The Vikings
The Vikings first came to the Isle of Man in about 800AD and held sway for over four and a half centuries; their influence is everywhere to be seen. Most famously, they established the Island's parliament
Tynwald, which is the oldest continuous parliament in Europe. They also gave the Island many of its place-names: Norse place names include the use of fell (mountain), rick/wick (cove or bay), howe (hill) and ayre (gravel beach). There are a number of carved stone crosses around the Island attributed to the Vikings; many combine motifs of Celtic Christianity with scenes from Norse mythology and religion, perfectly expressing the confluence of two cultures. The Island has a number of Viking burial sites, which are particularly concentrated in the north. The earliest parts of
Peel Castle date back to Viking times and in 1984, there was a particularly notable excavation which unearthed the 10th Century 'Pagan Lady' and her necklace: these and the finds from many more archaeological digs, plus a wealth of information about the Vikings' legacy, can be found in the Manx Museum in Douglas.