The Vikings sack the island abbey of Lindisfarne, off the northeastern coast of England

Historical Context Note

Caitlin Ellis (University of Cambridge)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

Resources

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.

50 words

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 21 November 2024.]

6881 The Vikings sack the island abbey of Lindisfarne, off the northeastern coast of England 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.