So, how did the vikings originate? 
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descended from Celts and Scandinavians.
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Who were the Vikings and where did
they come from?
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King Harald of Norway
(b1015 d1066).
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Harald was the son
of King Sigurd and Queen Asta of Ringerike and the half-brother of
King Olaf of Norway. Olaf was later deposed and killed in battle
trying to regain his throne. Fighting alongside him was 15 year old
Harald who was rescued by Earl Rognwald of Orkney. He eventually
sailed to Kiev, seat of Prince Jaroslav, a kinsman. Staying 4 years,
becoming an outstanding and cunning warrior, before sailing onward
to Constantinople with 500 men. Here Emperor Michael IV put him in
charge of a Varangian division of the Byzantine army. In such places
as Sicily, Bulgaria, Asia Minor, he fought alongside a renowned
Greek general George Maniaces and accumulated much treasure which he
sent to Kiev.
Michael Iv's retirement led to the crowning of
his nephew Michael V, a wicked, cruel man. Empress Zoe was sent to a
convent, Harald and his compatriots to prison. A rebellion freed
Harald. Michael V and his uncle were blinded. Zoe and her new
husband, emperor Constantine Monarchus refused Harald permission for
his desired return to Kiev. Harald escaped with 2 ships and on his
return to Kiev, married Jaroslav's daughter. Harald soon became King
of Norway but was not a very wise king. Long war against his former
friend King Svein of Denmark (whose uncle Knut had conquered
England).
Edward the Confessor dies in England with no heir.
Shrewd Harold Godwinsson succeeds to the throne of England but his
brother Tostig objects. Tostig ends up in Norway where he stirs
Harald into sailing for England with 300 ships, burns Scarborough
and defeats the army of Earl Morcar of Northumbria and his brother
Earl Edwin of Mercia. York surrenders. Harold Godwinsson arrives
with a large army, marches into York and finally meets Harald at
Stamford bridge where Harald is felled by an arrow. The Norwegians
are defeated and sail with 24 ships.
Harold's army marches 275
miles south to be defeated by William the Conqueror. Harald's sons,
Olaf (the Peaceful) and Magarus (for 3 yrs) became joint kings of
Norway.
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Vikings into the Celtic lands.
(revision May 2002).
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The Vikings had begun
their raids around the British Isles and France by about 800AD, the
same times in which Charlemagne was being crowned King of the Franks
and more. Before the vikings had occupied much of Ireland there had
been no large towns or cities. Dublin, as with many other Irish
cities, began its days as a viking trading post, dealing in slaves
and other booty. Their very early raids had tended to be at lonely
celtic outposts, such as the monastery at Iona. Monasteries were a
popular target because they were becoming fairly rich centres of
trade and art. The vikings did tend to settle in Ireland so the
Irish of the late first millenium must have contained a fair
smattering of viking blood (the red-hair gene?).
The vikings
were also raiding and trading with more established nations, such as
France and Byzantium, the latter usually reached via the rivers of
Russia. Eventually the Byzantine emperors would maintain a Varangian
guard, vikings who had become mercenaries for the empire. The other
empire of these times was the Holy Roman Empire, a germanic/frankish
christian successor to the Empire of Rome, and normally with close
ties to the Bishop of Rome.
Then there were the attacks by the
vikings on France itself which were eventually mollified by allowing
the group under Rollo to settle in Normandy and defend the realm
against others.
From Rollo to William the Conqueror and the
Normans as these French-speaking vikings are known then invaded
Anglo-Saxon and Celtic Britain. The former, (along with later Danes)
having made their own violent inroads very roughly from 450AD to
about 900AD.
This new Franco-Norman aristocracy in Britain soon
made its move against Ireland, with the Pope's blessing, so that
eventually both Britain and Ireland had a French-speaking
aristocracy which eventually adopted the language of their subjects.
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