Dark Ages

During this period Europe was ravaged by barbarians like the Goths, the Vandals and the Huns, who swept down from the east and north. They destroyed many of the better things that had existed under the Romans. When they finally settled down, little was left of the civilization which they had plundered.

The Church invented the monastery as a refuge to preserve something of the Christian life and culture that there had been under the later Roman Empire. Reading and writing continued in the monasteries: in them some of the old authors' books were saved, studied and copied.

When the churches and monasteries were destroyed in one area, enough survived elsewhere for missionaries to return to a fresh start after the worst was past. In the simple cells of the Irish monks, Greek was still taught after it had been lost over much of Europe.

Facts about Viking longships	Facts about Viking longships: Nave Vichinga

Facts about Viking longships: Viking longships were naval ships made and used by the Vikings for commerce, trade, exploration, and other during the Dark Ages. The Viking longship were under construction between the ninth and thirteenth centuries. The Viking longship is characterized as a long, graceful, light, narrow, wooden ship with a big speed. More information about facts of Viking longships you can read here

Facts about Viking longships: A picture of the longships in which the Vikings sailed on their raids

A page from a beautifully illuminated (decorated) Benedictional of the Dark Ages. Through books such as this, the Church strove to preserve Christian civilization, while Barbarians ravaged Europe.