The Last Journey of the Vikings

The Vikings, who in the eighth century sailed their longboats from Scandinavia down to Francia to become Normans, will now once again head out across the ocean. But now, the year is 1066, and the Vikings are no longer involved in raids to pillage monasteries but in something completely different - a brutal power struggle for the throne of England.

When the Frankish king Charles the Bald dies and the defences in Francia are weakened, the Vikings see their chance and return to Francia. This marks the beginning of a new era, one in which pillaging gives way for something completely different, namely integration.

In the late eighth century, the Vikings started to appear along the coasts of Europe. With their long boats, adorned with dragon heads and loaded with well-equipped warriors, the Vikings soon became infamous for their swift and brutal raids. Initially, they mainly targeted monasteries, pillaging them for gold and silver. The monks, whose only weapon was their Christian faith, were easy prey and would seldom be spared the wrath of the Vikings. Over the years, the Viking strategy changed, because they were not only brutal warriors but also skilled diplomats, not afraid to mix with those in power who wanted to create a new Europe.