Final answer:
The monasteries were enticing for Viking raids due to their wealth and strategic locations. They were repositories of significant resources, knowledge, and valuable items, making them rich targets. Plus, their isolated locations and lack of defense made them easy targets. Also, they provided existing infrastructure for Viking's expanding settlements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The monasteries were attractive targets for the Vikings due to several reasons. Firstly, monasteries were often richly endowed with resources due to their role in the community; they served as centers of learning, administration and communication and were, therefore, often given rich donations by the local people. Monastic communities also played a crucial role in preserving knowledge in the post-Roman world, including valuable books and manuscripts, which provided more wealth for the looting Vikings.
Secondly, monasteries were typically built in remote locations, often detached from the larger communities. This made them relatively vulnerable and easy targets for raids. In some cases, monasteries like Kellia in the Egyptian desert and many religious outposts throughout Europe were founded in harsh or remote regions, where monks and nuns devoted themselves to ascetic practices distant from populated areas. These spots often lacked extensive defensive capabilities, making them particularly tempting for Viking raiders.
Moreover, with increasing political centralization and the development of more organized kingdoms in Scandinavia, Vikings began moving beyond simple raiding to colonization. This shift prompted them to eye the monasteries as they provided an existing infrastructure for settlements, aiding them in exploration and trade expansion.
Learn more about Viking Raids