Æthelwulf of Wessex
The first monastery to be raided was in 793 at Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast; the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" described the Vikings as "heathen men". Monasteries and minster churches were popular targets as they were wealthy and had valuable, portable objects. The "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" for the year 840 says that Æthelwulf of Wessex was defeated at Carhampton, Somerset, after 35 Viking ships had landed in the area. The Annals of St. Bertin also reported the incident, stating: