The attack on Lindisfarne, described in Alcuin’s letters, was traditionally seen as the first Viking raid on Britain and Ireland and therefore marked — according to the ‘Shetelig axiom’ — the start of the so-called ‘Viking Age’. Scholars now believe that contact with Scandinavia, both trading and raiding, preceded this point.
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Citation: Ellis, Caitlin. "The Vikings sack the island abbey of Lindisfarne, off the northeastern coast of England". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 January 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=6881, accessed 16 October 2024.]
