'Vicious' Vikings eventually evolved to live in harmony with natives

London, Mar 13 (ANI): Researchers have revealed the gentle side of Viking warriors, insisting that the Scandinavian invaders - known for raiding and colonizing Britain in the 11th century - were model immigrants who formed harmonious relationships with the natives.

From the time they ransacked a priory at Lindisfarne in 793, the Vikings have had a bad press. They have also been stereotyped as marauding barbarians arriving in their helmeted hordes to pillage their way across Britain.

However, new evidence suggests that following their violent arrival, the Vikings lived in relative harmony with their Anglo-Saxon and Celtic counterparts.ambridge University researchers believe they swapped technology with forefathers and enriched their culture.

"Most people's image of the Vikings centres on their arrival and disruption but that only continued for a very short period of time. Afterwards they started building settlements and interacting with the locals and became assimilated into their culture and influenced them in many ways," The Telegraph quoted Dr M ire N¡ Mhaonaigh, a senior lecturer, as saying.

"As such they provide a clear example of how a particular group came into a sophisticated established society and the resulting interaction was positive.

"Both societies profited and modern day people can take a lesson from this that two cultures coming together can learn from each other," the expert added.

The 'Between the Islands' conference has been organised by Cambridge University's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic studies. (ANI)