While most Europeans looked upon
Vikings as pirates, they were not outcasts
from their own society as were many other
pirates of the era. Vikings did not spend
all their time on the water. For much of
the year, they worked at home as peaceful
farmers, merchants, and craftspeople.
But when they took to the rivers and
seas, they were ferocious. They traveled
in fleets of swift wooden warships and
attacked victims with axes, spears, and
swords. They raided towns and farms,
carrying off horses, cattle, and crops. They
sometimes also took human captives and
brought them back to Scandinavia to
work as slaves. And Vikings often raided
churches and monasteries, stealing religious objects adorned with gold
and precious stones. Once they had secured their loot, they set fire to
homes and other structures before departing in their ships.
Attacking with heavy iron axes, swords, and daggers such as these, the Vikings
terrified their victims and caused widespread death and destruction.
“HERE OLAF [A VIKING]
BROKE DOWN [THE TOWN
OF] TAMWORTH AND A
GREAT SLAUGHTER FELL
ON EITHER SIDE, AND THE
DANES HAD THE VICTORY
AND LED MUCH WAR-BOOTY
AWAY WITH THEM.
WULFRUN [AN ENGLISH
NOBLEWOMAN] WAS SEIZED
THERE IN THE RAID.”
—Anglo-Saxon chronicler, 943 CE
14
SWASHBUCKLING SCOUNDRELS
