The Vikings play a huge part in the history of the British Isles, being among the primary forces that Alfred the Great opposed in the course of a united England being created. Over decades, more and more armies led by larger-than-life warriors came to raid and conquer, leaving their mark across England and Ireland alike.
Here in Armagh, there’s a rich Viking history. The focus of their raids was never limited to England – Ireland and Scotland were affected just as much, and evidence of their presence is found in history and artefacts across the region. It’s drawing particular interest now that Vikings and their Norse gods are the subject of a tremendous amount of new entertainment.
Vikings Remain All the Rage
The legends of Vikings, their methods of invading, and the sheer audacity to spread far and wide through their brutal efforts will always offer inspiration for creatives in the entertainment space. Characters need to be skilled in battle, but also daring and charismatic enough to command an army.
This is depicted in two very different shows that remain huge hits in the UK. The first is Vikings, which began on the History Channel and eventually landed on Netflix with the Vikings: Valhalla spin-off. Then, there’s The Last Kingdom, which began as a BBC production before Netflix stepped in to collaborate and bolster the budget.
The former is very much a Viking-sided depiction of their incursions, while The Last Kingdom tells of a fictional character caught between the two factions, but who mostly does the bidding of the Christians of Wessex. Both offer a look at Viking beliefs to back their reasoning without actually invoking the power of the gods.
Of course, it’s this mythical angle that has sold a great many books and games, and makes a distinct collection of online casino games so popular. Age of the Gods, formerly a Greek series, has found a lot of success with Age of the Gods: Norse, which spans the dwarves, giants, King of Asgard, Ways of Thunder, and Norse Legends.
Even with all of these still readily available and popular, more is to come. In April of this year, Dark Skulls wrapped, followed by an announcement of its cast – some of whom will be familiar to fans of the aforementioned shows. Said to be a psychological thriller, it filmed in Norway and features both Ragga Ragnars and Magnus Samuelsson.
When the Vikings Came to Armagh
Evidence of Vikings across the entirety of the island of Ireland is plentiful. For Armagh, one of the most iconic pieces that ties back to their raids comes in the forms of the ancient bracelets that can be seen at Armagh County Museum. As part of the mighty Tynan Hoard, they’re fascinating artefacts to explore.
The first raid of the Vikings here came in 832 AD, when a party did a hit-and-run on the great monastery, seeking the fabled riches of Christian places of worship. Three took place over one month followed by at least ten more as the century progressed. At the time, Armagh was known to produce high-quality metal treasures.
However, the main reason why the Vikings suddenly braved the trip over the top of Scotland or south under England to land here in Armagh was to essentially lick their wounds. Stiff resistance at Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey and beached ships at Tynemouth encouraged close to four decades of avoiding a major conflict in England.
The Viking impact on Armagh was significant, and luckily, we’ve still got some of their treasures to recount that important part of local history.
