He Origin of the Vikings Is located in the Nordic maritime towns of Scandinavia, famous for their assaults on Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries.
They were characterized by their skill as navigators, extending their trips even to the littoral of the Mediterranean, Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. Its expansion also achieved the dissemination of the Nordic culture in those distant places.
Etymology of the term
It is believed that the term"viking"comes from the Nordic word"vik"meaning"small bay, cove or entrance". Another theory indicates that it can simply be the gentilicio of the Norwegian district of Viken (Vikin), so they would simply be"Vikin originators".
However, this theory was rejected since in ancient texts, those who belonged to that town were called"vikverir, people of Vik"
It is also thought that the Viking name derives from the term vikingr, the word for"pirate"in old Scandinavian language.
The inscription Runic Of the term indicates that a Viking was a man who left his native land to obtain fortune and adventures and to return with new riches and fame. The word exists as a noun:"vikingr": an individual who travels on adventures; And also as verb"víking": to travel or to participate in those adventures.
The Germans called them"men of ash", by the solid wood of that tree with which they constructed their boats. The Franks called them"men of the north"or"Danes"and so did the English.
The Vikings are classified as Anglo-Scandinavians, a term used in the archaeological and historical sense for the period between the VIII and XIII centuries (years 800-1066).
During that time, the Scandinavian peoples were the ones who moved and occupied the occupation of what are now the British Isles.
It was the Vikings'
The era of the Vikings begins in about year 790, when they began to make their navigation routes through the Sea of Norway and the Baltic Sea towards the south.
Due to its extensive expeditions, only the Scandinavian territory, which currently corresponds to Denmark, Norway and Sweden, can be assigned to the Vikings, but also many places in Great Britain.
They managed to dominate politically a great amount of territories, including between Iceland and Greenland and the Shetland Islands, Orkneys and Faroes, located between Great Britain and the southwestern coasts of Norway.
In history it is documented that they came to the Byzantine Empire, where they served as mercenaries at their service. An order of imperial bodyguards was also formed by Scandinavian men, who were known as the Varega Guard.
The Scandinavian soldiers were reliable because they maintained the Viking tradition of absolute fidelity, to the death if necessary. They served as personal guard to the emperor and his main weapon was the double-edged ax.
In addition to this, there are historical data on the arrival of the Vikings to Baghdad, the center of Islamic empire.
It is also said that they sailed the waters of the Volga River to market their products. Among them, seal grease to seal the boats and waterproof them against water, furs, fangs and slaves.
The Vikings expanded their lands to the north and west. The Norwegians arrived in Scotland, Iceland, Ireland and Greenland and the Danes to England and France.
The Swedes came to the east and founded the Rus of Kiev , Which unified all the modern states of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. A territory that stretched from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.
During the time of the Vikings the nations of Sweden, Norway and Denmark did not exist, and their only separation was the geographical limits. That is why the Vikings formed a single single and great culture, very similar in language and customs
At the end of the period of Viking conquest and expansion, these countries acquired their own identities through the process of Christianization. Therefore, it is thought that the end of the Vikings era would be one of the earliest signs of the beginning of the Middle Ages.
Expansion and invasion of the Vikings
The Vikings sailed in their fabulous barcoluengos. These were boats built of solid wood, with capacity for rowers and crew and a single square sail that gave them great maneuverability, speed and efficiency.
They became navigators on the coasts of the North Atlantic, reaching as far east as Russia, North Africa, the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Constantinople) and the Middle East. Some even arrived in North America, establishing themselves in what is now Canada, during the Middle Ages.
The Vikings were famous for their assaults and pillaging, but also for their trade alliances and for working as mercenaries if they were requested.
In their culture, it was popular to return to their homeland with the riches they had achieved, but later they began to settle in the places they visited or conquered.
However, its expansion into continental Europe was limited. This is due to the strong kingdoms that inhabited the area, as the Saxons, located in what currently corresponds to northern Germany.
The Saxons were a combative people who used to enter into conflict with the Vikings. However, the Vikings managed to establish their presence in the Baltic Sea. It is said that there were several reasons for them to decide to start a campaign of expansion of their culture around the world.
One possible explanation is the coming of the reign of Charlemagne in Europe, who terrorized all pagan peoples with conversion to Christianity or execution. The Vikings would have decided to carry out a resistance and thus protect themselves from Charlemagne.
Another explanation is that they wanted to take advantage of the moment of weakness of some regions. The Vikings took advantage of gaps and divisions to attack and plunder the coastal cities.
Countries that did not have an organized maritime fleet, made it easier for the Vikings to take control of most navigable routes, whether by assault or commercialization.
The level of invasions and assaults that the Vikings carried out in Europe had no other historical precedent until the moment. It was the only known town, at that time, able to carry out this type of campaign and get to enter the regions.
Even in the eleventh century, the king of Denmark became King of England. Other invasions also led them to settle in northern France.
