hoo' an ancient burial site filled with fabulous treasure.

Mercia sat between the kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex; slap bang in the middle of England. Rather than being one kingdom, it was confusingly made up of many smaller ones. Mercia's standout king was called 'Offal', he was a terrifying man who enjoyed scaring everything and everyone. Mercia came to an end when it was conquered by the Vikings.

Wessex was famously the 'last kingdom' and, unlike the other kingdoms, saw off Viking invasion on several occasions. The kingdom was in the South West of England. Alfred the Great is likely the Kingdom's most famous king, as he became the first king of the unified Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, at least those that were left.

Sussex, sat south of London, didn't last nearly as long as the other Kingdoms, being conquered by Wessex in the 7th Century. Sussex was likely first established by Germanic Tribes rocking up on the coastline in the 5th Century. Sussex was amongst the last of the Kingdoms to convert to Christianity.

Nothing to do with the home of Clank Kent - that's the fortress of solitude - Kent was founded by the Jutes tribe. As the story goes it was the warlord Vortigern who invited the Jutes to help defend his kingdom against the Picts and in return gave them the land of Kent - either that or they just took it. The Christianisation of the Anglo-Saxons began in Kent, when the Monk Augustine arrived on a mission to spread Christianity.

The last kingdom in our list, Essex contained two Roman cities; London and Colchester. Not much is known about the Kingdom until it was given to the Vikings under the terms of Danelaw in the 9th Century. Essex couldn't make its mind up regards Christianity, they recanted and returned to being pagans on three separate occasions!

If you're a teacher then you'll definitely want Imagining History to bring their 'How to Survive in Anglo-Saxon England' Interactive workshop to your school.

Our Award-Winning sessions combine role-play, storytelling, demonstrations and drama and performance to bring history to life for your students.

In our 'How to Survive in Anglo-Saxon England' workshop, Imagining History will teach your students everything they need to know to make it out of the Dark Ages in one piece. Your students will:

Learn how to survive and thrive as an Anglo-Saxon peasant, noble and monk.

Discover what life as a Monk was like in a Christian Monastery and try to live through a Viking raid.

Learn how to farm and grow crops the Anglo-Saxon way.

Uncover the secrets behind the Anglo-Saxon conversion from Paganism to Christianity.

Join a Fyrd and transform the school hall into a battlefield to learn how to fight in an Anglo-Saxon shield wall.

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The Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: A Brief Guide for Kids

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In Anglo-Saxon England, prior to invasion by the Vikings, the land was divided into 7 main Kingdoms. Here's a crash course on each of them. Northumbria was a large kingdom in the North of England. During the 7th Century Northumbria was the place to be and certainly the most powerful of the 7 Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In the 8th Century things went really wrong.

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Names of towns and villages all mean something. In England, many places have Anglo Saxon names.

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Names of towns and villages all mean something. In England, many places have Anglo Saxon names. For example; BIRMINGHAM comes from BEORMA (a person's name) + INGA (family or tribe) + HA (homestead). So BIRMINGHAM simply means "Homestead of Beorma's tribe."

Here are some Anglo Saxon words and their meanings. The spellings have been simplified!

Some words have survived unchanged, or been updated:- WELL, BRIDGE, SAND, FORD, STONE and NEW etc all feature in English names.

Now see if you can "translate" the following place-names. Hover over the place name for the answer.
ALDBOROUGH - ASKHAM - BARWICK - BEWERLEY - BURNHAM - CARLTON - MORLEY - SANDBACH - FLEETHAM - WAINFLEET - WALDEN - WALSHFORD - STOWMARKET - STONYHURST - TONBRIDGE
NB: Place-names can be confusing. MOUSEHOLE in Cornwall really does mean "mousehole", but MUCKING in Essex has nothing to do with mucking about! It means "Place of Mucca's Tribe".

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Anglo Saxon place names - Yorkshire Dialect Society

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Names of towns and villages all mean something. In England, many places have Anglo Saxon names. For example; BIRMINGHAM comes from BEORMA (a person's name) + INGA (family or tribe) + HA (homestead). So BIRMINGHAM simply means "Homestead of Beorma's tribe." Here are some Anglo Saxon words and their meanings.

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Prepare for battle, because we’re about to take a trip back in time in our Anglo-Saxon facts, to a time 1,600 years ago when fierce warriors ruled Great Britain!

