Heathens to Christians: Exploring Norse Interactions with Anglo-Saxons and Notions of Medieval Identity

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Title: Heathens to Christians: Exploring Norse Interactions with Anglo-Saxons and Notions of Medieval Identity
Author: Antonia L. Scholerman
Faculty Sponsor: Elizabeth Swedo; Gavin Keulks
Date: 4/1/2021
Abstract: The Viking Age lasted from approximately the 8th century CE to the 11th century CE, and throughout this period Norse people raided, traded, settled, farmed, and came to political power in the British Isles. Due to Norse culture being predominantly oral rather than written, there is limited documentation of early Norse activities by the Norse themselves. For most of this period, surviving records about Norse activity in Britain come from the Anglo-Saxons. Because a lot of early Norse interactions in the British Isles were raids on Christian monasteries, these Anglo-Saxon accounts painted the Norse as merciless murderers who wanted to punish Christians. However, this perception of Norse intent was inherently distorted and was clouded by misconceptions. As Norse people began to settle in Britain, these interactions fundamentally changed, and emerged from this continued contact was new conceptions of Anglo-Saxon and Norse identity. This research project explores the changes in Anglo- Saxon perceptions of identity as they confronted Norse identity through continued interactions with them.
Type: Text; Honors Thesis
Department: Honors Program
Language: eng
Rights: Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 06/01/2023, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Identifier: honors_theses/251