Europe in Turmoil: Foreign Influences on Tenth Century Europe

The Viking and Hungarian invasions across the European

continent during the Ninth and Tenth centuries left a dramatic

impact upon the continent. These two separate cultures would

rampage across large swaths of Europe, bringing with them a wave

of terror and fear. Their actions are now things of legend, but

their military triumphs exist within the historical sphere as

well. The purpose of this paper is three-fold: first, we will

examine why these invasions were so damaging to Europe, second

we will determine which one was ultimately more destructive, and

third we will discuss how these invasions effected Christianity

and spiritualism across the European continent.

The Vikings hailed from the modern day Scandinavian

countries of northern Europe, and their tireless efforts to

pursue land and wealth by sea and land would take them on

journeys from the Newfoundland coast to almost every major area

of the European continent. Although the Viking presence in the

British Isles is well documented, perhaps their ferocity and

influence can best be seen with their encounters with the

Franks. The Franks, who inhabit modern day France, would defend

against almost constant Viking attacks by sea and land through

most of the ninth century. An example of Viking influence in

France still remains today. The Viking leader Rollo was made an
offer by the Frankish King in 896; if he converted to

Christianity and protected the Franks from other invaders, he

would give Rollo and his men a large parcel of land. Rollo

accepted, and the area of France given to him still bears that

history; Normandy, or the land of the Northmen.1 Rollo would

become Duke of Normandy in 911, forever changing the face of

Europe.2 This example also shows how these invasions had

religious implications as well. The Viking invasions were so

damaging to Europe because they battered and submitted the

various weaker tribes along the shores of the British Isles, and

terrorized the entire continent of Europe.

Just as Viking invasions began to taper off at the end of

the Ninth century, a new group of invaders swept in to take

their place; the Magyars. The Magyars hailed from modern day

Hungary and began their quest for European dominance in the

twilight of the Ninth century. Leaving their homes in the upper

Danube in 899, the highly skilled archers and horsemen of the

Magyar tribes swept into northern Italy and ravaged the

countryside. Soon following their success in Italy the Magyars

began to conduct raids into Germany. These Germanic raids would

continue on an almost constant basis until 955, when King Otto

1 E.L. Skip Knox. “The Tenth Century; Muslims in the Western Mediterranean”,
18 December 2000. Available as published lecture online.
http://history.boisestate.edu/ westciv/ 10thc/03.shtml. Accessed May
12, 2008
2 Robert S. Hoyt, Stanley Chodorow, Europe in the Middle Ages (New York,
Javonovich, Inc.,1976), p.192.
would crush the Magyars in the Battle of Lechfeld.3 Never again

would the Magyars harass Germany, but the damage had been done;

almost fifty years of constant warring across Central and

Southern Europe has changed the landscape forever.

If it were quantifiably possible, which one of these

invasions could we say was more destructive to Europe? The size

and scope of the Viking invasions far outweighed those of the

Magyars, but in many cases Viking “invasions” were more spurred

on by curiosity and wanderlust. It was common for Vikings to

settle throughout Europe wherever they landed, and assimilate

their own culture with those of the indigenous cultures.4 This

cultural syncretism had a positive effect on Europe. The

Magyars however were much more insulated in their motives. They

were much less likely to spread their own rich culture or

intermingle with the neighboring Europeans. Because of this, I

would say that the Hungarian invasions were more damaging to

Europe, despite their smaller scale in comparison to those of

the Vikings.

Another interesting question is did these invasion have any

impact on European Christianity. Rollo was forced to convert to

Christianity as part of his treaty agreement. This would have a

3 Maurice Keen, A History of Medieval Europe (New York, Praeger Publishers,

1967) p.262-63.
4 E.L. Skip Knox. “The Tenth Century; Muslims in the Western
Mediterranean”,18 December 2000. Available as published lecture online.
http://history.boisestate.edu/ westciv/ 10thc/03.shtml. Accessed May
12, 2008
ripple effect throughout the Scandinavian world and the Normandy

coast, as Christianity was swallowed into the cultural fold of

those tribes. The attacks by the Magyars and especially those

by the Islamic Arabs and Moors from Africa and the Near East

would become the catalyst for the Crusades. Therefore, the

invasions of the Ninth and Tenth centuries would solidify

Christianity’s hold on Europe. The solidarity gained by brother

nations fighting side by side in the name of the Church would

cement Europe as a bastion of Christianity for the next 1,000

years.

Works Cited

1.
 E.L. Skip Knox. “The Tenth Century; Muslims in the Western

Mediterranean”,18 December 2000. Available as published lecture

online. http://history.boisestate.edu/ westciv/

10thc/03.shtml. Accessed May 12, 2008

2.

Robert S. Hoyt, Stanley Chodorow, Europe in the Middle Ages

(New York, Javonovich, Inc.,1976).

3.

Maurice Keen, A History of Medieval Europe (New York, Praeger

Publishers, 1967).