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Prepare for battle kids, because we're about to take a trip back in time in our Anglo-Saxon facts, to a time 1,600 years ago when fierce warriors ruled Great Britain!

Ever wondered what it might be like stepping foot in Anglo-Saxon England? Find everything you'll ever need to know about these fierce people in our mighty fact file, below...

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Anglo-Saxons primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Anglo-Saxon facts: Who were they?

The Anglo-Saxons were a group of farmer-warriors who lived in Britain over a thousand years ago.

Made up of three tribes who came over from Europe, they were called the Angle, Saxon, and Jute tribes. The two largest were the Angle and Saxon, which is how we've come to know them as the Anglo-Saxons today.

They were fierce people, who fought many battles during their rule of Britain - often fighting each other! Each tribe was ruled by its own strong warrior who settled their people in different parts of the country.

When did the Anglo-Saxons invade Britain?

The Anglo-Saxons first tried invading in the 4th century, but the Roman army were quick to send them home again! Years later - around 450AD - the Ancient Romans left Britain, the Anglo-Saxons seized their chance and this time they were successful!

They left their homes in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark and sailed over to Britain on wooden boats. Many of them were farmers before they came to Britain and it's thought they were on the look-out for new land as floodwaters back home had made it almost impossible to farm.

Anglo-Saxon houses

The Anglo-Saxons didn't like the stone houses and streets left by the Romans, so they built their own villages. They looked for land which had lots of natural resources like food, water and wood to build and heat their homes, and Britain's forests had everything they needed. They surrounded each village with a high fence to protect cattle from wild animals like foxes and wolves, and to keep out their enemies, too!

We know what Anglo-Saxon houses were like from excavations of Anglo-Saxon villages. They were small wooden huts with a straw roof, and inside was just one room in which the whole family lived, ate, slept and socialised together - much like an ancient version of open-plan living!

The biggest house in the village belonged to the chief, which was large enough to house him and all his warriors - and sometimes even the oxen, too! It was a long hall with a stone fire in the middle, and hunting trophies and battle armour hung from its walls. There were tiny windows and a hole in the roof to allow smoke to escape.

Anglo-Saxon place names

Many towns and villages still carry their Anglo-Saxon names today, including "England" which comes from the Saxon word "Angle-Land".

Early Anglo-Saxon villages were named after the leader of the tribe so everyone knew who was in charge. If you'd visited Reading in Anglo-Saxon times, you'd have been in Redda's village - Redda being the local chieftain.

The Anglo-Saxons settled in many different parts of the country - the Jutes ended up in Kent, the Angles in East Anglia, and the Saxons in parts of Essex, Wessex, Sussex and Middlesex (according to whether they lived East, West, South or in the middle!)

Not all Roman towns were abandoned, though. Some chiefs realised that a walled city made for a great fortress, so they built their wooden houses inside the walls of Roman towns like London.

Anglo-Saxon food

Perhaps one of our favourite Anglo-Saxon facts is how much they liked to party! They loved a good meal and would often host huge feasts in the chief's hall. Meat was cooked on the fire and they ate bread, drank beer and sang songs long into the night!

They grew wheat, barley and oats for making bread and porridge, grew fruit and vegetables like carrots, parsnips and apples, and kept pigs, sheep and cattle for meat, wool and milk.

They were a very resourceful people - everything had its use and nothing went to waste. Animal fat could be used as oil for lamps, knife handles could be made out of deer antlers and even glue could be made from cows.

Anglo-Saxon clothes

Anglo-Saxons made their own clothes out of natural materials. The men wore long-sleeved tunics made of wool or linen, often decorated with a pattern. Their trousers were woollen and held up by a leather belt from which they could hang their tools such as knives and pouches. Shoes were usually made out of leather and fastened with laces or toggles.

The women would wear an under-dress of linen or wool and an outer-dress like a pinafore called a "peplos" which was held onto the underlayer by two brooches on the shoulders. Anglo-Saxon women loved a bit of bling and often wore beaded necklaces, bracelets and rings, too!

Anglo-Saxon gods
Grand stone buildings, such as Westminster Abbey, replaced the wooden Anglo-Saxon structures after the Normans invaded in 1066.
Many of today's Christian traditions came from the Anglo-Saxons, but they weren't always Christians. When they first came over from Europe they were Pagans, worshipping lots of different gods who they believed looked different parts of their life, such as family, crop growing, weather and even war.

The Anglo-Saxons would pray to the Pagan gods to give them good health, a plentiful harvest or success in battle.

