The Vikings: raids, the Danelaw and Danegeld

Study note

The Vikings came from Denmark and Norway. They first visited Britain in AD 789 to raid coastal towns and take goods and slaves, then began to settle in the east of England and Scotland. The area where they settled in eastern and northern England became known as the Danelaw, and many place names there, such as Grimsby and Scunthorpe, come from Viking languages.

Memory tip: Vikings from Denmark and Norway; first raids AD 789; settled area = the Danelaw.