History - Blood of the Vikings: First Blood

Loot found secreted in pagan graves in Norway provides some major clues that point to Viking perpetrators following the discovery of murder victims in Wales and a monastery razed to the ground in Scotland. Julian Richards investigates Viking Britain, from the first raids to their settlement of the British Isles and traces their legacy through a genetics survey. Journey back to 793 on the coast of Holy Island, home to the peaceful monks of Lindisfarne who were brutally murdered by raiders from the sea. The Norwegian countryside reveals Viking graves, littered with treasures that once belonged to the monks In Oseburg, Norway, uncover an entire Viking ship, preserved in a massive Pagan burial ground. On board, discover the bowels of the vessel bursting with treasure that archaeological evidence connects to a Scottish monastery, burned and pillaged hundreds of years before. On the salty bluffs of northern Scotland, where the ancient Pictish people lived, explore a still-popular debate. Historians argue that the Vikings maintained peaceful relations with the Picts, trading with them freely. Now, hear others contend that the Vikings wiped these pre-Scotsmen off the map Whichever the case, one thing seems certain: the Vikings took every available opportunity and life to make money.