It wasn't until the Pope in Rome sent over a missionary - a monk called Augustine - to England in 597AD, that the Anglo-Saxons became Christians. Augustine convinced the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelbert of Kent to convert to Christianity and slowly the rest of the country followed suit. Pagan temples were turned into churches and more churches (built of wood) started popping up all over Britain.

Who invaded after the Anglo-Saxons?

From 793AD, the Vikings invaded Anglo-Saxon Britain several times, plundering and raiding towns and villages along the British coastline. The Anglo-Saxons tried to hold them back but groups of Vikings eventually settled in different parts of the country, especially York (or Jorvik, as they named it) - making it the second biggest city after London. The next invasion came in 1066AD, in one of the most famous battles of our history - the Battle of Hastings. When the Anglo-Saxon King Edward died without an heir, a new king was chosen to rule England - King Harold II. William the Conqueror of Normandy and Harald Hardrada, the King of Norway, weren't keen on the new English king and thought that they both had the right to rule Britain.

A descendant of Viking raiders, William brought his army of Normans to Britain to take on the new king, and on 14 October 1066, the two armies fought at the Battle of Hastings. The Normans were victorious and Harold was killed. This signalled the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in Britain. England now had a Norman king, King William I, or William the Conqueror.

Check out our vicious Viking facts, here!

The Anglo-Saxon period of history shaped many parts of England as we know it today - the words we use for the days of the week for example. Have a go at saying them out loud, below!
Monandæg Tiwesdæg Wodnesdæg Ðunresdæg Frigedæg Sæternesdæg Sunnandæg
What did you think of our Anglo-Saxon facts, gang? Let us know by leaving a comment, below.

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Anglo-Saxons: facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Looking for some cool Anglo-Saxon facts? Learn who these fierce tribes were, when they lived, where they came from & how they changed Great Britain!

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A few miles from the Suffolk coast, the Sutton Hoo ship burial was one of the most exciting discoveries in British archaeology, and one that profoundly exploded the myth of the 'Dark Ages'.

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Spanning over 700 years, this Room traces the story of Europe from 300 AD.

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The story of King Alfred the Great and his struggles against the Vikings.

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Narrator: The year 871. Ethelred - king of the Anglo-Saxon land of Wessex - has died fighting the Viking invaders. So who should the next king be? FX: General hubbub of the meeting
Voice 1: My lords! Ethelred is dead and we are still at war with the Viking invaders. We must choose a new king quickly!

Voice 2: I propose Ethelred's eldest son, Aethelwald! He's the obvious choice!

Voice 3: But Aethelwald is young, no more than a boy. We are at war. We need a grown man to lead us.

Voice 1: And who, my lord, would you suggest?

Voice 3: Alfred, Ethelred's brother!

Voice 2: Not Alfred, Alfred is weak! He's always ill. He won't survive.

Voice 3: It is true that Alfred is often ill, but he is not weak.

Voice 2: Some days he is so ill he cannot ride his horse.

Voice 1: Alfred has fought bravely in battle.

Voice 2: Alfred is not a true warrior. He would prefer to spend his time reading books than preparing for battle!

Voice 3: We must have kings who can read as well as lead us into battle! Our new king should be Alfred!

Voice 1: I too am for Alfred.
FX: Other voices 'I am for Alfred' / 'Alfred for king!' etc Narrator: Alfred was in his early 20s when he became king and although it was true that he was often ill, he certainly wasn't 'weak'. The greatest challenge the young king faced came from the Vikings, who had invaded in the north and were moving south...
Thane: King Alfred, the Vikings are advancing again. We cannot beat them.

Alfred: And I say we can.

Thane: But sire - they are stronger than us, they have better weapons. We are outnumbered.

Alfred: Time; if only we had a bit more time to gather our strength. We just need a bit more time...

Thane: Sire - the Vikings march. There is no time.

Alfred: Then we must buy time.
Narrator: And 'buy time' is exactly what Alfred did. He made a deal with the Vikings. They agreed not to attack Wessex in return for money. They called that money Danegeld. The Vikings left Wessex in peace but then in 878 the Viking leader - Guthrum - launched a surprise attack on Alfred. FX: Sounds of battle, horses, cries of men, clash of metal on metal
Thane: Sire, you must escape!

Alfred: No, I will fight and die here alongside my soldiers.

Thane: Then all will be lost. Escape now and you will live!

