Eventually, the great fortress became uninhabited and reverted to the green grassy hill it once had been, just as had happened to Navan fort in Armagh. If history teaches us anything, it is that the powerful eventually fall, and even great empires crumble to dust and that nothing, not even a Golden Age, lasts forever.
After 400 or so years of the Golden Age, dark clouds began to gather over Ireland. A storm was approaching the shores, but this was not a storm of nature. This was a storm of men and it brought fierce, brutal warriors from Scandinavia to plunder the monasteries and to kill anyone who dared oppose them. These men were known as the Vikings, and were some of the most feared warriors ever to invade Ireland. Like the young boy, Patrick, they too were destined to change the course of Irish history: this time not with the gospel, but with killing and bloodshed.
10
The Vikings
I t must have been a terrifying sight to see a Viking raiding party coming ashore from their longboats. These boats were not like the Irish boats, which were made of timber frames covered in animal skins. The longboats, up to 20 metres in length, were built of overlapping oak planks and could carry 100 men. They were propelled by oars and by a sail, and had gigantic carved prows, which often depicted the head of a terrifying imaginary creature like a dragon.
The Viking men were big and burly and dressed in rough breeches and tunics made of wool or leather and woollen cloaks. They wore helmets, which were much like iron bowls turned upside down. A piece of metal hung down at the front to protect the nose. Today, these helmets are usually depicted as having had horns at either side, rather like the horns of a cow or goat. Historians now believe that they did not have such horns. But the warriors must have still looked menacing, and this impression would have been enhanced by the fact that most of them would have had great shaggy beards and long unruly hair. They would have been screaming and beating their swords against their shields as they carried out their raids.
They were very well armed with spears and swords and battleaxes and also with bows and arrows. All warriors carried a shield made of wood with a leather cover, and these shields were hung along the sides of the boat while they were at sea. If they were attacked, they could raise the shields to form a barrier from behind which they could fight their enemy. Only the most important of the warriors had swords, and these were highly decorated and carried in wooden scabbards, which were then hung from their waists by leather thongs. The Vikings were very proud of their swords and actually gave them names, like Leg-biter. This name might seem amusing, but it would not have been at all funny if your leg was ‘bitten off’ by a slash from this sword. The Vikings themselves also had nicknames, like Flat Nose, Hairy Breeks, Belly Shaker and Skull Splitter. Again, they might seem amusing, but don’t you wonder how Skull Splitter got his name? I certainly wouldn’t wish to meet him!
The Vikings came from Norway, Sweden and Denmark and were pagans. Many of them were farmers and fishermen and only went raiding other countries in their spare time. They were magnificent seafarers and one of them, Eric the Red, is supposed to have sailed to America in about the year 1000. The Vikings not only raided the coast of Ireland, but also the coasts of Britain, France, Germany and other parts of Europe. Like the Irish raiders of earlier times, they were seeking food and goods and valuable objects made of precious metals and slaves.
When they first attacked Ireland around AD 795, they only raided along the coast. They came quickly and without warning from the sea, attacked a monastery or a settlement, and withdrew again as quickly as they had come, taking their booty and slaves with them. Later, because their boats were light and easy to manoeuvre, they began to raid inland, travelling deep into the
After 400 or so years of the Golden Age, dark clouds began to gather over Ireland. A storm was approaching the shores, but this was not a storm of nature. This was a storm of men and it brought fierce, brutal warriors from Scandinavia to plunder the monasteries and to kill anyone who dared oppose them. These men were known as the Vikings, and were some of the most feared warriors ever to invade Ireland. Like the young boy, Patrick, they too were destined to change the course of Irish history: this time not with the gospel, but with killing and bloodshed.
10
The Vikings
I t must have been a terrifying sight to see a Viking raiding party coming ashore from their longboats. These boats were not like the Irish boats, which were made of timber frames covered in animal skins. The longboats, up to 20 metres in length, were built of overlapping oak planks and could carry 100 men. They were propelled by oars and by a sail, and had gigantic carved prows, which often depicted the head of a terrifying imaginary creature like a dragon.
The Viking men were big and burly and dressed in rough breeches and tunics made of wool or leather and woollen cloaks. They wore helmets, which were much like iron bowls turned upside down. A piece of metal hung down at the front to protect the nose. Today, these helmets are usually depicted as having had horns at either side, rather like the horns of a cow or goat. Historians now believe that they did not have such horns. But the warriors must have still looked menacing, and this impression would have been enhanced by the fact that most of them would have had great shaggy beards and long unruly hair. They would have been screaming and beating their swords against their shields as they carried out their raids.
They were very well armed with spears and swords and battleaxes and also with bows and arrows. All warriors carried a shield made of wood with a leather cover, and these shields were hung along the sides of the boat while they were at sea. If they were attacked, they could raise the shields to form a barrier from behind which they could fight their enemy. Only the most important of the warriors had swords, and these were highly decorated and carried in wooden scabbards, which were then hung from their waists by leather thongs. The Vikings were very proud of their swords and actually gave them names, like Leg-biter. This name might seem amusing, but it would not have been at all funny if your leg was ‘bitten off’ by a slash from this sword. The Vikings themselves also had nicknames, like Flat Nose, Hairy Breeks, Belly Shaker and Skull Splitter. Again, they might seem amusing, but don’t you wonder how Skull Splitter got his name? I certainly wouldn’t wish to meet him!
The Vikings came from Norway, Sweden and Denmark and were pagans. Many of them were farmers and fishermen and only went raiding other countries in their spare time. They were magnificent seafarers and one of them, Eric the Red, is supposed to have sailed to America in about the year 1000. The Vikings not only raided the coast of Ireland, but also the coasts of Britain, France, Germany and other parts of Europe. Like the Irish raiders of earlier times, they were seeking food and goods and valuable objects made of precious metals and slaves.
When they first attacked Ireland around AD 795, they only raided along the coast. They came quickly and without warning from the sea, attacked a monastery or a settlement, and withdrew again as quickly as they had come, taking their booty and slaves with them. Later, because their boats were light and easy to manoeuvre, they began to raid inland, travelling deep into the
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