The Kingdom of Northumbria was in the midst of civil war when the Vikings raided
and captured York in 866. They came up the river from the North Sea and the
Danish King Halfdan made Jorvik his capital. About 10 years later he divided the
lands of Northumbria and the former warriors settled down to live peacefully
with the indigenousness population.
Jorvik became a major river port, part of the extensive Viking trading routes
throughout northern Europe. The last Danish ruler of Jorvik, Eric Bloodaxe, was
driven from the town in the year 965 by King Eadred of Wessex who succeeded in
uniting Northumbria with the southern kingdom. But for another hundred years,
the north was largely ruled by earls of both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian blood.
During 1065-66, following rebellion of the
local earls, another Scandinavian invasion came from the Norwegians.
Their army was defeated at Stamford Bridge. A few weeks later, the
victor, King Harold II of England was himself defeated and killed at
the Battle of Hastings by the Normans when William the Conqueror
invaded the country. And so a new era began.
Now visitors from around the world are attracted to York because of its Viking
connections.
Almost every year, for the past sixteen years, another more peaceful invasion
has taken place; the Jorvik Viking Festival has attracted a host of people from
around Europe who take part in the many activities put on by the city.
One of the highlights of the event is the
running of a traditional Viking Longship regatta on the river Ouse.
Viking enthusiasts from France, Norway and Ireland travel to York to
race one another, in their traditional Viking Longships. This
generates a much needed boost to the economy of York during
February, a time traditionally slow for local businesses.
Unfortunately we can only host, and of course enjoy these events, we are unable
to compete Longship we do not have a traditional Viking Longship.