Alfred: I will not run.

Thane: Sire, please! We need you to live...to lead us to fight another day!
Narrator: Alfred escaped from the Vikings and with a small group of followers, hid in a village surrounded by marshes. Years later a story was told of the time when Alfred was in hiding. It was said that for many weeks he stayed in the house of an old woman. Alfred was disguised as a poor man so that she had no idea the King was living in her house.
Woman: Hey! Make yourself useful! Keep an eye on the stove. I have bread baking. When the loaves are ready be sure to take them out. Understand?

Alfred: Yes of course - I promise to watch your bread.
Narrator: But Alfred was too busy thinking about the Vikings, too busy trying to work out how he might defeat them...
Alfred: We'll need more men to fight. We are still too weak.

Thane: And weapons - more swords!
Narrator: Alfred forgot about the loaves of bread and when the old woman returned...
Woman: They're burnt!

Alfred: I'm sorry. I wasn't...

Woman: I told you to watch my loaves and now they're burnt to a cinder!

Thane: Enough! Be silent. Do you know who you're speaking to?

Woman: Yes! The fool who burnt my loaves!

Thane: No. You are speaking to your...

Alfred: No. It doesn't matter who I am. She is right to call me a fool. I was given a job to do and I failed. To the woman I'm sorry. I will pay you for the burnt loaves. And next time I am given a job I will not fail.
Narrator: When Alfred was ready to leave the marshes he took off his disguise and dressed once more as king... ...and from all over Wessex people came to join him, ready to fight the Vikings.
Alfred: Now we have an army! This time we will take the Vikings by surprise and this time we will win!
Narrator: Soon after - at the Battle of Edington - Alfred was as good as his word. The Anglo-Saxon army defeated the Vikings. Guthrum, the Viking leader, promised that he would never attack Wessex again... and in return Alfred gave the Vikings land to the east of Britain, which became known as the Danelaw.
Alfred: We have won a great victory, but we can never be safe until we have trained a proper army. Till we have a fleet of ships, till we have built towns which we can defend. We must look to the future!
Narrator: Alfred put his plans into action: soon that army was trained, those ships were built and new towns, with castles to defend them, sprang up all over Wessex. Alfred may have been ill for much of his life but he is remembered as one of the strongest kings. He is still the only English king to be given the title 'Great'.

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KS2 History: The Anglo-Saxons. 2: Alfred the Great

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KS2 History: The Anglo-Saxons. Audio drama telling the story of Alfred the Great and his struggles against the Vikings. BBC School Radio. BBC Teach.

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The Anglo-Saxons did not understand the Roman ways and would not live in their towns, so the villas, streets and baths were soon forgotten. They fell into ruins and became covered over with weeds. We know what Saxons houses may have looked like from excavations of Anglo Saxon villages, such as the one at West Stow in the east of England.

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Photographs and information on Saxon houses

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Life in Anglo-Saxon Britain is shown through the eyes of a family, including an exploration of  different approaches to medicine in Saxon times.

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Life in Anglo Saxon Britain | The Story of Britain | BBC Teach

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From towns and settlements, to literature and language, find out more about Viking culture.

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We use cookies to make our website work more efficiently, to provide you with more personalised services or advertising to you, and to analyse traffic on our website. For more information on how we use cookies and how to manage cookies, please follow the 'Read more' link, otherwise select 'Accept and close'.

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Travelling by water was an important part of Viking culture as it transported them overseas to distant lands as both invaders and as settlers.

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NEIL OLIVER: 'The Vikings came from Scandinavia, where there are many mountains. Crossing those mountains was difficult, so the easiest way to travel was by boat, through the steep, sea-flooded valleys known as fjords. And over thousands of years, the Vikings learned how to build seagoing boats and become expert sailors.

Today in Oslo, the capital of Norway, is the best Viking ship ever discovered. It is over one thousand years old, and just as the Vikings left it.'

NEIL OLIVER: This stunning craft is the Oseberg Ship. It's certainly the most famous Viking ship we have, and to my eyes, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most beautiful.

NEIL OLIVER: 'This ship was built almost entirely of oak, and is over 18 metres long. It has a steering board on its right hand side, 'and an iron anchor, and it would have had a crew of around 35 men, and could be powered by either oars or sails. But it's the carving on the ship that I find truly incredible.'

