Viking Invasion Map
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The following map was found in the possession of a man named Dunglú, who claimed to have been abducted by a band of Norsemen and taken to their home in Northumbria. He escaped his captors and made it back to Ireland where he sold the map to a merchant named Rögnvaldr.
It was passed from hand to hand until it ended up in the hands of an Irish monk named Óengus mac Finguine, who donated it to the monastery at Glendalough. The monks there sold it to the British Museum in 1856.
The map shows the invasion routes of the Viking raiders in great detail, as well as their landing sites and the areas they controlled. It also shows the main settlements on the island of Ireland at the time, along with the location of the fortresses and castles that the Norsemen had built in preparation for their invasion.
The Vikings landed in Dublin on the morning of Wednesday, July 21st, 841, according to the Irish annals. They attacked the church of St. Patrick’s in the city, ransacked the cathedral, killed the bishop, and set fire to the church. The church was rebuilt after the Vikings were driven off and consecrated in 852.
After the raid on Dublin, the Vikings sailed south along the coast, attacking settlements and stealing livestock, which they took back to their ships. Their next stop was at Waterford, where they sacked the church of St. Mary’s, stole the bell from the tower, and looted the surrounding countryside.
After that, they headed north and burned the churches in Limerick and Cahir. Then they headed east to Lough Ree, where they raided the monasteries on the southern shore.
They then turned back toward Dublin and landed on the southern shore of Lough Ree. There they plundered the monasteries in the area, including the church at the abbey of Kilmainham, which was home to a community of Franciscan monks.
They then sailed westward along the northern shore of Lough Ree, attacking the churches at Castleknock and Drogheda. They sailed to the south of the lake and attacked the church at Newmarket. Then they returned to the north, sailing as far as Carrick-on-Suir, where they sacked the church there.
After that, they headed to Waterford and burned the church at the monastery of St. Mary’s, the church at St. Nicholas’ in the town, and the church of St. Peter’s in the countryside. They also burned the church at the abbey of St. Canice and the church at the monastery of St. John’s.
They destroyed the church at the monastery of St. Finnian, near the town of Ardmore, and plundered the church at the church of St. Colman’s. They then headed eastward to the village of Glengarry, where they burned the church and killed all the monks. They left the church of St. Finian unharmed.
In the evening, they sailed to the village of Clonakilty and burned the church there. They then headed to the village of Tinnahinch and burned the church there. Then they headed back to the monastery at Glendalough.
They spent the night in the monastery at Glendalough before sailing down the River Slaney, which flows into the sea at the mouth of the Shannon. There they plundered the churches of the monastery at Ballymacarbry, where they killed the monks, and the church at the abbey of St. Fechin.
Then they sailed to the northern shore of Lough Ree, where they burned the church at the monastery of St. Mary’s and the church at the abbey of St. Fechin. They also burned the church at the monastery of St. John’s.
They sailed across Lough Ree and headed up the River Suir, where they burned the church at the monastery of St. Canice. Then they sailed north along the coast of County Tipperary. They plundered the church at the monastery of St. Fechin, then headed back to the monastery at Glendalough.
The next day they headed down the River Suir, burning the church at the monastery of St. Canice. They sailed along the northern shore of Lough Ree until they reached the village of Clonfert. Here they burned the church and killed the monks.
They then headed east and burned the churches in the area around the monastery of St. Senan. They continued sailing down the River Suir, burning the church at the monastery of St. Finnian and the church at the abbey of St. Ciarán. Then they sailed up the River Suir and burned the church at the monastery of St. John’s.
They returned to the monastery at Glendalough and spent the night there. In the morning, they sailed back down the River Suir and burned the church at the monastery of St. Finnian. Then they headed north, reaching the River Shannon in the evening. They burned the church at the monastery of St. Columba and the church at the abbey of St. Patrick.
They then sailed up the River Shannon and burned the church at the monastery of St. Columba. They returned to the monastery at Glendalough and spent the night there. In the morning, they sailed up the River Liffey, burning the church at the monastery of St. Mary’s. They returned to the monastery at Glendalough.
They sailed down the River Liffey again, reaching the River Boyne, which flows into the sea at the mouth of the River Nore. There they burned the church at the monastery of St. Canice and the church at the abbey of St. Brigid. Then they sailed down the River Boyne and burned the church at the monastery of St. Senan.
They headed down the River Boyne and burned the church at the monastery of St. Senan. Then they sailed westward along the northern shore of Lough Ree, burning the churches in the area around the monastery of St. Fechin. They returned to the monastery at Glendalough.
They sailed down the River Boyne and burned the church at the monastery of St. Columba. Then they sailed back to the monastery at Glendalough.
In the morning, they sailed up the River Shannon, reaching the town of Clonfert. Here they burned the church and killed the monks. They then sailed up the River Shannon to the monastery at Glendalough.
The next day, they sailed up the River Shannon to the monastery at Glendalough.
