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Vikings in Britain (Historical Association Studies)

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The student of the history of Anglo Saxon England who ignores a study of the effect of the Scandinavian invasions does so at their own peril. In much the same way, the student who chooses not to read at least one work by the well-respected Anglo Saxon scholar Henry Loyn does so at the risk of severely limiting their historiographical knowledge of this period. The late Professor Loyn was a consummate historian whose work serves, itself, as a textbook on the way in which historical research should be conducted.
In a time in which historical study is more and more reflective of the political and personal biases of the historian, Loyn's treatise on the impact of the Scandinavian Age on the peoples and history of Britain is, by contrast, a balanced, methodical and reasonably well-argued case. Indeed, the organization of the chapters of the book itself is built around such a balance. Rather than providing a continuous narrative from the earliest Viking expeditions in 793 to the latter part of the 11th century, Loyn finds it more useful to discuss the Scandinavian and British worlds separately and further subdivides his study into two time periods, providing the break at 954 A.D.
The author begins his work by relating current historical knowledge of the state of affairs of the three main players from Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Bringing the reader up to the commencement of the Viking raids on Britain in the late 8th century, Loyn provides the possible motivation for such raids, including such factors as climactic change, overpopulation and political instability at home. Loyn follows this with a discussion of the conditions in all of the British Isles, briefly acquainting the unfamiliar reader with the histories of the four main divisions of Britain to 800 A.D. . Notably refreshing is Loyn's apparent disregard for contemporary political sensitivities by including the whole of Ireland as one of the British Isles to be discussed, avoiding a separate treatment of the island as many modern historians tend to do.
Having the foundation laid, Loyn then launches into a discussion of the Viking sorties and eventual settlement of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England in that order. From this point onward, Loyn's text is a narration of events, sprinkled with commentary by the author. Loyn relates the settlements of Dublin and Waterford, the conquest of the western isles in Scotland and the western coastal defenses of Wales, all of which, while important in the development of these regions, did little to affect the political, social and economic histories of the modern nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They did, however, provide a base for attacks on what is now England and a base for the extensive discussion of English history by the author. We follow the settlement of the Danes in East Anglia, the retreat of Alfred to the southern reaches of Wessex and the eventual agreement arranged between Alfred and Guthrum over the partition and ruling of England under the Danelaw. At this point, Loyn provides a good example of the balance he has brought to this study. Where most authors have treated this agreement as a victory for the English, Loyn shows us how this also strengthened the Danes, providing them with a sense of pride and, more importantly, a legitimization of their presence in England and a chance to consolidate their power.
From here Loyn takes us through the reconquest of the Danelaw by the Anglo-Saxon kings down to the peaceful reign of Edgar, the great-grandson of Alfred the Great. The author then returns the reader to Scandinavia, bringing them up-to-date on the political manouverings in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, laying the groundwork for an understanding of the turmoil to follow in the history of England in the following century. We see the consolidation of power in the developing monarchies of these countries, leading to the eventual return of invasions to England at the close of the 10th century and the parallel consolidation of power under Cnut in the early part of the 11th century. To the naïve reader not acquainted with these histories, the Norman Conquest may come as a surprise in 1066. When one considers the larger arena containing the events in these northern countries, it is clear that the Norman invasion was not a surprise but rather one more in a series of attempts by the Scandinavians to rule the rich, enticing lands of the British Isles.
At this point, after a brief discussion of the waning years of Norwegian influence in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, Loyn attempts to provide the reader with something of a summary and understanding of the impact of the Scandinavian invasions on Britain. Here the author begins a long, detailed synopsis of the evidence available illustrating the Scandinavian contributions to the political, cultural, social and institutional fabrics of British history. For each of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, Loyn relates artistic achievements, results of place name studies, linguistic clues and legal practices. The author simultaneously provides the reader not only examples of Scandinavian influence on succeeding generations but also evidence for the narrative that precedes this discussion.
It is the placement of this information that provides the only flaw in this book. The book in some ways is a synthesis of the narrative history of this fascinating time period and a summary of current historical research on the topic. The book could easily stand on its own as an undergraduate textbook without the inclusion of this final chapter. In the same way, it could provide the advanced student and researcher with a good start on the research on this field if this information was placed in the text itself where it is needed for support. The work requires that the researcher take the first six chapters on face value until the evidence can be presented in the end.
This one flaw, however, is not fatal and should not deter the serious scholar from reading this work. In all other aspects it is well organized and well presented and provides the reader with a concise and complete summary of the Viking Age.