NEIL OLIVER: The ship itself is the work of many craftsmen, but here in this carving is the imagination and the skill of just one artist. One person. It's this... exciting, vivid depiction of a dragon or sea serpents twisting together, biting tails. The scales on the skin are picked out with these carefully etched lines. And while it's one thing to be handed an object that you can hold in your hand, and be told, 'This is a thousand or 1200 years old.' It's of another order of magnitude to stand beneath something like this, to be reminded that these people were capable of, this kind of imagination, to make something so big, it makes them that bit more real. You know, this, this is what he Vikings were capable of.

NEIL OLIVER: 'For centuries, the secret of Viking success was their ships. To sail in them was to be a Viking. They were built from shaped wooden planks, held together with iron rivets and wooden frames. Any gaps were sealed with animal hair to make them waterproof.'

NEIL OLIVER: Rowing one of these, well, on a day like today, is actually quite pleasant, if you can get into the rhythm. It's not such a bad way to spend a morning.

NEIL OLIVER: Oh, hold on. Hold on. It's all gone terrible.

NEIL OLIVER: 'These ships meant you could sail all around Scandinavia, and then on to Ireland, England and Scotland, transporting people, animals, weapons and tools.'

NEIL OLIVER: It's been estimated that in the case of the bigger vessels with crews of 70 men, to keep them going through a sailing season lasting four months, would require the surplus from 460 farms. Or alternatively, you could just get your food from raiding and pillaging.

SAILOR: Okay. Go.

NEIL OLIVER: 'If there was no wind, the Viking boats could be powered by oars. But they really came into their own as sailing ships. Then they were able to travel much, much further. It seems remarkable that when the Vikings reached the open sea, far away from land, somehow they still knew where they were going. One expert sailor thinks she knows how this was done.'

LENA BORJESSON: They were dependent on the sun. If they didn't find the sun, they were haf víl. They were lost at sea.

NEIL OLIVER: Haf víl.

LENA BORJESSON: Haf víl.

NEIL OLIVER: That's a word you don't want to hear on a Viking ship, then.

LENA BORJESSON: Right.

NEIL OLIVER: But what happens if you're in the open ocean and the weather is bad, and you don't see the sun for hours on end?

LENA BORJESSON: I've done it several times. The sky is all grey. We really need the sun. We haven't seen it for a long time. It's raining. I'm looking, I'm looking, I'm looking. Hey, where is the sun? Maybe there, maybe there. Yes. And then you just get it for ten seconds. Then like that. Wow. There. You've got it. And then you just adjust your course, because you can see, okay, maybe we have been sailing for 30 degrees wrong, but now we are on the course again. Thank you. I'm so happy for that sun.

NEIL OLIVER: 'But not all Viking boats and ships were meant for sailing across the open ocean. Some Vikings used their vessels to sail up the mighty rivers in Russia and beyond. This would take them to the mysterious lands in the East, where they could find riches beyond their wildest dreams.'

NEIL OLIVER: Morning, Vikings. Where can I be? Up here?

NEIL OLIVER: 'But travelling along the rivers presented a whole new challenge.'

VIKING: Stop.

NEIL OLIVER: 'If they reached a point where the river was blocked, by ice or rapids, the boats could be taken out of the water and rolled on logs beyond the obstacles. Sometimes they would even transport their vessels between different rivers. That's why these boats are smaller than the oceangoing ships. They weren't so heavy, and they could be moved, metre by metre over land, from one place to another.'

NEIL OLIVER: Imagine how long it would take to get anywhere. You know, from when you leave home in Sweden. Cross the Baltic in ships and then get everything into boats like this, and every now and again you've got to take the boat out of the water and move it over land. These guys must have been away for years at a time. It's time-consuming, and it is laborious, but, you know, there's enough men here to move a boat this size, so the system does work. As history shows.

VIKING: Stop.

NEIL OLIVER: 'As well as exploring and traveling along the rivers, east across Russia, the Vikings also explored new lands far to the West, across the vast North Atlantic ocean.'

NEIL OLIVER: One stormy day, sometime in the second half of the ninth century, a Viking ship sailing from Norway to the Faroe Islands was blown off course. After several more days sailing, it finally beached up on an uninhabited, unexplored shore, here, on Iceland.

NEIL OLIVER: 'Some of the Vikings settled on Iceland, and built farms there. But in time, they headed even farther west.'

NEIL OLIVER: And in 1000 A.D., the unforgettably named Erik the Red led a fleet of 25 ships out into the North Atlantic in hopes of founding a new colony.

