Invade… immigrate… integrate… inspire.
This virtual museum tells a regional story of Viking culture with artefacts and designs from the Viking Age in the East Midlands, and information about local place-names which were given at the time in the Scandinavian language of the Vikings. We also highlight some Viking personal names from the region and how to write them in runes.
It started in the 860s when the so-called Great Heathen Army invaded England, agreeing peace with the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred the Great, in the 880s. The agreement established the Danelaw where Viking laws and government reigned, giving the Vikings half of England to rule. They governed the five boroughs of the Danelaw (Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and Stamford), settling in the region and integrating with the existing population. The legacy of these migrants can still be seen today in the many Scandinavian place-names in the region. Both sculpture and objects give us a direct physical link to that period.
On this website you can:
- Explore our collections of objects and names to uncover the legacy of the Vikings on our doorstep.
- Use our designs for your own creative, educational or entrepreneurial purposes.
- Watch our collection of Viking talks covering many different aspects of the Viking Age in the East Midlands and further afield.
- Read our blog posts on a variety of topics by our expert authors.
- Get information on reliable, recommended resources for further information or study.
This website is brought to you by the Centre for the Study of the Viking Age at the University of Nottingham to introduce you to the Viking legacy in the East Midlands.
Header image: Based on Paul Everson and David Stocker, Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture Volume XII. Nottinghamshire (Oxford, 2015), ill. 32
Explore
Viking objects, designs and names
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Drawing of a Mystery Item
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Invasion, Immigration, Integration - or Diaspora? New Ways of Looking at the Viking Phenomenon
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Gunnhild
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Reproduction Hammer-shaped Pendant
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Reproduction Ansate Brooch
Featured Item
Holme from Home? East Midland Place-Names and the Story of Viking Settlement
Featured collection
Viking Talks
A series of talks given at the University of Nottingham in 2017-2018 and made available here to watch and listen to again. All the talks are shown in the slider bar below. Many thanks to Lakeside Arts for help with organising the talks, and for recording and transcribing them.
View the Collection
Viking Art Styles in the East Midlands: Borre
The Rich and the Brave: Burials, Weapons, and Warriors
Winter Camps in the East Midlands: Commerce and Industry
Winter Camps in the East Midlands: Location and Layout
Brooches, Pendants and Pins: Scandinavian Dress Accessories in England
Two Languages, One Name: Hybrid Place-Names in the East Midlands
Labels and Identities in the Viking Age East Midlands II: People
