The Vikings in Northumbria - MST00069M
Module summary
In 793 Viking raiders attacked the coastal monastery of Lindisfarne. In 866 the Viking ‘great army’ attacked the city of York and conquered the kingdom of Northumbria. After that, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records, ‘they shared out the land of the Northumbrians and they proceeded to plough and to support themselves’. Scandinavian kings ruled in York until 954, and even after that time, right up until 1066 and beyond, the area they had ruled over (roughly equivalent to the modern county of Yorkshire) showed strong signs of Scandinavian culture and political separatism.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
This team-taught module will explore, from an inter-disciplinary perspective, the history and culture of the Vikings in Northumbria. Using a variety of sources and approaches (archaeological, artistic, textual, and linguistic), the module will examine questions of migration, settlement, religion, politics, economy, culture, and identity. A recurrent emphasis will be on issues of interaction and assimilation between Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians.
Module learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate:
- knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of the Vikings in Northumbria
- knowledge and understanding of appropriate disciplines and methodologies for the study of the Vikings in Northumbria
Module content
Seminar programme for Autumn Term 2022:
Week 2 The Great Army (Julian Richards)
Week 3 Chronicles and Kings (Alex Traves)
Week 4 Coinage (Andrew Woods)
Week 5 Poetry and Language (Matthew Townend)
Week 6 Settlement and Burial Archaeology (Julian Richards)
Week 7 Place-Names (Eleanor Rye)
Week 8 Stone Sculpture (Jane Hawkes)
Week 9 Reception and Rediscovery (Matthew Townend)
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
For the summative assessment task, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 25 working days of the submission deadline. The tutor will then be available during student hours for follow-up guidance if required.
Indicative reading
Clare Downham, Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: the dynasty of Ivarr to AD1014 (Edinburgh, 2008, chapter 3)
Dawn M. Hadley and Julian D. Richards, The Viking Great Army and the Making of England (London, 2001)
David Rollason, Northumbria 500-1100: creation and destruction of a kingdom (Cambridge, 2003, chapter 6)
Matthew Townend, Viking Age Yorkshire (Pickering, 2014)