NEIL OLIVER: 'After a difficult voyage, during which many Vikings lost their lives, just 14 boats arrived on what we now know as Greenland. But in the years to come, other Viking explorers would go even further. Objects dug up in Newfoundland tell us that the Vikings set up a trading camp there, and that makes them the first Europeans ever to reach America.'

NEIL OLIVER: The distance from Norway to Newfoundland is 4,500 miles, and we're talking about a time when that land mass was beyond the knowledge, far less the reach, of any other Europeans. What those Vikings did then was simply staggering.

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NEIL OLIVER: 'The Vikings came from Scandinavia, where there are many mountains. Crossing those mountains was difficult, so the easiest way to travel was by boat, through the steep, sea-flooded valleys known as fjords. And over thousands of years, the Vikings learned how to build seagoing boats and become expert sailors.

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Vikings came from the north, what we now call Scandinavia.

They sailed in longships to Britain where they could start raiding and conquering. Their ships are considered amazing examples of design ingenuity and have excited historians for years.

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Published on Sep 14, 2021
Image © Midnightblueowl, under a creative commons licence.
Vikings came from the north, what we now call Scandinavia.

They sailed in longships to Britain where they could start raiding and conquering. Their ships are considered amazing examples of design ingenuity and have excited historians for years.

Vikings became great sailors when they lived close to the rivers and fjords (sea inlets). Fjords were large, deep bodies of water which needed many men with oars in a fast ship to navigate them.

We have put together the facts you need to ensure that teaching your children this fascinating history topic is smooth sailing.

What Were Viking Longships Like?

Most sea-boats are very deep, but Viking longboats had shallow hulls meaning they could navigate estuaries and in-land rivers with ease.

The longships were roughly 30 meters long and carried up to 60 men within them. Depending on how big the ship was, a longship could use 24 to 50 oars to row when there was little to no wind.

The Vikings sat on chests containing their belongings when they were rowing. Vikings usually slept on deck.

A longship had a large, square sail made of wool woven tightly together attached to a tall mast. According to information historians found on the Bayeux Tapestry, Vikings usually coloured their sail red and white. The sail could be brought down when it wasn't needed.

They often named their longboats creative names, such as "Snake of the Sea", "Raven" and "Long Serpent".

At night, the Vikings used the stars to help guide them through the water.

Overall, a longship was designed and built to be light and fast. Many Vikings could be rowing at one time or the wind could pull the ship along quickly. They could navigate turbulent seas and shallow rivers but could also be carried by men over the land.

How Did The Vikings Build Their Longships?

Image © Sonty, under a creative commons license.

Oak planks were overlapped together to create a frame. They would be overlapped and nailed together. To prevent water entering the boat, moss, animal hair and wool mixed with tar or tallow would be used to plug any gaps in the wood.

Viking longships were clinker built ships, this means that they had overlapping hull planks. This design, also known as lapstrake, increased the speed of the ships in the water by making it more streamlined.

The square sail was made of wool, reinforced by strips of leather to maintain the shape when it got wet. The leather strips also gave the sail more resilience in high wind.

Vikings decorated their ships with carvings in the wood. They also included a sculpture of a creature such as a snake or dragon to scare off enemies and sea monsters. Animals such as snakes and dragons were sculpted onto the prow. Often, they made a similar-looking animal for the back of the boat that could intimidate a ship sailing behind them.

What Were Viking Longships Used For?

Image © Wiki commons under a creative commons license.

Longships were classified based on how many oars they used.

Karvi: These were the smallest longship with 13 rowing benches. They were used for fishing and trade.

Snekkja: These were usually the smallest ship used in warfare, with 20 rowing benches. These were the most common kind of ship.

Skeid: These had 30 or more rowing benches. They could carry a crew of 70-80 men on the ship.

Drakkar: This ship was very similar to the Skeid but with more menacing carvings.

In general, the design of all Viking ships had speed as a main objective, especially for raiding. It meant that Vikings could sail right up to the land, exit to fight, then get back on the boat to escape.

Are There Any Viking Longships Left Today?

Image © Hans Splinter under a creative commons license.

You can visit some reconstructions of longboats in places like Norway and Denmark.

If you are looking for Viking longships in and around Britain, head over to Hugin to see a longboat in Kent. Dragon Harald Fairhair is the largest reconstructed longship. To see Dragon Harald Fairhair, you should check their website to see where the boat is currently docked, if you are lucky and it is somewhere local, it offers a fantastic opportunity to experience a Viking longboat in modern Britain.

