Stephanie Hahn October 18th, 2015
Western Civilization Research Report
THE VIKINGS The Vikings were a group of hardy people who raided and traded from their Scandinavian homelands across wide areas of northern and central Europe, as well as western parts of Russia, during the late 8th to 11th centuries. These people had created a time period called the Viking Age. They had a bloody history and rough culture that lasted from 789 AD to 1066 A.D. The start of the Viking Age in England began on June 8th 793 A.D, when a group of Viking raiders burnt and plundered an abbey on Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. Theses Vikings sailed across the North Sea, from their clans in Norway. The monastery
…show more content…
All the monks that were present there were slaughtered, taken as slaves or thrown into the sea to drown. The Vikings took all church treasury as well as the livestock that were there. Word was spread to all of England and most of Europe of this bloody pillage. From that day forward, the Vikings were feared. They were called by most, the “Northmen”. A prayer became commonly recited by the monks and Protestants whenever word came that the Northmen were coming. The Latin prayer, A furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine, translates in English ”From the fury of the Northmen deliver us, Lord”. Monasteries and other religious institutions were often left unguarded and built near the shore, a very vulnerable place for incoming raiders. And this was only the beginning of many Viking raids to come. Nearly two years later, Vikings raided the undefended monasteries of Skye and Iona, off the northeast coast of Ireland. For several decades, Vikings executed hit-and-run raids against places such as Northern Ireland, trading centers in Europe and undefended monasteries and villages around the British Isles. The Vikings even tried to raid the kingdom of the West Franks, in Paris, France. In the 860’s, the Vikings attacked Paris 3 times,
When the Vikings reached the New World, they called the native inhabitants (American Indians or Native Americans), “Skræling.” There has been much debate as to what exactly this word or label meant. Some translate it as “skin wearers,” which may be true as to how they described them, being the Norse generally wore woolen or linen clothing and North American Natives generally wore animal skins. But there was one additional thing puzzling about the Norse and the Skræling. The Viking explorers weren't curious or baffled by these new people. As if, they'd come into contact with people like this before and their way of life. 500 years later, when other Europeans had come to the New World (The Americas), they were ultimately curious of these strange new people and their ways that they had never seen before. But not the Norse, the Norse hint that they have come into regular contact with people like this on a fairly regular basis.
Upon first encountering one another, the vikings and the natives of Scotland often experienced violent confrontation. However, through the passage of time they contributed in shaping each other in equal and sometimes opposite measure. There are several hypotheses that describe the details of the first viking-indigenous interactions.1 Out of the many propositions, two theories appear most often. The first asserts that the vikings set up an earldom and thenceforth ruled over the native Scottish population. Sometimes this earldom is portrayed as peaceful, at other times more violent. The second proposition asserts that a genocide took place in which the vikings eliminated and replaced the native people.2 The evidence for either model is contradictory and variably justifiable. The best explanation therefore is a syntheses of both hypotheses. Namely, that both earldom and genocide took place in different circumstances. Bands of viking ships were often federations, and as such individual rulers within the federation must have had some measure of latitude. In some areas viking captains completely exterminated the indigenous people they found. In other instances, the leaders simply subjugated the people they encountered. In areas where the local population were left alive they influenced the Scandinavian settlers in terms of religion and material culture to different degrees. Conversely, the viking presence in Scotland forced the native inhabitants to become more militant and politically united.3 Furthermore, the natives eventually adopted parts of Scandinavian language, material culture, and custom as well.
Iceland and Greenland are located at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and they face each other across the sea. Though Iceland is considered one of the five Nordic countries while Greenland belongs to North America, both of them were once colonies of Vikings and played important roles in Viking age. Viking civilization experienced from prosperity to decline during 8CE to 14CE on these two islands. It is very possible to find out the reasons for Viking’s ups and downs through studying the histories of Iceland and Greenland’s development.
When we hears the term Viking an immediate image of bloodthirsty men with long beards and horned helmets is conjured up in our minds. This is the image the historical sources have given us, and it is partly true. Vikings were merciless when raiding, but they were peaceful when they traded. Their navigational technology was exceptional, and the ones who settled in foreign lands contributed greatly to the lands’ culture.
The blood-thirsty Vikings had such a strong influence and impact on Western Europe that their impact of Viking contact spread throughout the world and lives on today. Three significant ways they affected the world was by the Vikings amazing technology skills of ship building and navigation as well as their polytheism religion.
The Vikings were people that raided many towns and monasteries for silver and other precious items. They mostly raided monasteries because they were the places with the most silver and expensive items. The Vikings were at first mysterious worriers and them became well known. So where did these mysterious warriors come from? They came from a place called Scandinavia. Scandinavia was built up of multiple countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. The word Viking means sea-raiders in scandinavian and they didn’t actually wear horns on their head, their helmet was round.
The Viking era existed from 800 AD to 1200 AD and during 1000 AD Christianity began to have major influence in the Viking culture (Roesdahl 27). A major religion that shaped the Viking culture is Nordic Paganism (Williams). According to Stephen Henkin who wrote an article called the Viking Fury, the Vikings admired and tried to live up to the character traits they saw their gods portraying(Henkin ). Stephen Henkin suggested that character traits the Vikings saw in the Nordic gods are virile qualities: brutality, anger, lust, and humor (Henkin). The Vikings attempted to try to shape their character from the character traits they saw their gods portraying believing that they should try to acquire these characteristics to make their gods happy. Nordic Paganism was polytheistic with the main gods being Odin, Thor and Frey (“The Pagan Library”).
