Above : Norse’s War God “Odin”

For over three hundred years the history of Ireland had been mostly the record of the progress of religion and learning : during the two centuries that followed the story is one of almost ceaseless warfare against fierce invaders. The Romans and the Teutons had alike failed to reach the Irish shores, which for more than a thousand years had been free from invasion. That immunity was now to vanish before the merciless attacks of the Norsemen.

• Origin of the Norsemen.—The people whose savage raids made them for over two centuries the terror of Western Europe were of the same Teutonic race as the ” barbarians ” who had broken up the Roman” Empire. Their kinsmen who had settled in the conquered provinces had now become Christian and peaceable, owing, to a great extent, to the efforts of Irish missionaries. Their petty states—from which the modern nations were to spring—were being consolidated, for a time, into a new Western Empire by the illustrious Charlemagne. But, on the shores of the Baltic, the Scandinavian branch of the Teutons remained as pagan, as fierce, and as barbarous as were the tribes who had conquered the Romans three hundred years before. These, in their turn, were about to ravage Europe, attacking it, however, not by land, as their predecessors had done, but by sea.
• ” Fionn-GhaOl” and ” Dubh-Ghaill.”—The coasts from which the Norse who raided Ireland mostly came were the western shores of Norway and Denmark. Irish writers distinguish between the natives of the two countries : the earlier of the invaders, who came from Norway, are called ” ponn-$AiU ” (” White Foreigners “) and ” Lochlanns ” ; the ” t>uft-gAia ” (” Black Strangers “) or ” Danars ” came later from Denmark. The distinction between the two is, however, not at all well marked, and they are frequently confused. In popular language in Ireland the invaders are collectively known as the ” Danes ” ; while English writers refer to them as the Norse, or Vikings, or Osimen.
• Character of the Norse.—Piracy, fighting, and adventure were the occupation and the glory of the Vikings. The unfertile coasts which were their homes drove them to the sea for existence, and they were expert sailors through necessity. From infancy they were bred to fighting, and they loved it for its own sake. Prowess in combat and physical courage were the only qualities they appreciated, and mercy was unknown to them. Their very religion was one of warfare,: those who fell in battle were to live ever after in Valhalla, the palace of their chief god Odin, where they were served by Valkyries with mead which they drank from the skulls of the enemies they had killed.

Such was the character and such the training of the people who were about to burst upon the coasts and islands of Europe, and to ravage and pillage them for centuries.

• Methods of Warfare.—With few exceptions the incursions were not on an extensively organised basis, especially at first. Now and then a powerful leader might unite a large force under his command for a period. But in general the raids were carried out by detached groups. The Norse were even less united than were their predecessors of the fifth and sixth centuries. The crew of each ship gathered around their own leader and formed an independent unit which attached itself at will now to one group and then to another. But they fought together when necessary in perfect order and military discipline, and, clad in armour and with superior weapons, they overpowered the less skilled adversaries who endeavoured to oppose them.
• Causes of the Invasions.—Three causes may be ascribed for the incursions—economical, political and religious. In the first place the Northern regions were unable to support the large populations which had accumulated in them, and numbers of adventurous spirits had long been forced to look to the plunder of the Southern lands for an existence. In the next place a direct impetus was given by the spread of the dominion of the Frankish Kings, which was to culminate in the Empire of Charlemagne. As the Frankish sway extended, the tribes which endeavoured to maintain their independence were driven back upon the Northern coasts. Again, those tribes were pagan and Christianity became identified with Frankish aggression. In some cases religion had been used for political purposes, and Christianity forced upon the tribes as a sign of their subjection. The result of such persecution was shown in the hatred of religion displayed by the marked manner in which monasteries and schools were singled out for attack.