Question 1

Which Norse god of thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir, was widely worshipped by Viking-age Scandinavians?

Accepted Answer

Thor. Thor was so popular that many Viking-age Scandinavians wore small hammer-shaped pendants in his honour.

Question 2

The 793 Viking raid on which island monastery off the coast of Northumberland is traditionally taken as the start of the Viking Age?

Accepted Answer

Lindisfarne. The attack on Lindisfarne's monastery shocked Christian Europe and is the event most often used to mark the beginning of the Viking Age.

Question 3

Which large island in the North Atlantic was named by Erik the Red, perhaps to tempt settlers with its appealing name?

Accepted Answer

Greenland. Erik the Red chose the name Greenland to lure settlers to an island that was mostly covered in ice.

Question 4

Which Viking writing system, made up of angular characters suited to carving into wood and stone, was used by Norse peoples?

Accepted Answer

Runes. The angular shapes of runes made them easy to carve with a knife or chisel into wood, bone and stone, which is why so many runestones survive across Scandinavia.

Question 5

In 1066 which Norwegian king was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge while trying to conquer England?

Accepted Answer

Harald Hardrada. Harald Hardrada's name means 'hard ruler', and his death at Stamford Bridge is often seen as the end of the Viking Age in England.

Question 6

Which Viking leader was granted land in northern France in 911 by Charles the Simple, founding what became the Duchy of Normandy?

Accepted Answer

Rollo. Rollo's Norsemen gave Normandy its name, and his descendants included William the Conqueror.

Question 7

What name was given to the area of eastern and northern England ruled under Viking law after treaties with Alfred the Great?

Accepted Answer

Danelaw. The Danelaw gets its name from the Danish legal customs that applied there rather than English law, and its influence survives in many English place names ending in -by and -thorpe.

Question 8

Which Danish king, son of Sweyn Forkbeard, became King of England in 1016 and also ruled Denmark and Norway?

Accepted Answer

Cnut the Great. Cnut ruled England, Denmark and Norway together, building a North Sea empire that is often called the Anglo-Scandinavian realm.

Question 9

Which elite group of Norse and other Northern European mercenaries served the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople?

Accepted Answer

Varangian Guard. The Varangian Guard was famed for its axe-wielding bodyguards, and the Norse Harald Hardrada served in it before becoming King of Norway.

Question 10

Which 1014 battle near Dublin saw the forces of Brian Boru defeat a Norse-Irish alliance, though Brian himself was killed?

Accepted Answer

Battle of Clontarf. Brian Boru's victory at Clontarf broke the power of the Norse-Irish alliance, but he was killed in his tent at the end of the fighting.

🧠 Vikings (Historical) Quiz

Vikings (Historical) Quiz — Questions and Answers

Vikings (Historical)

1easyWhich Norse god of thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir, was widely worshipped by Viking-age Scandinavians?

2easyThe 793 Viking raid on which island monastery off the coast of Northumberland is traditionally taken as the start of the Viking Age?

3easyWhich large island in the North Atlantic was named by Erik the Red, perhaps to tempt settlers with its appealing name?

4easyWhich Viking writing system, made up of angular characters suited to carving into wood and stone, was used by Norse peoples?

5mediumIn 1066 which Norwegian king was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge while trying to conquer England?

6mediumWhich Viking leader was granted land in northern France in 911 by Charles the Simple, founding what became the Duchy of Normandy?

7mediumWhat name was given to the area of eastern and northern England ruled under Viking law after treaties with Alfred the Great?

8mediumWhich Danish king, son of Sweyn Forkbeard, became King of England in 1016 and also ruled Denmark and Norway?

9hardWhich elite group of Norse and other Northern European mercenaries served the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople?

10hardWhich 1014 battle near Dublin saw the forces of Brian Boru defeat a Norse-Irish alliance, though Brian himself was killed?

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