Figure 1.--

While the number of Vikings settled in the Danelaw is not know with any precession, they had a very substantial impact on developing English culture. This can be readily seen in both language and place names. Many other cultural topics are important tonassess, including agriculture, art, clothing, government and law, maritime technology, religion, and other matters. The language impact is particular striking and may be an indicator of just how much the Vikings affected developing English culture. Both Viking Old Nore and Anglo-Saxon Old English had germanic roots, but had developed into two destincr languages. Thus basic communication was possible as so many words were similar. The grammar, however, was different. Over time the two languages merged. The destinctive dialects of the regions most heavily settled by the Vikings (East Anglia, Yorkshire, Lancashire, The Lake District and Lincolnshire) are the result of this merger. Linguists can assess which language predominated and this is a possible indicator of the actual cultural dominance in each area. Over time the Vikings who settled turned increasingly to agriculture as the English farm land was more productive than the rocky Scandinavian soil. Thus the Vikings gradually moved away from Scandinavian Viking culture to the more agricultural-based Anglo-Saxon soiciety. This promoted the merging of the two groups. Anglo-Saxon and Viking art, craft and ornamentation also appear to have merged. Here religion plsayed a role. The Vikings gradually accepted Christianity. Throughout Europe, artistc expression common was expressed in religious terms. We see destinctive Anglo-Norse decoration on many stone crosses and 'hog-back' shaped gravestones throughout the Danelaw. We see a mixture of Christian and Norse mythological sculpture, but over time the Christian works tends to dominate.

Agriculture

Over time the Vikings who settled turned increasingly to agriculture as the English farm land was more productive than the rocky Scandinavian soil. Thus the Vikings gradually moved away from Scandinavian Viking culture to the more agricultural-based Anglo-Saxon soiciety. This promoted the merging of the two groups.

Art

Anglo-Saxon and Viking art, craft and ornamentation also appear to have merged. Here religion plsayed a role. The Vikings gradually accepted Christianity. Throughout Europe, artistc expression common was expressed in religious terms. We see destinctive Anglo-Norse decoration on many stone crosses and 'hog-back' shaped gravestones throughout the Danelaw. We see a mixture of Christian and Norse mythological sculpture, but over time the Christian works tends to dominate.

Clothing and Textiles

Education

Government and Law

One of the major areas of Viking control was Yorkshire in northern England. York itself was taken by the Vijings abnd became known as Jorvik. The Vikingings divided Yorkshire into three separate units for administrative purposes. The Norse term for a one-hird share was 'thrithjungr' Overtime tis became Anglicized as 'riding'. This was the origin of East Riding, North Riding and West Riding in Yorkshire. These administrative Ridings were used ontil 1974 when the UK Boundary Commission reorganized northern England. Many in Yorkshire tday wnt the medieval Viking Ridings restored. The Vikings divided the shires (counties) into 'vapnatak', which evolved into 'wapentake'. The 'wapentake' was a very democratic institution. It evolved as a kind of local parliament and judicial court. Written records are very sparse, but all freemen could apparently participate in the wapentake. The vote was reportedly taken by a show of weapons, much s modern votes are taken by a show of hands. The wapentakes have survived to the modrn age but without the show of weapons. They atre used for specific administrative purposes and can be found on some local maps.

Language

The impact of the Vikings can be readily seen in both language and place names. Both Viking Old Nore and Anglo-Saxon Old English had germanic roots. At the time that the Anglo-Saxon tribes invased Britain, they may have spoken alanguage that was quite similar to the northern (Scandinvin) German tribes. In fact the Anglo-Saxon camf from areas close to or actully on the Jutland Peninsula. By the time of the Viking invasions, the tribal dialects had developed into two destinct languages. Thus basic communication was possible as so many words were similar. The grammar, however, was different. Over time the two languages merged. The destinctive dialects of the regions most heavily settled by the Vikings (East Anglia, Yorkshire, Lancashire, The Lake District and Lincolnshire) are the result of this merger. Linguists can assess which language predominated and this is a possible indicator of the actual cultural dominance in each area. The loan words are one way of ssessing the Viking influence. Tere are many such words, including die, egg, ill, knife, take, and window. Linuists have identified about 600 such loan words in today's standard English. We are less sure about the impact of grammar. Here Old Englisgh grammar seemsto have dominated.

Maritime Technology

Viking longboats were one of the great ship types of all time. They could be sailed on ocean voyages as well as up rivers. The Anglo-Saxons had nothing like them. After Wessex stoped the expansion of the Dane Law, the develoing English state begn to build boas of its own baed on an imperfect knowlege of Viking boat building skills.

Religion

By the time the Viking attacks on the Anglo-Saxons began, the Anglo-Saxon had been throughly Chrtianized. In fact on of the attractions were the churches and monastaries filled with riches and undefended. The first target was in fact the monastary at Lindisfarne.