The statement “The Vikings are deserving of their bad reputation” is a deeply inaccurate statement. The bad reputation of being primitive, lawless, bloodthirsty pirates of the dark ages can be challenged by a consideration of the perspectives and motivations of written records such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, as well as archaeological evidence that reveal the Vikings as a technologically developed people whose advanced longboats were used to surpass geographical disadvantage to trade their intricate cultural productions. Furthermore, Viking contributions to British law and linguistics is further evidence that the “heathen Northmen” were multifaceted
How do you know the Vikings thousands of years later? Well armour and weapons right that's because the main reason the Vikings are known today is because of their armour and weapons. Vikings used weapons when fighting,such as swords, knives and spears to attack their enemies in close and far range fighting.Vikings wore armour made of chainmail over their daily clothes, they also wore leather helmets with metal strips down them to protect their face.Viking armour and weapons are why the vikings are important and well known today
Most people think of the Vikings as rude, rough, mean people who simply wanted to destroy and steal everything. But is that really true? Was there a reason behind the Vikings rage and destructive mentality? Their way of life was different from most of the people at the time. But they were very skilled at many things. They had different beliefs and that may have impacted their way of thinking about things compared to other people. As well as the leaders they may have had at different times and where they lived. What happened to the Vikings in the end? If they were so powerful, why didn’t their population last longer? There are many interesting topics on the Vikings; but these are the most important.
Typically, the image of a Viking is a barbaric, bearded man plundering and destroying a neighboring village. This is actually the stereotypical viewpoint. In actuality, Vikings, have a very different image. For example, Vikings did not wear furry boots or furry armor, they did not have horned helmets, they invaded Britain, and they also were the first to discover America! They were also experts in nautical technology, crafts, trading, warfare and many other skills (Jonsson 1). With all of these traits, the Vikings seem like an unstoppable force in the European continent. But, who were the Vikings? The Vikings were actually venturesome seafarers. This means that they were travelers who were constantly exploring and looking for new areas of land. There roots can be traced all the way back to 6000 B.C. were nomadic men traveled in primitive crafts up the Denmark coast. Fast forward two millennia and these nomadic people have established permanent homes, but still using the boat for food and travel. As stated before, they were not just raiders, although they did do this frequently, but they were actually expert traders, trading all around the world. It wasn’t until around 793 A.D. that a Viking explosion took place in northern Europe (Jonsson 2). Raids began to take place on neighboring villages and their places of worship. To some this is the only type of knowledge they have about Vikings. However, their culture was something to be admired. Trading, religion, and everyday life are all important parts of a Viking culture.
The Viking Age, spanning from the late eighth century to the early eleventh century, is often remembered for the Norsemen’s fierce raids and expeditions across Europe. Their powerful weapons, which were not only tools of war but also crucial components in shaping their military strategies, had been an integral part of their reputation. Their warfare tactics, which contributed to their success in raids and battles, were significantly affected by the design and use of Vikings' weaponry. By leveraging the strengths of their weaponry and employing complex battle formations, the Vikings excelled in defeating enemy armies and securing their dominance across vast territories. The Vikings’ intricate and advanced weaponry played a very important role in Viking raids and
In most cases, the Norse Viking Age is recorded to have officially began in 793 AD with the first recorded raid through to 1066 AD, ending with the Battle of Hastings. However, these dates vary upon scholars. The Battle of Hastings wasn't exactly the end of the Viking Age, because the Norse were spread out across Europe and Viking raids continued to take place in other locations. With that said, dating the conclusion of the Viking Age is fairly generic because Viking raids were sporadic in many locations and when one area was under control, another area was being raided. Additionally, because Viking raiders weren't unified efforts and most Norsemen tended to 'vikingr' (raid) at their own whim. This places the conclusion of the Viking Age at approximately the beginning of the 12th Century-ish. This is also about the time when Norse and other Kingdoms were becoming increasingly solidified and more able to repel Viking incursions. This was also around the time when the Christianization of Northern Europe and Norse dominated lands began to take a firmer hold. So dating the exact end of the Viking Age is vague at best.
In the earliest years of the Vikings, there was little history recorded due to the polytheistic views that they followed. After the Vikings converted to Christianity, there were eventually written documents created pertaining to their existence. In Viking Warfare, I.P. Stephenson states that the Vikings “first described attack took place in AD 789”(11). The Vikings were also known as Norsemen. They were great storytellers, and that is perhaps how society knows so much about them today. The stories that the Norsemen told were called Sagas. Today, Vikings are often depicted as murderous savages, but while they were not pillaging villages they were actually quite a peaceful civilization. There were three countries that Vikings evolved from; Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Although it may seem that all Vikings were on the same side, they quarreled with each other as well. Despite the fact that Viking battles were bloody and gruesome they were also known to be the most hygienic out of many of the earlier civilizations. There was not a huge percentage of Vikings that went out and raided but when they did they made a huge impact on what Vikings are now known for. The success of Viking warfare and raids relied primarily on the uses of armor, weapons, long ships, and battle tactics.
There are many stories about people who get lost in forests and after years are found again seeming completely different than they were before. In a forest, one is separated from civilization and is dragged into the way of nature. Through this, restrictions that are usually placed on people are unbound and cause their true natures to appear whether it is good or bad. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the wilderness plays a huge role in affecting the people who live there. It has its own rules and affects the people whether it is to succumb into madness or live in harmony with it.