Vikings in the west of al-Andalus. Some topics surrounding the impact of their arrival at the coast near the Tagus

ABSTRACT

The goal of this article is to analyze the Vikings' arrival at the coast of the Tagus, highlighting the impacts of the sailings in the period from the VII to the IX century A.D. To interpret such episode, textual and archeological sources will be used, as well as the construction of a contextualization regarding the addressed period. It will be possible to observe that the Vikings' or the Normans' arrival is a key moment for the history of the region around Lisbon. From a forgotten and lateral region, in the perspective of the established powers in Cordoba, the coast of Gharb al-Andalus, the future central Portuguese coast, will undergo a phase of surprise, of attacks, but also, of renovations and of new challenges.

Keywords:
Vikings; Tagus river; Portugal; Sailings.