The Vikings Are Coming?! Oh, No! They're Here! Quiz

Answer: True

After Peter sliced off the Roman guard's ear while trying to prevent Christ's arrest, he was very plainly told to "put the sword in the sheath". (John 18:10) That was the official position of the Church in regard to clerical violence from that time on. St Ambrose also believed that churchmen should not shed blood.

When Sagitarrius and Salonius, sixth century French bishops, scandalized the Church by their warlike activity, they were unfrocked (that is, expelled from the clergy). It was clear: protecting oneself could not involve the shedding of blood. (Later orders of fighting monks like the Knights Templar may come to mind, but remember - the Crusaders received special papal permission to fight.

They were told if they died fighting, their souls would go to heaven). Normally, God-fearing Christians would never dream of harming a priest or stealing from the Church.

But what about the ones that didn't fear the Christian God? What could the monks do to protect themselves? The only option was to ask the temporal power for protection but many monasteries were in remote places and the secular authorities generally did not have well organized groups of soldiers to hand.

Answer: Northumbria

Actually Holy Island, where Lindesfarne is located, is more correctly called a peninsula or a tidal island. Visitors today find there is only one road that leads to Holy Island, and it is covered twice a day by the North Sea. There is only one hill on the island, and the coast consists of low sand bars, perfect for landing the Viking longboats! Although some believe the attack could have been made by Saxons, there are contemporary accounts that the attackers came from the North.

In all probability they were Norwegian Vikings, who attacked Lindisfarne from base camps on the Orkneys and Shetland Islands.

Answer: The Vikings wanted the valuable relics.

Monasteries were easy to attack because they were virtually undefended, and the monks did not fight back. In addition, monasteries housed valuable, portable relics, made of gold, silver and jewels: elaborate reliquaries, chalices, pyxes, crosses, and crosiers decorated the sanctuary.

The monk, Simeon, in "History of the Church in Durham", says they "ravaged and pillaged everything...and plundered all the treasures of the church". Contrary to Simeon's account, the raiders did NOT find a Bible called "The Lindisfarne Gospels", or the coffin and relics of St. Cuthbert. Of course, there were other forms of wealth at the monasteries too, such as cattle, cloth, and the monks themselves, who were sold into slavery.

Answer: False

The Vikings were pretty clever when it came to raiding. They knew that if they destroyed and took everything during the first raid, there would be no chance of returning for future plunder. In fact, it is said that Lindisfarne was so wealthy that the initial raid and the ones that followed did not significantly impoverish the monastery.

It appears that monks continued to live at Lindisfarne until 875, until the Danes took Northumbria. At that time they took their religious relics and fled. A new monastery, which thrived until suppressed by Henry VIII, was established on the site in 1083 after the Norman Conquest.

The new priory was not built on the original site; a parish church occupies that space. It is said that Lindisfarne Castle was built with stones taken from the Norman-era buildings in the 1550s.

Answer: Alcuin of York

Alcuin was born in York, Northumbria, in 735 AD; he met Charlemagne while on a pilgrimage to Rome and, among other things, became a tutor to his children. Alcuin regularly communicated with monks at Lindesfarne. Interestingly, the purpose of Alcuin's letters was not to criticize the Vikings, but to admonish the Anglo-Saxons.

He told them they only got what they deserved after so many years of sinful behavior!

Answer: William the Conqueror

Odo, the son of William's mother, was an ordained Catholic clergyman. However, he is best known as a warrior and statesman. He helped provide ships for his half-brother's invasion of England, and is one of a few of the companions of William the Conqueror who was known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings.

In all probability, it was Odo who commissioned the Bayeaux Tapestry to hang in his church.

Answer: Mace

Embroidered on the Bayeaux Tapestry is: "Hic Odo Eps (Episcopus) Baculu(m) Tenens Confortat Pueros", in English "Here Odo the Bishop holding a club strengthens the boys". Because he was a clergyman, Odo could not shed blood. Using a mace, however, didn't shed blood, while using a sword did. He twisted the meaning of shedding blood to mean 'cutting' rather than bashing!

Answer: Irish Round

There is much discussion regarding the use of Irish round towers by monks. Some believe they may have been used as a belfry, while others believe they were used as lookouts in order to spot the Vikings when they first landed. In addition, the valuable relics owned by the monastery could be safe-guarded there.

It makes sense that the monks would want to issue some form of warning so that there was time to hide.

Answer: The doorway was several feet off the ground.

The doorways on the towers were usually eight to ten feet off the ground. When the Vikings were first sighted, the monks would sound the warning, climb ladders and pull them up, close the oak door, and simply wait for the Vikings to leave, all safe and sound with no blood shed.

The Vikings really didn't have any way to get into the tower once it was closed up; their only choice would have been to maybe set fires around the base, but that would alert the locals who would come running. So, what happened if there was no warning or not enough time to get into the tower?

Answer: Irish Wolfhound

The monks also raised large dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, that they could turn loose on the Vikings. Although it is true that the Vikings could defend themselves from canine attack, it would perhaps buy the monks some badly needed extra time. And so what if the Vikings had a few dog bites? It was not shedding blood by the monks own hands!