After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal The Most Notorious Viking Raid
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Dec 18, 2025 
Dr. Eleanor Barraclough, a historian specializing in the Viking Age, joins the discussion on the notorious raid at Lindisfarne. She reveals how this event sent shockwaves through Europe, highlighting its significance to Christendom. Eleanor explores the evolving nature of Viking raids and their motivations beyond mere terror. She also delves into the psychological impact on victims and the complexities of historical narratives shaped by bias. Listeners gain unique insights into the Viking experience and its lasting effects on history.
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Lindisfarne As The Symbolic Shock
- The 793 Lindisfarne raid shocked Western Christendom and became shorthand for Viking terror.
- Its significance lies more in psychological impact and narrative than being the absolute first raid.
'Viking' Means Raider, Not A People
- 'Viking' (Old Norse vikingr) originally meant pirate or raider, not an ethnic label.
- The Viking Age includes raiding, overwintering, organised armies, and eventual settlement across centuries.
Loot Became Gifts And Evidence
- Archaeologists found Christian reliquaries in Norse female graves, suggesting raiders brought loot home as gifts.
- The Inchmarnock stone doodle likely shows a novice monk being taken by Vikings for ransom or slavery.