The Viking invasions and Danelaw

Discovering Viking raids, settlements, longships and the area of England called the Danelaw

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Where did the Vikings come from? A) Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark and Sweden) B) Egypt C) Italy D) India
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2
What were Viking ships called? A) Longships B) Galleys C) Submarines D) Galleons
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3
True or false? Vikings only raided and stole. They never settled or farmed in Britain. A) True B) False
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4
Where did the Vikings come from? A) Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark, Sweden) B) Italy C) Egypt D) India
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5
Fill in the blank: The first famous Viking raid in Britain was on the monastery at ___ in 793 CE.
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6
Match each Viking word to its meaning. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: Longship, Danelaw, Jorvik, Raid Right: A long, narrow Viking ship, Part of England under Viking rule, Viking name for York, A sudden attack to steal things
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7
What was the Danelaw? A) Part of England where Vikings ruled and made the laws B) A famous Viking law-court in Norway C) A type of Viking sword D) A book of Viking stories
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8
In which year did the first famous Viking raid on Lindisfarne happen? A) 793 CE B) 1066 CE C) 43 CE D) 1500 CE
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9
Fill in the blank: Many English place names ending in "-by" or "-thorpe" come from the ___.
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10
Put these events in British history in order, from earliest to latest. Put these in order: First Viking raid on Lindisfarne, Romans invade Britain, Anglo-Saxons start arriving in Britain
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Answer key

The Viking invasions and Danelaw · for parents and teachers

1
Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark and Sweden)
Vikings came from Scandinavia: the countries we now call Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
2
Longships
Vikings sailed in long, narrow ships called longships, which were fast and could land on beaches.
3
False
False. Vikings did raid, but many also settled in Britain. They built farms, traded and lived in towns like York (Jorvik).
4
Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark, Sweden)
The Vikings came from Scandinavia, mainly modern Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
5
Lindisfarne
The Vikings attacked the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne in 793 CE. This is often seen as the start of the Viking Age in Britain.
6
Longship → A long, narrow Viking ship; Danelaw → Part of England under Viking rule; Jorvik → Viking name for York; Raid → A sudden attack to steal things
Longships were Viking boats, the Danelaw was where they ruled, Jorvik was their name for York, and a raid was a sudden attack.
7
Part of England where Vikings ruled and made the laws
The Danelaw was a large part of eastern and northern England where Viking (Danish) rule and laws were followed.
8
793 CE
The Viking raid on the monastery at Lindisfarne happened in 793 CE.
9
Vikings
English place names ending in -by (meaning village) or -thorpe (meaning small settlement) often come from Viking settlers.
10
Romans invade Britain, Anglo-Saxons start arriving in Britain, First Viking raid on Lindisfarne
First the Romans invaded in 43 CE, then the Anglo-Saxons came after the Romans left, and the Viking raids on Lindisfarne started in 793 CE.