The Viking Great Army and the making of England

Over the past decade, archaeological discoveries, advances in non-penetrating technology, and even the efforts of amateur metal detectorists have increased public knowledge of the Viking experience in Britain. Between 865 and 878 CE, the Great Army's thousands of warriors, followers, and craftspeople invaded England, set up camps for years-long residence, and supplemented looting and plundering with trade, industrial output, and crafts. Spurred by trade networks extending across the European continent and into the Middle East, Viking warriors became settlers over the course of two generations, while exploiting political divisions in both Scandinavia and Britain. Seizing land and settlements from the Anglo-Saxons, they established farmsteads and villages, converted to Christianity, and created a vibrant Anglo-Scandinavian society. As a consequence, they influenced art, language, economic practices, and law. Hadley and Richards (both, Univ. of York, UK) confirm Alfred the Great's strong role in containing and converting the Scandinavians, without recourse to the mythology begun in his lifetime by Asser and culminating in the Victorian age. The authors also present a nuanced picture of York's transformation into Viking Jorvik, internationally known thanks to its heritage tourism center. Urbanization and industrialization followed the Great Army, forging disparate peoples into an English society. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Lorraine Christine Attreed, College of the Holy Cross