Report and pictures from Pat and Bob Ireland

West Lancashire Heritage Association hosted a Viking night to remember at the Langham Hall, Ormskirk Emmanuel Methodist Church.

And with every seat in the house sold, well over 100 people listened to three Viking specialists from the universities of Oxford and Nottingham who updated the audience on the Viking presence in Lancashire and Cheshire.





First to speak, Steven Harding, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Nottingham, gave a very interesting presentation about scientific approaches to Viking studies, encompassing the realms of Physics, Chemistry - his own discipline - and Genetics.

He also referred to the Leicester University Viking DNA project in Wirral and West Lancashire, part two of which - covering North Lancashire, Cumbria and North Yorkshire - is still currently ongoing.

The audience was fascinated to hear how paternal ancestry can be traced back to Viking DNA, and how crucial the testing process of volunteer men has been; in West Lancashire, there have been interesting links through many surnames proven - for instance, Hesketh, Leyland, Rigby, Pennington, Scarisbrick, Sephton, and Swarbrick, to name but a few.



Dr David Griffiths, Reader in Archaeology at Oxford University, spoke about the fascinating history and archaeology of Viking activity in Lancashire and NW England, referring to the various Anglo-Scandinavian finds in Lancashire and Cheshire including Skelmersdale, Lytham St. Annes, Great Mitton, Gisburn and Neston along with the recent outstanding find, the Silverdale Hoard in Warton from September 2011.

Finally, Judith Jesch, Professor of Viking studies, University of Nottingham, spoke on Runes and Runic Inscriptions in the North West; these are the language and the writings of Anglo-Saxons and early Norse people, in use from about 150 AD to 1000 AD. She explained in depth the nature and meaning of Runic language and symbols, both spoken and written. There is little evidence in this locality of remaining Runic inscriptions, but there is no doubt of their importance in the Viking period, when these folk went to great lengths to carve them and it seems that they were very proud of them.

For members of the public who missed this special event, you’ll find more in a number of recent publications, such as "Viking DNA: the Wirral & West Lancashire Project", by Stephen Harding and Mark Jobling, "In Search of the Vikings", edited by Stephen Harding, David Griffiths and Elizabeth Royles, “Wirral and its Viking Heritage" by Judith Jesch, P. Cavill and Stephen Harding.

Said Prof. Harding: “At school many of us used to be told the Vikings were ‘baddies’ which King Alfred the Great help rescue us all from.

“We were told of how the Vikings from Denmark took over large parts of the eastern part of England by military conquest.

“What we didn’t hear about was the silent and more peaceful infusion of Viking peoples from Norway along the Lancashire coast, extending into the Wirral and the Lake District. The huge number of places with Viking origins attests to that great movement. And Viking blood remains in the area today. A recent genetic survey focusing on men possessing old surnames present in West Lancashire and a separate study in Wirral both showed that up to 50% of the DNA in both old West Lancs and neighbouring Wirral is Norse in origin. They left behind their legacy in many ways.

“It was great to be part of the West Lancashire Heritage Association event,” he added.

The event was extensively reviewed on BBC Radio Lancashire by John Gillmore on his afternoon show link: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/-sczstev...16Mar2016.wma; speaking on the show Professor Harding said: “This was a great success and we hope to be able to put on similar events in Lancashire and the North West in the future”.



And can you identify some of the modern forms of the places on this putative map of West Lancashire and Cheshire?

*WLHA's next event is at Hurlston Hall Golf and Country Club, 56 Moorfield Lane, Scarisbrick L40 8JD, on Sunday 24th April. The tickets - including a meal at cost price - are £17 each and the event starts at 12.30 for 1.00 with the well-known radio personality Ken Pye, well known on local radio. Contact Brian on 07713 159887 for further information and tickets.