The Vikings in Britain and Ireland

The Vikings are notorious for their raids on coastal monasteries, but they made a lasting impact on the different kingdoms and peoples that came to make up modern Britain and Ireland. This course, which draws on archaeology, history, place-names and genetics, traces the Vikings' interaction with these islands from the early raids through conquest and settlement to the long-term integration of the Vikings with native peoples, and the establishment of both major towns and rural communities, as well as distinctive regional cutlures. The course also explores the lasting legacy of the Vikings in language, customs and DNA.