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The End of the Vikings
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The age of the Vikings did not end suddenly, but the defeat of King Harald Hardrada by the English king Harold Godwinson in 1066 was a sign that the age of the Vikings was over. Raiding was no longer so easy. Changes in farming methods had reduced the need for more land. In places where Vikings had settled down, they had become no different from their neighbours, and Scandinavia had become a Christian land. Although Christianity did not prevent wars, it taught that killing was wrong. One sign of this change was the large number of churches that were built in Scandinavia. Like other buildings, they were made of wood. They were built from planks, like a ship, and are known as stave churches.
(A) STAVE CHURCHES
Scandinavian Christians built magnificent wooden churches, such as this one at Borgund, Norway. The walls were made of upright timbers held by horizontal beams at top and bottom, like the staves of a barrel.
(B) CARVING
Stave churches contain elaborate carved decoration. So far as we know, Viking houses had nothing like this, although it may simply be that no such carving has survived.
(C) KEEPING DRY
The method of stave construction allowed the whole building to be raised above the ground, so the wood would not rot.
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Previous:
Back
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Book:
The Vikings
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Section:
The Vikings
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Chapter:
The End of the Vikings
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