The Vikings and Norfolk

The guest of honour had yet to be sighted. They blamed the storm. Not because it might have delayed Grimulf, but because he would have turned back to ride through it just for the thrill. His father, had he still lived, would have boomed with laughter along with the thunder if someone was foolish enough to warn him to rein in his son.

“It’d be the same as trying to tame the winds. It’s not my job to stifle his lust for adventure. That’s for his wife to do, if she wants him home long enough to net a few sons!”

This year, I’m excited to announce Satin Romance have published my Viking romance The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm. To celebrate its release, my next few blog posts will focus on Viking culture, beliefs, food, and their impact on Norfolk.

I might as well make use of the research notes I made while working on The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm, especially as I couldn’t weave all of it in. Alongside various online sources, the books I referred to most were Else Rosedahl’s The Vikings, Neil Oliver’s Vikings: A History, Henry Adams Bellows’ translation of The Poetic Edda and Terry Dreary’s Vicious Vikings.

Before I talk about Norfolk Vikings, I just want to mention – for any other writers reading this or someone starting off their own research – children’s books are a great way to introduce yourself to a subject. They’re clear, concise, often have the most interesting facts to keep you engaged, and work as a springboard for ideas or where to focus next for denser, more in-depth texts.

These blog posts are going to focus on Norfolk alongside anything I thought was interesting. Please check out the books I mentioned if you’ve had your interest piqued and want to find out more!

Hemsby Village Sign

The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm is set in 912, Heimer’s settlement in East Anglia. This is an actual place. Nowadays, it is known as Hemsby, a coastal village in Norfolk just under eight miles from Great Yarmouth.

I’ve previously talked about Hemsby’s history, particularly its medieval sanctuary markers, which can be found here:  Kitty-Lydia Dye: Sanctuary Markers - Hemsby, Norfolk (kittylydiadye.blogspot.com)

Not much archaeological evidence remains of Hemsby’s Viking links, save for its name. The village is known for holiday parks, but in the past its people relied on farming and fishing. The country/coastal landscape is something the Vikings would have also taken advantage of.

All around Norfolk a village or town’s origins can be traced back via its name, such as Ormesby and Scratby. The ‘by’ suffix is from Old Norse, meaning farm or settlement. Other places with the word Thorpe in them were another sign of past Viking habitation, as the word means village. Some other areas were once seasonal settlements that were taken over by the Vikings, including Winterton-on-Sea and Somerton. Those living there would have moved between the two depending on the time of year – hence Winter and Summer/Somerton.

Winterton-on-Sea Village sign

But why did the Vikings come and settle here? What did they bring with them and what can still be seen of Viking Norfolk?

The name Norfolk derives from ‘the northern people’. The majority of this area’s Vikings hailed from Denmark rather than Norway and Sweden. They travelled to Persia, Africa, Russia, even as far as North America. Coming to England would have been just another place to discover and conquer.

Often the eldest son in a Viking family inherited his father’s land and property. Younger siblings who wanted their own exploits told of in mead halls would sail to unknown climes and take land elsewhere. Those Norsemen who travelled overseas are remembered today for their hunger for exploration and adventure – and the bloody aftermath of their arrival.

During the late 8th century, raiders plundered the monasteries of Scotland, Ireland and England in hit and run attacks along the coast. As well as making off with the church’s gold, men and women were carried off to be thralls.

However, not all the Vikings cared about pillaging. Others travelled across the continents as merchants and brought with them spices and rare treasures. In fact, those who came peacefully would have probably not been known as Vikings – as the word is Old Norse for pirate raid. Other names used for them were Danes, sea wolves and Northmen.

In The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm, Grimulf was the youngest son of Heimer before tragedy struck. He had left his father’s settlement to prove his worth overseas. It is only when he is older and battle weary that he realises the importance of home and family and returns to East Anglia.

Scratby Village sign

At first, the Vikings came to England’s shores to grab as much as they could and leave devastation in their wake. When the 9th century came, things changed. Their main goal was now invasion and they brutally killed the East Anglian king, Edmund the Martyr.

They very nearly managed to take complete control, but in 878 the leader of the Vikings, Guthrum, and his army were defeated by Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. A treaty was brokered.

The Vikings only agreed to stop fighting so long as they received a monetary gift, known as Danegeld, from their occupied enemies. With their new-found land and wealth, they now wanted to settle, but of course those they had harassed for years weren’t about to forget...

