The
Vikings
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The
Vikings came from Northern Europe. They were also called the Danes
or the Norsemen. The countries where they came from are now called
Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The Vikings found it very hard to survive
in these areas. It very hard to farm in these countries because the
land was very rocky and the climate was very harsh .They were very
good boat builders. (Click on the map to
see a bigger version) |
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got their name from the Viking word a-viking which means raiding.
They travelled to many countries raiding. In 795-Lambay island was
attacked by the Vikings. They came to Cork in 820 A.D. In Ireland
they raided monasteries because of the gold chalices and farm livestock.
They took corn and cattle and gold. People were afraid and the monks
built round towers to keep their valuables safe. There is still
a round tower which was built by the monks, in Cloyne, in East Cork.
Click
here to read a story about a Viking Attack |
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When
the Vikings came to Cork it was built on a marsh and a number of
islands separated by channels of the R. Lee. The Vikings were good
at building houses, streets, bridges and quaysides. Keyser's Hill
was built by the Vikings and is one of the oldest streets in Cork.There
are 25 steps on the hill. Keyser means the 'road to the wharf' where
they had their boats tied up. The
Vikings attacked St.Finbarre's monastery on a number of occasions.
Even though the Vikings would be remembered in Cork for raiding
and attacking, they also brought many skills to the city.
By Janice, Nicole
and Megan |
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