By Ciara Fluskey and Lauren Murray

Where the Vikings came from. The Vikings came from Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Altogether they are called Scandinavia.

In the Viking community there is three different groups. The highest group is the kings and the nobles. The second group is the freemen which are farmers, traders and skilled crafts people. The least important group is the thralls which are slaves.

When the Vikings came to Ireland they attacked the monasteries. Some people where killed and others where taken away as slaves. The Irish people only felt safe when it was very stormy because the Vikings would not be able to travel to Ireland in the weather. They made up a poem that was said to keep them safe. It went like this: The wind is rough tonight, tossing the white hair of the sea, I need not fear the fierce Vikings, racing across the sea.

Some Vikings left there home lands and went on raids. Others went to foreign lands to trade there goods. But most left because the number of people in Scandinavia was increasing. They moved to stop starvation. Some family’s packed up all there belongings and set sail to different places.

Crafts The Black smiths made weapons, tools for farming, chains and anchors. They only made things out of metal.

The Battle Clontarf. The battle of Clontarf took place on Good Friday 23 rd of April in Brian Boru, the king of Ireland and the Viking leader fought in a war. This only happened because the king of Ireland wanted the Viking leader to bow to him but that did not work out. Brian Boru won. But after the war he was in his tent praying and one of the Vikings saw him, then went into his tent and stabbed him.

If it was not for the Vikings we would not have great cities like Dublin and Cork. We learned lots of skills from the Vikings, they thought us to trade and become better weavers.

Thank you for watching.