After that, they headed down the River Boyne, burning the church at the monastery of St. Senan. They continued sailing south, reaching the River Liffey, which flows into the sea at the mouth of the River Nore. Here they burned the church at the monastery of St. Columba. Then they sailed across the Liffey to the monastery at Glendalough.
They sailed down the River Boyne, reaching the River Shannon, which flows into the sea at the mouth of the River Nore. They burned the church at the monastery of St. Columba. Then they sailed up the River Shannon and burned the church at the monastery of St. Finnian.
They sailed back to the monastery at Glendalough.
“We have seen many places we had heard about,” said Thorgrim, “and even more things that I would never expect to see.”
It is an odd thought, now that he was looking out on his enemy’s ships, but in those days, it seemed only natural to think of Ireland as a land apart, separate from all other lands—or rather, separated by nothing more than water.
The people here spoke another language and dressed differently, for sure, but so did most of Europe—so much so that Thorgrim felt no particular sense of difference. His life was not unlike anyone else’s; his family was not unique. And yet when they came to this place called Ireland, it seemed different somehow. It seemed as though he’d arrived in some distant kingdom. As if he were coming home.
They reached the coast at dusk and anchored near the little bay that formed a sheltered harbor. At least half a dozen Irish ships had appeared during their voyage. Each one was manned with armed men, and each ship held its own banner—one bearing an image of Christ with one hand extended toward the heavens, and another that showed Saint Patrick standing on a globe, holding a snake in one hand and a book in another.
They were led by two big Irishmen wearing the red caps of druids—those same red caps Thorgrim had worn himself. These druids had come out to greet Thorgrim’s fleet and bid them welcome to their shores.
Thorgrim was wary of Druids and their strange customs, which seemed to be centered around the worship of fire and stone—their belief that the world rested upon a foundation of stone and that the sun was powered by it. But these Druids did seem friendly enough and they brought with them supplies of food, which pleased Thorgrim since they could eat well while ashore.
Druids had no priests and thus had none of the training necessary to interpret the gods’ commands to the people. The druids simply acted as messengers between God and man. For centuries, they had been entrusted with keeping holy sites clean and maintaining rituals of prayer throughout the land, performing sacrifices whenever they were needed.
Some Druids were healers too, and they performed ceremonies in which they burned incense and chanted over a sick person.
When Thorgrim met this group of druids, he tried to engage them in conversation as they stood around in silence, but he found little success. He could not understand how such simple-minded people had ever held positions of power, let alone achieved any influence among Christians or pagans.
The druids brought gifts of food and wine as well as gifts of gold from Thorgrim’s men, who had taken silver and tin from the church buildings at Glendalough. In return, they received a few pieces of cloth as thanks for their services.
“We have brought your god’s many gifts,” Thorgrim told them, “but I fear we cannot offer you anything more.”
A woman dressed in white robes approached him and offered her apologies for the loss of the monastery and all its treasures. Thorgrim thanked her, for it must have been an enormous task to clear the ruins and prepare the place for travel.
He asked if she was from Glendalough, for it was known that nuns lived there. She was, and she knew the abbess, Sister Eithne. Her name meant “fair one,” and she had come to Ireland seeking safety after being chased by the English because of her Christian beliefs.
“She has been gone three years,” said the druid. “And now she’s returned and I hear tell that we are fighting against the Norsemen.”
“I am sure that is why she left us,” said Thorgrim. “But what news does Sister Eithne have?”
“There’s not much to tell. We’re still in the early stages of our battle, I’m afraid. But I am told that the Vikings have come north from the south, and I hear tell they plan to fight beside our own forces, who are already engaged against your enemies.”
That was good news. If all the Viking fleets fought together, perhaps they could defeat King Charles and his army. “Will your allies be strong enough to take this land?” Thorgrim asked. “Our men will go help you if we can do so without endangering ourselves.”
“You don’t believe in taking chances,” said the druid. “And I admire that. It seems we need all the warriors we can find, however. I wish there was something else we could give you in return, but I’m afraid my knowledge of your ways is limited and so far as I know we are the only people who have seen you before, and I’ve never seen such ships sail the seas like ours. I would be glad to learn more about where we came from, though.”
Thorgrim took the druid up on her offer. When his people went ashore again, Thorgrim invited her to come aboard his longship. His chief men had stayed on board the Haraldr and Thorgrim wanted some time away from them.
So he and his druid companion spent the day talking of gods and heroes and battles. As they talked, the sun set into the sea, and the night darkened. They lit a fire, for the air grew chill, but Thorgrim soon realized there was no danger of being discovered here on the beach. With darkness falling, the Irish ships departed.
Thorgrim returned to his longship, and they sailed back through the pass. He sent a party of five of his best archers to watch for signs of enemies coming out of Glendalough to stop them along the coast, but the search proved unproductive. Nothing greeted them. Their raid had gone off without a hitch.
The End