Danelaw

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/danelaw

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the legal system?Characterized by the application of Danish laws and customs in settled territories
2. What is the linguistic fusion?Contributed to the emergence of Anglo-Norse dialects, influencing the English language
3. Why did the Vikings start living in England instead of just raiding?After 865, the Vikings began to stay, farm, and make their own laws, turning from raiders into settlers.
4. How did the Treaty of Wedmore help the Danes and the Anglo-Saxons?The treaty drew a border between Wessex and Danish lands, letting the Danes govern themselves while still being loyal to the English king.

Great Heathen Army: The large Danish Viking force that invaded England starting in 865, leading to widespread settlement.
Treaty of Wedmore: A pivotal 878 agreement defining territorial boundaries and legal arrangements between Alfred the Great and Guthrum.
Anglo-Norse: Pertaining to the blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norse (Danish) cultures and languages.