Marking the beginning of the Viking Age.
In the year 793, on either January 8 or June 8 (depending upon which source you utilize), a large group of Viking warriors raided the Christian monastery of Lindisfarne. The warriors killed many of the inhabitants, carried others into slavery, and looted the religious treasures. The monastery had been founded in 635 by the Irish monk Saint Aidan on the small island off the northeast coast of Northumberland. It quickly became known as the Holy Island, serving as a religious center for northern England and southern Scotland. It also became wealthy as it accumulated gold, silver, and jeweled religious objects. The bold raid by the Vikings highlighted the vulnerability of isolated monasteries, particularly along the coast and provoked great consternation within Christian Europe. It also marked the commencement of what is often called the Viking Age, with raids occurring throughout northern Europe and eventually into the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. As raiding continued along the English coast, the Lindisfarne monastery was abandoned in 875, only to be re-established in 1093, after William the Conqueror successfully invaded Britain in 1066. William was a descendant of Vikings who had settled years before in Normandy. His invasion of Britain was fortuitous in timing, coming only days after a major assault by King Harald of Norway at York had been defeated. The exhausted British army marched south to face William, only to be beaten in a close battle. Thus, the Vikings eventually became a major force in Britain, 273 years after the first assault. The damaged monastery was never rebuilt, but during the reign of King Henry VIII a small castle was erected on the highest point of the island. The island, including the remains of the monastery and the Tudor castle, is now a nature preserve and tourist site.