Why did the Vikings stop raiding?

                          
The answer is hard to define not just because there no Vikings nowadays but also because they have ``disappeared´´ such a long time ago, but we can explain that changes took place in European societies that made raiding less profitable and desirable for the Vikings. Changes occurred not only in the Norse societies, but also throughout Europe where the raids took place.

Regarding to them, The Viking homelands were divided into separate kingdoms, led by rival kings, these new kingdoms became independent with leaders of their own.

On the other hand, by the end of the Viking age by AD 1100 , most European lands had strong central authorities, including trained, standing armies capable of mounting effective defenses against Viking attacks. Generally, the Vikings were not trained, organized troops. The violent attacks from the Vikings were ineffective against trained, professional soldiers supported by the king.

Another change that occurred as a result of the Viking attacks was that some of the more desirable targets were fortified or modified, making them less susceptible to Viking raids. Monasteries built easily defendable towers, where valuables and people could be moved quickly in the event of a raid. Some monasteries were moved inland, away from the reach of the Vikings´ raids.

On the other hand the Christian church arrived in the Viking lands at the end of the Viking age and they became Christians. Then, in my opinion this could be another important reason to the Vikings to stop raiding or at least to stop plundering monasteries, we have to remember that they loved to plunder monasteries because they had a lot of silver inside.

We could say that the Viking age ended when the raids stopped. The year 1066 is frequently used as a convenient marker for the end of the Viking age.  If you remember and read my articles, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian king Haraldr harðráði was repulsed and killed when he attempted to invade England. It was the last major Viking incursion into Europe as we said in the previous publication.

My conclusion to the question of the title is that the raids slowed down and stopped because the times changed. It was no longer profitable or desirable to raid. In no way the Vikings weren't conquered ever.  Did the Vikings disappeared then? No, actually they just were setting up and became, not Vikings, but Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Icelanders, Greenlanders or whatever depending on where they set up although mostly these places were where they set up.