When did the Vikings convert to Christianity?

Question

Specifically those in Ireland???

Answer 1

"The Vikings became Christians around the year 1000 A.D. Christianity was however known by the Viking long before this date. Many Vikings became Christians during their travels to Byzantium (Istanbul). In the Viking city of Hedeby, for example, Christians and pagans lived together. You could find here at the jewelers' shop, on graves and on churches both the symbol of Christianity, the cross, and the symbol of the Old Norse religion, Thor's hammer. At the time there were some conflicts between the two religions as Christianity promoted peace and love between people while the old Vikings religion was more violent and Thor, the god of war was venerated. Soon, Christianity would take over and all Vikings became Christians by the year 1030. In this process, Olav Tryggvason played an important role. He was considered one of the most fierce Vikings. Since a teenager, he proved to be a very good soldier. He was given ships by his father to go raiding. He became famous after defeating the Saxons and pulling down London bridge. He became a Christian impressed by a Christian hermit who foretold a mutiny of his men. He decided to convert all his subjects to Christianity by all means necessary, even torture. He came to Norway in 995 A.D. together with some priests and a bishop called Grimkjell. On the island of Moster he officiated the first mass in Norway. Five years later, he died in the battle of Stiklestad in a mysterious way, fighting against a group of pagans. He was made a saint by the church. The shrine of St.' Olaf remained an important place for pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages."

As for Ireland... During the Viking Age, Ireland was already Christian. I don't know when exactly the Norsemen in the Norse settlements like Dublin took on the faith of their Irish neighbors, but an interesting anecdote from the nearby Isle of Man is that by the second generation after the Norse invasion (roughly 25 years later) the vast majority of names on the island have Norse bynames (the predecesor of surnames) but Christian first names!

Answer 2

The conversion process began in about the 6th or 7th century in mainland Europe and spread from there. In the year 1000 the Lawspeaker of Iceland decreed that the whole of the country should be Christian and that is was a crime to worship the old gods, or wear the thors hammer. That was the LAST of the viking lands to be converted.

AS to Ireland. There were not a lot of Vikings there to being with compared to the Celtic peoples that already inhabited the land and those that were there did not retain their Pagan beliefs more than a generation or so. Is would ahve been in about the 8th century when Ireland would have been OFFICIALLY a christian land, although poskets of the pagan worship lasted for several generations more.

Answer 3

The final year for the vikings with their Germanic system of Gods was 1000 with King Olaf (St. Olaf) decreed all of lands would convert to Christianity. He forced it either by cutting off heads or pushing snakes down people's throads. Cite: See photograph of Olaf which stands in Trondheim, Norway.

I will disagree with the honorable gentleman who answered before me. There were enough Vikings in Ireland to found several cities in Ireland - Dublin is chief among them and the first several kings of Dublin were Vikings.

Answer 4

The Viking kings realized Christianity offered a better option for subjugating, dumbing down and controlling their subjects. Isn't that what Christianity is all about? I thought everyone knew that.