It must have been difficult for the poor monks and the people of Northumbria to comprehend exactly what had hit them. Although having said that, its also a little ironic, too. After all, "Beowulf" was (probably) produced in Northumbria , and it looks back to a vital, dramatic even heroic age in the peoples of Denmark and Sweden. The Norse who attacked Lindisfarne, and took part in the increasing viking activity were actually, it could be claimed, still living in this age.

Moving forward - and returning to the idea of the vikings as a scourge of God used to punish a wicked people, this was actually a view implicit in Wulfstan's "Sermo Lupi ad Anglos" ( Sermon of the Wolf to the English ). - This was provoked by the viking activity which began with Maldon - after which the first Danegeld was levied, and eventually led to the death of Aethelraed, and the brief creation of Cnut's Empire.