After publishing on my page such posts as RUNES , Freya - Goddess of love and Valkyries , it is logical for me to speak today about Vikings.
When most people think of Vikings, they immediately picture muscular men, dressed in furs, wearing iron helmets with horns (there is no evidence that the Norse ever wore them. Norsemen in both artwork from the time period, and burials wore nasal helm - a slightly conical helmet with a nose guard), sailing over oceans in dragon themed wooden boats, looking for new land to raid, and slaughter every single inhabitant. Most think of them as fearless in fight, bloodthirsty vandals. As far as fighters go, very few people had the raw power a Viking had and here is why. Most people in the time where between 5' and 5'4" for the men, people where small. Vikings on the other hand easily topped 6' and up and where massive fighters.
While elements of this popular vision are indeed correct, their culture and way of life is far less barbaric than most would think.
The name 'Viking' comes from a language which is called 'Old Norse'. It means 'a pirate raid'. Lets start this one by saying they are "Northmen" not Vikings. You go a Viking, you aren't a Viking.
Who were the Vikings?
The Viking people came from three countries of Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They were also known as the Norse people.
Many Vikings were great travellers and sailed all over Europe and the north Atlantic Ocean in their longships. Some went as fierce pirate raiders: they stole treasure and attacked local people. But most Vikings who sailed overseas were simply searching for better land for their farms.
The Viking Age began about 1,200 years ago in the 8th Century AD and lasted for 300 years.
The Vikings were brilliant ship builders. Their ships were strong, lightweight and beautifully shaped to skim quickly through the water. Warships and raiding ships were designed to come right up on the beach so that men could jump out and start fighting straight away.
Viking sailors found their way by the sun, the stars, the direction of the wind, and by looking for familiar landmarks. Not strong on deep water but they knew the coast lines like the back of thier hands. All the coastlines.
Men worked on farms, or as craftsmen or traders. They handled boats for fishing or travelling. Sometimes a man had to fight to protect his family or to support his king or local chieftain.
Most Viking countries were ruled by kings. Earls and chieftains were also powerful: some had their own armies and warships. Most farmers and craftmen were ordinary freeman. There were also many slaves.
An interesting Viking tradition was the "althing", a yearly at least gathering of wealthy and humble landowners.A well regarded individual served as moderator in the discussions. Contracts were made, land transfered, armed forces appropriated, lawsuits and other disputes brought forward and settled, local laws voted on, taxes assesed and collected. This form of representative gathering was carried over to England when Danish and Norwegian vikings colonized a considerable chunk of eastern England called the"Danelaw". It served as the model for town meetings and later Parlament.
The allthing was not all buisiness. People came from all over to visit the distant friends and trade.The party went on for several days and was very much looked forward too by all people.
The Vikings traded all over Europe, as far east as Central Asia. They bought goods and materials such as silver, silk, spices, wine, jewellery, glass and pottery. In return, they sold items such as honey, tin, wheat, wool, wood, iron, fur, leather, fish and walrus ivory. Everywhere they went the Vikings bought and sold slaves. But it was usual for all lands that time.
They paid for their goods using silver coins, or pieces of silver or jewellery.
The Vikings were brave sailors and explorers. They thought nothing of taking their families on long, dangerous journeys across the sea. They discovered and settled in several remote countries that lay to the west of Britain in the north Atlantic Ocean: the Faeroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.
It's sometimes assumed that the naming of the country Greenland derives from a time when it was a green land free of ice. In fact, the naming of the land was a piece of Viking propaganda designed to attract new settlers.
The Norwegian Eirik Raude, better known as 'Eric the Red' had been exiled from his native country because of his murderous ways, after taking up residence in Iceland he was again exiled for the same reasons. Setting sail in 982 he 'discovered' Greenland and after rounding the southern ice pack he landed and established a settlement. Three years later, when his period of exile had expired, he returned to Iceland in search of a population for his new settlement.
To entice people he told them of green lands and a warmer climate, he christened the new land Greenland because "people would be attracted to go there if it had a favourable name". The plan worked and Erik returned to Greenland with the intrepid emigrants.
Alas, they were to be disappointed, their new home failed to live up to Erik's promises and instead of a lush green land they found a barren wilderness of ice where crops could only be grown in two locations and at certain times of the year when the ice melted. They has become the victims of Viking propaganda.
Whilst it's true that there were indeed settlements and farming on Greenland it's also true that they were not successful and had to be abandonned.
A Viking man called Bjarni Herjolfsson discovered America by accident in the year 985, when his ship was blown off course on the way to Greenland. A few years later, in 1001, Leif Eriksson 'the Lucky' sailed there to take a proper look at it. He was the first European to land in America.
In Mongolia there is a burial site with two viking longboats and the people in that area show signs of viking ancestors.
The vikings weren't trying to wipe out any religions, or beliefs. They were pagans and accepted that other people had different beliefs. They just needed resources that thier homes couldn't provide, and later needed room to expand.
And, of course, they were not illeterate people, how many think, but had their writing: Runes.
But I about Runes you already read in one of my posts and I plan some continuation in the future.