The student of the history of Anglo Saxon England who ignores a study of the effect of the Scandinavian invasions does so at their own peril. In much the same way, the student who chooses not to read at least one work by the well-respected Anglo Saxon scholar Henry Loyn does so at the risk of severely limiting their historiographical knowledge of this period. The late Professor Loyn was a consummate historian whose work serves, itself, as a textbook on the way in which historical research should be conducted.
In a time in which historical study is more and more reflective of the political and personal biases of the historian, Loyn's treatise on the impact of the Scandinavian Age on the peoples and history of Britain is, by contrast, a balanced, methodical and reasonably well-argued case. Indeed, the organization of the chapters of the book itself is built around such a balance. Rather than providing a continuous narrative from the earliest Viking expeditions in 793 to the latter part of the 11th century, Loyn finds it more useful to discuss the Scandinavian and British worlds separately and further subdivides his study into two time periods, providing the break at 954 A.D.
The author begins his work by relating current historical knowledge of the state of affairs of the three main players from Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Bringing the reader up to the commencement of the Viking raids on Britain in the late 8th century, Loyn provides the possible motivation for such raids, including such factors as climactic change, overpopulation and political instability at home. Loyn follows this with a discussion of the conditions in all of the British Isles, briefly acquainting the unfamiliar reader with the histories of the four main divisions of Britain to 800 A.D. . Notably refreshing is Loyn's apparent disregard for contemporary political sensitivities by including the whole of Ireland as one of the British Isles to be discussed, avoiding a separate treatment of the island as many modern historians tend to do.
Having the foundation laid, Loyn then launches into a discussion of the Viking sorties and eventual settlement of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England in that order. From this point onward, Loyn's text is a narration of events, sprinkled with commentary by the author. Loyn relates the settlements of Dublin and Waterford, the conquest of the western isles in Scotland and the western coastal defenses of Wales, all of which, while important in the development of these regions, did little to affect the political, social and economic histories of the modern nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They did, however, provide a base for attacks on what is now England and a base for the extensive discussion of English history by the author. We follow the settlement of the Danes in East Anglia, the retreat of Alfred to the southern reaches of Wessex and the eventual agreement arranged between Alfred and Guthrum over the partition and ruling of England under the Danelaw. At this point, Loyn provides a good example of the balance he has brought to this study. Where most authors have treated this agreement as a victory for the English, Loyn shows us how this also strengthened the Danes, providing them with a sense of pride and, more importantly, a legitimization of their presence in England and a chance to consolidate their power.
From here Loyn takes us through the reconquest of the Danelaw by the Anglo-Saxon kings down to the peaceful reign of Edgar, the great-grandson of Alfred the Great. The author then returns the reader to Scandinavia, bringing them up-to-date on the political manouverings in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, laying the groundwork for an understanding of the turmoil to follow in the history of England in the following century. We see the consolidation of power in the developing monarchies of these countries, leading to the eventual return of invasions to England at the close of the 10th century and the parallel consolidation of power under Cnut in the early part of the 11th century. To the naïve reader not acquainted with these histories, the Norman Conquest may come as a surprise in 1066. When one considers the larger arena containing the events in these northern countries, it is clear that the Norman invasion was not a surprise but rather one more in a series of attempts by the Scandinavians to rule the rich, enticing lands of the British Isles.
At this point, after a brief discussion of the waning years of Norwegian influence in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, Loyn attempts to provide the reader with something of a summary and understanding of the impact of the Scandinavian invasions on Britain. Here the author begins a long, detailed synopsis of the evidence available illustrating the Scandinavian contributions to the political, cultural, social and institutional fabrics of British history. For each of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, Loyn relates artistic achievements, results of place name studies, linguistic clues and legal practices. The author simultaneously provides the reader not only examples of Scandinavian influence on succeeding generations but also evidence for the narrative that precedes this discussion.
It is the placement of this information that provides the only flaw in this book. The book in some ways is a synthesis of the narrative history of this fascinating time period and a summary of current historical research on the topic. The book could easily stand on its own as an undergraduate textbook without the inclusion of this final chapter. In the same way, it could provide the advanced student and researcher with a good start on the research on this field if this information was placed in the text itself where it is needed for support. The work requires that the researcher take the first six chapters on face value until the evidence can be presented in the end.
This one flaw, however, is not fatal and should not deter the serious scholar from reading this work. In all other aspects it is well organized and well presented and provides the reader with a concise and complete summary of the Viking Age.

Although a fairly slim book (it's only 128 pages long, including the index), this volume is quite packed with information. I like the way the book is laid out--it basically divides the Viking era into two blocks of time--the first from the beginning of the Viking period until roughly 950, and the second from 950 until 1100--then goes through each area of the British Isles, including not only Anglo-Saxon England but also Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the northern islands, and talks about how they were affected by the Vikings during the period. There's also a very interesting chapter near the end about the various languages spoken in the British Isles during the Viking era. This is an overview type of study, so the degree of detail is somewhat limited, but still I'd definitely recommend it.