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The Tenth Century
Conversion to Christianity
The Vikings of the 9th century were pagans, with a pantheon of gods, many local spirits, and lots of variation from one area to another. Because the Vikings were in fact many separate peoples, their conversion to Christianity was uneven, occurring at different places at different times and by different means.
Vikings were polytheistic, and like many such peoples, the god of the Christians was simply one more god to pray to or honor. An example is one Helgi, mentioned in a Viking saga, who believed in Christ but who also invoked Thor in matters of seafaring. Pagan Viking kings allowed missionaries within their borders and even into their courts, without themselves feeling the least inclined to become Christians themselves.
The earliest missions came in the early 9th century, in Denmark, but these made little progress, until King Harald Bluetooth converted in 960. His grandson was Cnut, who conquered England and who was a devout Christian. Norway took a slightly different route. It had Christian kings in the early 900s, but its people remained pagan. The country did not become generally Christian until around 1000. King Olaf, who was later sainted, more or less imposed Christianity on his people by force.
The Swedes were the last to convert, even though a Christian church was built there as early as 829. By the 11th century, with Denmark and Norway both Christian, and with the Germans expanding along the southern shore of the Baltic Sea, more and more pressure was brought to bear on the Swedish pagans. Rather than a sudden conversion as in Denmark, or the imposition of the faith from the top down, as in Norway, the Swedish people converted only very gradually, and it was not until well into the 12th century that there were no more kings or great nobles who rejected Christ and worshipped the old gods.
In reading of Viking attacks, therefore, you cannot always assume that the invaders were pagan. They might have been resolute pagans, enthusiastic Christians, or some indifferent mix of the two.