The Vikings had a major influence on the islands of the United Kingdom. It all started with raids along the east coast, but eventually the Vikings started settling as well. After a few chaotic years the Vikings started mixing with the people that were already living on the islands: the Anglo-Saxons. Nowadays, you can still find traces of the Vikings in the UK. In the midlands and east of the UK you can find quite a few villages with Old-Norse names. Plundering was not the only past time of the Vikings. Poetry was also a very important part of their culture. A few of these sagas and poems have been preserved, mainly in Iceland. Because the Viking culture had a big influence on the English culture, their poetry is also part of the English historical literature.
- What are ‘kennings’ and how were they used in Old-Norse poetry?
- How does the universe work and what does it consist of according to Old-Norse mythology? (tip: don’t look at Marvel movies)
- What are the most important parts of Viking life according to the literature?