Invaders, predators, barbarians - Vikings are often depicted simply as one-dimensional warriors whose accomplishments include little more than looting and assault. But where did the Vikings originate from and were they really violent and wicked pagans?
In 793, terror descended on the Northumbria coast when armed attackers attacked the defenseless St Cuthbert monastery in Lindisfarne. The terrified monks watched helplessly as the invaders fled with a host of treasures and a group of captives. It was the first recorded foray by Vikings, Scandinavian sea pirates who preyed on coastal communities in north-western Europe for more than two centuries and built a reputation for fierce and ruthless warriors.
However, while they undoubtedly carried out very destructive and violent attacks, from small-scale raids against churches to large campaigns involving thousands of warriors, the Vikings were part of a complex and often sophisticated Scandinavian culture. In addition to assailants, they were merchants, reaching as far east as the rivers of Russia and the Caspian Sea; explorers, poets, composing sagas in verse and prose of great power, and artists, creating works of astonishing beauty.