How Can You Teach Children About Viking Longships?

Year 3: Crafts are a great way to get children excited about history. Perhaps big spoons could be used as oars and a cardboard box or cushion to help children imagine they are in a Viking longship of their own.

Year 4: You could look at some diagrams of Viking longships and encourage your children to design their own. You could encourage them to be creative and incorporate the wood carvings, red and white square sail and the animal on the prow and back of the ship.

Year 5: This could be an opportunity to learn about how a ship stays afloat and utilise this topic to do some cross-subject learning. Learning about how the sea and wood interact and why a ship can be faster or slower can be very interesting for children.

Year 6: Pupils could look into different types of Viking ships and evaluate how different ships were suited to their purposes.

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Viking Longships (KS2): Everything You Need To Know

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Published on Sep 14, 2021 Image © Midnightblueowl, under a creative commons licence. Vikings came from the north, what we now call Scandinavia. They sailed in longships to Britain where they could start raiding and conquering. Their ships are considered amazing examples of design ingenuity and have excited historians for years.

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Archaeologist Neil Oliver visits three of the most important places associated with the Viking invasion and settlement of Anglo Saxon England.

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Archaeologist Neil Oliver visits three of the most important places associated with the Viking invasion and settlement of Anglo Saxon England.
He starts at Lindsfarne where the Vikings launched their first raid in 793.

In Repton, which the Vikings also conquered, he comes across the site of a Viking fortress and some of the extraordinary objects found in the grave of the Repton Warrior.

In York, once the capital of Danelaw, many more amazing Viking artefacts have been uncovered.

More intriguing still is evidence of the continuing legacy of the Vikings - place names and everyday words which all have their roots in the Viking language.

This is from the series Vikings.

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History KS2 / KS3: Viking invaders and settlers

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Archaeologist Neil Oliver visits three of the most important places associated with the Viking invasion and settlement of Anglo Saxon England. He starts at Lindsfarne where the Vikings launched their first raid in 793. In Repton, which the Vikings also conquered, he comes across the site of a Viking fortress and some of the extraordinary objects found in the grave of the Repton Warrior.

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The Viking age in European history was from about AD700 to 1100. During this period many Vikings left their homelands in Scandinavia and travelled by longboat to other countries, like Britain and Ireland.

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Find out who the Vikings were and where they settled in Britain. This KS2 history guide also explains where the Vikings came from and how they invaded Britain.

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Viking warriors have often been portrayed as horned helmet wearing, sword wielding warriors who went into battle with their long hair flowing down their backs - but is this really what they were like?

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Viking warriors have often been portrayed as horned helmet wearing, sword wielding warriors who went into battle with their long hair flowing down their backs - but is this really what they were like?
Although the Vikings had a language and alphabet they did not write a lot of things down. It was left to the religious men whose monasteries and churches were being raided by the Vikings to report on their exploits. Some historians however think of these writings as unreliable and use other sources such as archaeological sites and burial grounds, to try and build up a true picture of the Vikings. The evidence that historians have found would seem to suggest that the real Vikings were very different to those that we see on TV and in films.

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Viking warriors have often been portrayed as horned helmet wearing, sword wielding warriors who went into battle with their long hair flowing down their backs - but is this really what they were like? Although the Vikings had a language and alphabet they did not write a lot of things down.

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A great website with lots of information about the Vikings - have an explore of the page.

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Even before the earliest Viking raids on the monasteries, the Anglo-Saxons used an Old English word 'wicing'. But this was not a word that they used often or exclusively for the Scandinavian raiders; instead it was used for all-comers and meant 'pirate' or 'piracy'.

It was only in the late tenth or early eleventh century, in Anglo-Saxon poems such as The Battle of Maldon that wicing came to mean 'a Scandinavian sea-raider'. Vikings were not professional privateers or full-time soldiers - or, at least, not at first. Originally they were full-time fishermen and farmers who spent much of the year at home. Only in the summer would they have rallied to the call of a local leader and ventured across the sea to raid, trade or seek out new lands to settle.

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Even before the earliest Viking raids on the monasteries, the Anglo-Saxons used an Old English word 'wicing'. But this was not a word that they used often or exclusively for the Scandinavian raiders; instead it was used for all-comers and meant 'pirate' or 'piracy'.