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. This team-taught module will explore, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the history and culture of the Vikings in Northumbria
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
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
This module will be taught via a briefing and eight 2-hour seminars. Seminar topics may change each year due to staff availability, but may include:
The Great Army
Chronicles and Kings
Coinage
Poetry and Language
Settlement and Burial Archaeology
Place-Names
Stone Sculpture
Reception and Rediscovery
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay of up to 2,000 words and receive written or oral feedback, as appropriate, from a tutor. For the summative essay (3500-4000 words), students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback in line with the University's turnaround policy. 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: Dunedin Academic Press, 2008.
Dawn M. Hadley and Julian D. Richards. The Viking Great Army and the Making of England. London: Thames and Hudson, 2021.
David Rollason. Northumbria 500-1100: creation and destruction of a kingdom. Cambridge: University Press, 2003.
Matthew Townend. Viking Age Yorkshire. Pickering: Blackthorn Press, 2014.