During this time, the Vikings had control over East Anglia, York and the East Midlands. This area became known as the Danelaw. In Scotland, Norsemen settled mainly in Shetland and the Orkney Islands, while in Ireland they founded Dublin. In the centre and south of England were the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex, which the Anglo-Saxons managed to keep hold of. Wales remained with the Celts.

But what happened to the Vikings? In books they are treated as a brief turbulent period in the United Kingdom’s history. Were the Anglo-Saxons successful in hounding them out?

There were several different outcomes. Most Vikings married into Anglo-Saxon families and so merged with the local population. Others left on their longboats in search for the next adventure.

Before the Vikings arrived, the Saxons were busy fighting one another over who would rule. Now, they were unified in repelling Viking occupation. There were many conflicts across the years, but I wanted to focus on someone who was mainly forgotten until recent years – Anglo-Saxon England’s only female ruler.

Æthelflæd, also known as the Lady of the Mercians, ruled Mercia from 911 - 918. She was the daughter of Alfred the Great and married to Aethelred, Lord of the Mercians. She grew up during the height of Viking control over England. When her husband died in 911, she did not give up her throne, instead continuing his rule and domination of the Vikings.

In The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm, Grimulf’s uncle Olaf, a battle hardened raider, despises Æthelflæd. He is threatened by her triumph over the Vikings elsewhere. He would rather fight her than lay down arms whereas Grimulf prefers the stability and peace a truce brings.

Æthelflæd was praised for her strength in negotiating; women at the time were known as peace weavers. She took Derby and Leicester from Viking control and even managed to get the York Vikings to offer their loyalty, only for her to sicken and perish in 918 at the age 48. It’s curious to think what else she might have accomplished had she not died.

She was succeeded by her daughter, Ælfwynn. However, she was quickly carried off by Æthelflæd's brother Edward the Elder, King of Wessex, in a bid to take control of Mercia. When Edward had his history written down, he made his sister’s role in his victories much more subdued.

However, her impact has been brought back to life by later generations, including Tamworth’s warrior queen statue and more recently Millie Brady’s portrayal in the TV series The Last Kingdom.

Many of the Vikings were chased off by these battles. They finally gave up in 917 and submitted to Edward. East Anglia merged with the rest of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom.

Perhaps not as special as some stolen Saxon gold, but certainly tasty!

Now, what remains of the Vikings? I always feel a thrill when I read online that archaeologists have discovered something new. After all, most Viking history and culture has been lost amongst legends and stereotypes.

While places such as York have a lot more archaeological evidence of Viking occupation, Norwich still has a few finds including a Viking sword hilt discovered in the River Wensum and a Scandinavian church at Anglia TV.

Vikings would have known to take advantage of the Wensum river, which runs through the city. The increase in trading links would have helped bolster the area, putting it on the path to becoming the sprawling, diverse city it is known as today.

I believe the biggest contribution Vikings have had on our lives is via language. Many Norse words are the starting point of what we use in everyday life including:

Klubba - Club

Rannsaka - Ransack

Fiall - Hill

Husbandi - Husband

More can be found at: 139 Old Norse Words That Invaded The English Language (babbel.com)

The Norfolk dialect also has a few Norse words that are specific to the area, such as staithe (somewhere for boats to land) and Flegg (marshy area with irises).

Another possible Viking link, and a very big one at that, is the Norfolk Broads. It was only in the 1950s that scientists discovered the Broads were man made, caused by past ancestors digging up peat for fuel, which then flooded and turned into these habitat rich waterways vital for wildlife and local tourism. 

The first recorded evidence of peat cutting is as far back as the 11th century, but the Vikings would have been familiar with peat and its uses from their bogs in Scandinavia.

Considering the Broads pop up so regularly in my historical short stories, this is one thing I’m very thankful for!

 

Rollesby Broad (another -by! ;))

My next blog post is on my favourite subject, so if you want to find out about how similar Anglo-Saxon and Viking deities were, the serpent woman Melusine and just who was the Viking Goddess of love and death, check out: Viking Gods, Traditions and Norfolk Folklore | Kitty-Lydia Dye (kittylydiadye.blogspot.com)

While you’re waiting, why not join Grimulf in East Anglia in 912 and see just how much of a welcome back he received in The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm.