The conference, entitled "Between the Islands", was organized by the University's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic and its Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) and had more than 20 cutting-edge studies which reveal how the Vikings shared technology, swapped ideas and often lived side-by-side in relative harmony with their Anglo-Saxon and Celtic contemporaries.
"The latest evidence does not point to a simple opposition between 'Vikings' and 'natives'," Dr Fiona Edmonds, from the University of Cambridge's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, said.
"Oh yes, you will fill out this immigration form!"
"Within a relatively short space of time - and with lasting effect - the various cultures in Britain and Ireland started to intermingle. Investigating that process provides us with a historical model of how political groups can be absorbed into complex societies, contributing much to those societies in the process. There are important lessons that can be gained from this about cultural assimilation in the modern era."
Drawing on a combination of new archaeological evidence, historical studies, and analysis of the language, literature and coinage of the period, it aims to illustrate how between the 9th and 13th centuries, the Vikings became an integral part of the fabric of social and political life which changed Britain and Ireland far more profoundly than is often realised.
The evidence shows that there was widespread cultural hybridisation, with culturally-mixed groups of Vikings and Celts or Anglo-Saxons engaged in ongoing and fruitful cultural exchanges. Papers being presented at the conference will cover topics including:
• Research into Scandinavian settlement in Ireland showing it to have been much more varied than was once thought. Interaction between Viking incomers and Celts can be detected in many towns and rural camps.
• An examination of evidence for Scandinavian settlement in North-West England including archaeological remains (such as furnished burials) which point to early Viking settlements on the Cumbrian coast.
• A new analysis of personal names in the Domesday Book which suggests that settlements established in Yorkshire, on the path used by travellers voyaging between Viking Dublin and Viking York, retained their Gaelic-Scandinavian identity until the Norman Conquest.
• Investigations into Irish nautical activity indicating that it experienced a flowering in the tenth century perhaps in response to Viking prowess in this area. The key product of this development is "Skuldelev 2", an impressive Viking long-ship built in Dublin in 1042.
• Recent studies of regional coinage from the period, which show that Viking rulers developed economies influenced by cultures they encountered on arrival. In East Anglia, for example, (where there had been a well-regulated coin economy), they adopted a similar system, but in other areas, where there had been only limited coin circulation, they introduced a bullion economy instead.
• Evidence that those responsible for Ogam and runic inscriptions may have mutually influenced one another, as indicated by such monuments as stone crosses at Kilalloe (Co. Clare, Ireland) and Kirk Michael (Isle of Man).
• Analysis of Old Norse literary works which shows that some of their features may have been borrowed from Gaelic story-telling.
"There have been significant advances in our understanding of the impact that the Vikings had on Britain and Ireland in the early medieval period, and this conference shows that the three worlds were inexorably intertwined for hundreds of years," Dr Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, who is co-organising the conference, said.
"We know that the Vikings were part of a much wider process of cultural cross-fertlisation that changed Britain and Ireland forever. This information changes the way we understand the early history of our own islands."
Further details about "Between the Islands: Interaction with Vikings in Ireland and Britain in the Early Medieval Period", including a full programme and abstracts of all papers, can be found at: http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/567/
The Doomsday book was mentioned above. Many of the personal and place-names in it still exist.
My own family name most probably originates in the Viking.
In history since WW2 there are many examples of forced name changes. The Gold Coast became Ghana, Ceylon became Sri lanka, etc. Some black americans threw off what they saw as slave names and adopted names of their own choice. Peoples of all lands are naturally resentful of imposed names.
In the UK there are very many place-names which still retain their Viking origins. Perhaps the most striking place-name is Hammersmith in London. Hammer smyter! What a strong Viking image.
The most common English-language family name in the world is, I am fairly confident: Smith. I have not personally gone into this one in any depth, but I am confident that it derives from the Norse smyte - smite.
My point is that, given the human tendency to throw off imposed names, it follows that the retention of so many Nordic names in the UK and in the English-language personal names would indicate, as does this news report, a degree of cooperation between cultures. I would go further. Just as the UK has been a haven for refugees at various points in its history, so the average citizen has welcomed the newcomers, absorbing parts of their culture and making those parts their own.
The absorption into the English language of so many foreign terms is so complete that most users are entirely unaware of those words' origins. Atheists use words straight from the Writings of believers, and believers use terms derived from atheists and extinct forms of paganism.
All languages adopt foreign terms, but I doubt there is any more whole-hearted adopter than the English language. It has multiple words for almost the same thing. The astute reader will have noted that I have freely intermingled the terms 'Viking', 'Norse' and 'Nordic'. This is known in scientific circles as hedging.
To the writer/s of this news item: thank you for the inspiration, and for the links.