During the ninth century they also sought to occupy Ireland, reaching a slight advantage in the tenth century, but never quite attained by the fierce resistance of the Irish.
The Vikings, men and women, sailed and traveled through Europe and other more distant territories. They dispersed their influence and carried customs and traditions from as far away as the Byzantine Empire to Scandinavia, their homeland, achieving an interesting mixture of cultures.
Culture of the Vikings
The legacy of the Vikings comes to this day. Despite not being a literate people, they created an alphabet - the runes - with which they described their world and their customs.
Some of his words were acquired by the English language and are used today. "Leather","knife","husband","hell"("leather","knife","husband","hell") are some of the examples. The English word for Thursday"thursday", is a Nordic term in honor of the god Thor that means"Thor's Day", that is to say, the day consecrated to Thor, God of Thunder.
At the end of their golden age, certain writings began to appear in Latin or Old Norwegian, which give us more details of their interesting way of life. Their traditions were known by skalds, a sort of Scandinavian bard that recited epic poems - known as sagas - counting the adventures of kings and lords vikingos.
The Vikings were Pagan And worshiped a vast pantheon of gods and goddesses, who, like most ancient cultures, represented some aspect of the real world.
While Scandinavia received Christian influence like the rest of Europe, its influence was slower and its original religion was held longer. It should be noted that the Vikings personalized their beliefs from one place to another, adapting them to the realities of each locality.
The central pillar of his religion was based on two groups of gods. The Vanir and Aesir, who for a time went to war but finally could reach an agreement through a hostage exchange.
The main gods are the Aesir, who with Odin, the father of all the gods, lived in Asgard, a divine kingdom that was connected to the earth, called Midgard. The connection was established through a bridge in the shape of a rainbow known as Biffrost.
Next to Odín, the main gods were Thor, the god of thunder and Frejya, goddess of beauty and fertility and queen of the Valkyries.
In Viking religion there is also a great deal of mythology and giants, dwarves and dark elves are mentioned.
The Valkyries, for their part, were also important within the pantheon of gods. They are female deities who serve Odin to seek the most heroic warriors who died in battle and take them to Valhalla, a huge hall in Asgard compared to paradise.
There, fallen soldiers became einherjer. That is, warrior spirits who would fight with Odin in Ragnarok, the great battle of the end of the world that would occur in the sunset of the gods.
In Viking society, only men could be warriors and also those who had the greatest political and economic power.
When a powerful or rich Viking died, his body had to be burned according to a ritual, which included a boat to leave most of his possessions. Even slaves and pets were sacrificed and buried or burned along with the Viking.
It is controversial whether or not they performed human sacrifices. If so, they were volunteers among their slaves at the time of their master's death, as it is written in different documents.
Military Practices and Vikings Technology
The Vikings were known to be great military strategists and conquerors with their spectacular ships called barcoluengos, that had capacity for 40 or 60 men.
The ships of the Vikings were of a unique design. Some of them, like the Gokstad, were also used for the funeral ritual. The Gokstad was 23.3 meters long and 5.25 meters wide. The advantage and characteristic of this ship was its elasticity and lightness, being much more maneuverable than another rigid boat.
Their activities of plunder and robbery were feared by all peoples. Above all, by the techniques of torture practiced by his enemies. One of the most famous is the"Eagle of Blood", where the enemy's chest was cut off and their ribs were extracted along with their lungs forming a kind of winged angel.
These tortures symbolized a gift to the gods and to Odin. Thus, as a sample of the victory obtained.
In addition, there was an important loyalty between the warriors and their lords, with whom they committed themselves to death. However, many Vikings, being war professionals, worked as mercenaries for different masters.
In time of peace, the warriors of a gentleman were in charge of being messengers, forming embassies, charging taxes and other activities. In war, they were the heart of the army and the Lord could ask them for help as ships and crew if he had the need to enter into conflict.
For their part, the warriors received a pointed helmet. They also wore a spear and armor, as well as bows and arrows.
There was no formal structure in the army, only some warriors younger than others and a more mature warrior in charge of the ship's crew. It was thought that the bearer of the ship's banner was fortunate because his position gave him magical properties.
The army was a mixture of loyal warriors, who served with great honor the other members and also the king, and mercenaries.
As you might note, an interesting characteristic of the Vikings is that their interest was not to destroy their enemies, but to obtain their wealth. It is for this reason that the great majority of their targets were monasteries, with no presence of guards and were easier to plunder.
References
- History of the Vikings. History World. Retrieved from historyworld.net.
- What does the Viking mean? Retrieved from hurstwic.org.
- Overview: The Vikings, 800 to 1066. History. Retrieved from bbc.co.uk.
- How the vikings worked. Culture. Retrieved from history.howstuffworks.com.
- Viking Military Organization. Retrieved from regia.org.
- Alfred the Great and Æthelred II 'the Unready': the Viking Wars in England, c. 850-1016. Retrieved from usna.edu.