It is not known what Viking band was involved in the notorious raid on the Lindisfarne Abbey on an island off the coast of Northumberland, England on 8 June, 793 that marked the official beginning of the Viking Age. But, many of our ancestor Vikings were already active as traders and plunderers in the area at that time.
In fact, there are sources that report that our ancestor, Olav Gudrødsson (c.740 - ?), who was descended from important early Norse kings and queens, went from his kingdom in Vestfold, Norway and had “success in the west”. Other sources say he raided in Ireland before 770 and it is noted in the sagas and early historic references that his son Helgi “the sharp” Olafsson (c.770 - c.819) who became King of Ringerike, Norway, was born in Dublin, Ireland.
He, too, eventually raided with his men in Ireland. These raids were most likely summertime forays while they continued to retain their Norse land holdings and kingdoms. However, as economic and, primarily, political pressures increased in what is now Norway, Olav and Helgi established a settlement in what soon became Dublin, Ireland.
Olav and Helgi eventually brought their wives and families to Ireland with them. Olav was married to Lifa Gudrodsdatter (c.750 - c.840) and Helgi’s wife was, according to the sagas, Tora “Alöf” Sigurdsdottir (c.800 - c.842). Tora was the daughter of Sigurd “Snake in the Eye” Ragnarsson (c.779 - c.873) who was the son of legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. (More about them later)
It seems, as we shall also see later, that three of the Viking groups, through marriage, were interrelated. It is also conceivable that all of the Vikings discussed here probably raided and fought together at various points in time. So, our ever restless ancestors were most likely in the British Isles doing the Viking thing before the Viking Age officially began.
Helgi and Alöf’s son Ingjald “the White” Helgasson (c.818 - c.842), was, like his father, born in Dublin, Ireland. By the time of Ingjald’s birth, his father and family were well established and powerful in Ireland. They built Dublin into a center of trade in the British Isles and retained their power through trade. Ingjald was named King of Ireland at a young age and continued the family’s raiding and plundering around the Irish Sea and in Scotland. In addition, he still retained his father’s land in Norway. Ingjald was known as a Norse chieftain and warlord.
History doesn’t tell us who bore Ingjald’s son, Olaf “the White” Ingjaldsson (c.830 - c.871). After Ingjald’s death at an early age, Dublin fell victim to uprisings from the local Irish and the Danish Vikings raided in the area. Olaf fought both to regain control and in 853 he was named King of Dublin.
During a lull in the raiding, Olaf, as did many of our Norse ancestors, married for the first of at least three times, for political purposes. His first wife was Aud “the Deep Minded” Ketilsdottir (c.830 - c.900)
Olaf was a very aggressive fighter and a charismatic, talented negotiator and leader. In short order he made a treaty and joined forces with the Dane chieftain in the area, Ivar “the Boneless” Ragnarsson. Ivar, another son of Ragnar Lothbrok and brother of Sigurd “Snake in the Eye”, was part of the fourth group of ancestral Vikings who appear below in our ancestry.
Ivar was a very powerful, cunning and ruthless Danish chieftain. He had a congenital disease that kept his legs from properly forming so he had to be carried wherever and whenever he left his longboat. Neverthelsss, he and Olaf were a formidable team and raided and plundered with their Viking followers throughout Ireland and Scotland. When necessary they even joined forces with Scottish and Irish kings and helped them fight against their enemies. Olav became incredibly wealthy and ruthless. The sagas report that he killed and had killed quite a number of his adversaries’ leaders and took hostages of those he conquered and made them slaves.
It is not known exactly where or when Olaf died, however there is good evidence that he was buried in his native Vestfold, Norway in the famous Gokstad ship. The Gokstad ship was discovered in a burial mound near Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway south of Oslo in 1880. The site was excavated and the ship is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway and has many replicas including one at the Hjemkomst Museum in Moorhead, Minnesota.
The ship could be sailed but also rowed with space for thirty two rowers. Many artifacts were discovered along with the ship including the bones of a man six feet tall lying on a bed and the bones of twelve horses, six dogs and one peacock.
While often portrayed as mindless brutes, Vikings were smart, innovative, and technologically advanced. They were what we'd call "thinkers who could fight." Artifacts from this and other excavations of burial mounds in Scandinavia reveal that the Vikings were a very advanced culture. Because they raided and plundered far and wide, the Vikings obtained and wore intricate gold and silver jewelry and expensive cloths such as silk and linen. Some skeletons of Viking warriors are even reported to be wearing blue linen underwear. Other artifacts included combs and toothbrushes carved from bone and brooches adorned with valuable gems. Historical documents from those they conquered related that many Vikings and their wives were clean and well groomed.