Negative Effects Of The Barbarians Of Vikings

When thinking of the term “Vikings,” what comes to mind? Ruthless, savage, barbaric, all relatively common answers to think of. Yet, what makes these people different enough to have negative terms describe them? Similar to the Germanics who lived in the region of Germania, both groups were considered barbarians for their violent fighting. Hailing from the region Scandinavia, the countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Vikings came from foreign lands that Europe had no knowledge of. The barbarians’ presence in the British Isles and western Europe brought about terror and fear across small towns that were vulnerable to attacks. There was a lasting impact on Europe due to the Vikings’ brutal, indiscriminate way of fighting for at least three centuries.

The Vikings unconventional strategies and unorthodox ways of attacking were key in succeeding with victories across Europe.
In A.D.

793, the Vikings revealed their true strength during the attack of Lindisfarne monastery, located in northeastern England. The monks and small force of soldiers were overwhelmed by the sheer power of the mysterious invaders. Marking the beginning of the Viking Age, the ferocious attack shook the religious world, striking fear into the hearts of Europeans across the continent. While the Europeans cowered in fear in the presence of the Vikings, they never expected them to have a religion.

The Vikings were dressed like “wild men” to the Europeans, so the assumption was they were too stupid to have a religion. The Europeans could have asked themselves, “How on earth could people like this be intelligent enough to have their own religion?” In reality, the Vikings did have their own Norse Religion that included the many gods they

worshipped.
Unlike the Europeans who had a monotheistic religion, the Vikings were pagans, people who worshipped many gods which is called a polytheistic religion. According to accounts, the Vikings had altars as worship out in the open world of nature. Furthermore, when the Vikings did attack the monastery in northeastern England, they had no knowledge of holy temples Christians built because in their own religion, there was rarely or never temples built to honor the gods. Temples were foreign to them and because of the clashing difference in religion, this leads the Vikings to have no respect for religious institutions. What Europeans didn’t understand was how the barbarians were able to surprise attack them and manage to escape with the riches in tow. In the first raid of Lindisfarne, it is recollected that the Vikings brutally murdered most of the civilians and monks that resided in the area or tried to protect the holy temple. Compared to Europeans, Vikings had a different strategy to make their raids successful.
Hit-and-run raids were a successful tactic for Vikings due to the surprise aspect.

The Vikings confined themselves to using this tactic to attack coastal areas of the British Isles. As explained in the name of the strategy, they would sail ashore and immediately attack the town or village that had no prior knowledge of the attack. There would be no warning and the Vikings would plunder the town of its treasures and anyone in their path was murdered. Their fighting style was close quarter and battled with heavy axes which, when combined with rapid attacks, made for a fearsome reputation across Europe. They would rely on quick attacks and their home made style of clothing made it easier for them to make brutal kills compared to the Europeans who wore heavy sets of armor that proved as a weakness due to slower

speed.
Due to the frequency of attacks on coastal towns, the Vikings were the reason technology began to advance with the construction of fortifying walls to block the invaders from accessing towns. The updated defenses deterred the invaders from advancing further, but this did not stop the Vikings from terrifying the continent.
As the Vikings began to advance through the British Isles and Europe, rulers were fearful of them and their reputation as fighters. To combat the trail of gruesome murders and riches being stolen, rulers began to pay them in exchange for their town and subjects from being attacked. These were irresistible targets for the Vikings who were able to exercise their power and terror to receive money from rulers who were frightened. Because of this, the Vikings had an easier conquest of lands because of the fighting across the continent, making it difficult for Europeans to determine who will be attacked next.
During the Viking Age, the Vikings took advantage of internal conflicts to conquer the British Isles, Europe, and beyond the continent. The conflicts made it easy to infiltrate monasteries that were poorly guarded or towns without notice to their presence. Many of the people created settlements in present-day England and Ireland. This led to the discovery of Iceland and Greenland, founded by Leif Erikson. If the name sounds familiar, most kids who grew up with the television show, SpongeBob SquarePants, have probably heard the sponge mention this as his favorite holiday that celebrates when Erikson stepped foot on North American soil.
It is speculated that the Vikings were the first to settle in North America, led by Erikson, who discovered and explored the landing area. They settled in a place called Vinland which is now modern-day Newfoundland. Because of little evidence, it is not concrete as to who discovered North America first, but Leif Erikson is considered a hero to many of the Vikings. Stories of Erikson are told to this day of the many adventures he went upon.
Many of the settlements that the Vikings conquered were and still named after them. An example is the town of Normandy in France which means “land of the Northmen.” As the Vikings expanded their exploration and settlements, all things must come to an end.
Europe’s influence initiated the conversion to Christianity and the Norse religion was eventually dominated by Christianity. Through raids, settlements and trading, many of the Vikings came into contact with Christianity and it was adopted fairly quickly. Almost the entirety of Vikings and the people were Pagan before converting to Christianity which was established particularly well in Denmark. The slaves that the Vikings had taken from surviving their raids aided in the conversion of them. Vikings who took the native women from the settlements usually married, resulting in children being raised in a Christian household with a church with the religion. Most of the Viking’s old ways had eventually disappeared at the end of the 11th century, signaling an end to the Viking age.
The terrorizing presence that lingered in Europe for three centuries ended after the Christianization of Vikings. Europe’s influence in the modern day countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are still felt today where most, if not, all people are Christian. The pagan sites that once roamed the lands in the north have disappeared and replaced with Christian churches, but now, people are beginning to revive paganism in the form of altars set up in nature. Paganism has not died out entirely and it won’t due to human nature which pushes people to find their true self and beliefs as they grow up. Even though the Vikings have disappeared, their impact on Europe for three centuries with successful, but unorthodox fighting has left a permanent mark.