The Earliest Viking Activity in England?

Downham, C ORCID: 0000-0002-7000-7633 (2017) The Earliest Viking Activity in England? English Historical Review, 132 (554). pp. 1-12. ISSN 0013-8266, 1477-4534

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Abstract

Abstract The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle has been regarded as an unproblematic guide to the first viking raids on the English-speaking peoples. The hiatus in records of viking raids in the Chronicle from AD 794 until 835 has led scholars to believe that southern Britain suffered little piratical activity in those years. This paper uses the evidence of contemporary letters, foreign chronicles and charters to provide an alternative narrative. These sources demonstrate that Kent suffered under the threat of seaborne attacks from the 790s until the 820s when no events are recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The paper invites reconsideration of the textbook accounts of the beginning of the Viking Age in England.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	4301 Archaeology, 4303 Historical Studies, 43 History, Heritage and Archaeology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2017 12:20
Last Modified:	01 Mar 2026 09:51
DOI:	10.1093/ehr/cex066
Related Websites:	Author
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3006529
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