The spread of Christianity

At the beginning of the Viking Age, mainstream Europe was predominantly Christian. The one exception was the Norse people, who had their own pagan beliefs. Vikings who travelled abroad became more exposed to Christianity. The Norse living in the homelands also became convinced of God's power by visiting missionaries and priests. The Norse population gradually began to accept Christianity. The old religion slowly disappeared as even those who had strong faith in their pagan gods were cruelly forced by Scandinavian kings to convert to Christianity.

As Christianity spread amongst the Norse people, it contributed to the decrease in Viking power. The Norse people no longer practised their pagan beliefs, which placed such great importance on war. Being killed during a battle was believed to be the highest honour which could be bestowed on a warrior. In contrast, Christianity encouraged a more peaceful way of life. The conversion to Christianity resulted in the Vikings losing interest in raiding and, as an alternative, turning their attention to trading. A combination of all of these factors forced the Nordic countries to emerge, for the first time, as part of Christian Europe.