by Ben Patterson Following on from the last instalment: The Heathen Army The Danelaw would continue to persist for the next few centuries, suffering waxing and waning at the hands of the Anglo-Saxon lords. Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, led several campaigns into the Danelaw (such as the Midlands and East Anglia) in the early 10th century, and under the later King Edgar the Peaceful, the Danelaw was conquered in its entirety. He instituted a number of new reforms

Continuing his summer challenge, the next essay from Ben Patterson The previous essay described, among many other points, the exploratory voyages of the Norsemen, taking them from Iceland to eastern Canada and establishing settlements in all of these regions. There was one other major place upon which the Vikings established themselves, but it was far less exploration and far more conquest – the British Isles. Let us set the scene; prior to 865 AD, what we know today as Engla

What to do with a 20-year-old history/politics university student kicking about the house on his summer holidays? (aka my son). Set him writing challenges - that's what! So, here we have The Tale of Vinland, written by Ben Patterson Modern pop culture knows the Vikings as bloodthirsty raiders and conquerors, setting out from the frozen hellscape of Scandinavia that they called home to terrorise Europe for the next two centuries, whether sailing down the Seine and razing Pari