A-Vikings And The Viking Age

After the Romans left Britain in AD 410 Anglo-Saxons started to occupy the land, and the Angles settled down in East Anglia, the Midlands, and the North. (Wales, 2006, p. 34) In the seventh and eight centuries, Britain was divided into seven kingdoms from which Northumbria was the most powerful. Later this kingdom lost its authority and status as the power started to concentrate around southern kingdoms. (Barber, Beal & Shaw, 2009, p. 108)

The Vikings were Norse seafarers, who mainly spoke the Old Norse language. They raided and traded from their Northern European homelands across wide areas of northern, central and eastern Europe, during the 9th to 11th century. The Vikings originated from Scandinavia, and the beginning of the Vikings expansion often originates from the raid of the Lindisfarne Monetary on 8 June 793. The Vikings were the first Westerners to sail to Iceland, Greenland, and over to the New World. However, the story of the Vikings is also an important story for the development of the Christian world in the West. Throughout this essay, I will explain the importance of Viking religion, Viking trade, and how the Viking age had an impact on the way Western and

The strengths of the Vikings surely was the most significant factor in enabling them to be successful in terms of their strategies and tactics. Their strategies for example included the ‘Great Army’ which consisted of small forces therefore allowing them to use the element of surprise to their advantage and so raid completely undetected. They first gathered in East Anglia (866/7) and were skillfully able to live of this land by taking horses and supplies from the locals. The success of these Great Armies is clearly represented by their ability to destroy 3 kingdoms including Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. The Great Army was certainly key as it was believed to have been able to ‘dramatically change the political and demographic

The word Viking is defined as a person of any Scandinavian seafaring pirates and the traders who raided and settled in many parts of the northwestern Europe in the eighth century to the eleventh century. However not much is know about the culture. In the Viking era, the character Beowulf would be seen as a valiant and courageous warrior. On the other hand, today in present times, it may be possible for him to not be seen in such a upstanding light.

The Norse people were a very complex group who were portrayed as savages and killers, but instead were an advanced group, skilled workers and very democratic and this can be seen through their gods, goddesses, and rituals. Could it be that the way that people describe a civilization for so long change the way that people see them? Throughout history the Norse people have been portrayed poorly while in reality they are not completely the way that they are described to be. Not only are they polytheism, believing in multiple gods, but they act very much like their gods.

The vikings had their own groups of people which included landowning chieftains, freeman, and also young clan members who seeked over sea adventures. While the viking members were at home, they can be described as independent farmers, but at sea the vikings became raiders. During viking period it seemed as if the Scandinavians had a surplus amount of manpower that seems practically inexhaustible, who could organize warriors into conquering armies and bands. The bands negotiated the seas in their longships,also known as a viking ship, and mount raids on nearby cities and towns that were along the coast of Europe. Their brutal way of living and manpower earned them the name vikingr, or viking in old english, which was the name for a pirate in early Scandinavian language.

Viking history and culture have been depicted in many movies, television series, and stories. Vikings are commonly known as barbarians that raid villages and intimidate others with huge ships with dragon heads, and horned helmets. This information is based on facts, but has been distorted and exaggerated over many years and tales. Viking history spans from the years 780 until 1100, which is the time span of the Viking raids. Not every Scandinavian was a Viking; Vikings were known as the men that conducted raids and bloody battles. The old definition of Viking was synonymous with the term pirate. The modern definition is relevant to the Scandinavian medieval culture, to include farming, crafting and trading.

Considerable difference and similarity can be observed in the records of the Vikings and the different peoples that they interacted with. This largely has to do with geography, as the landscape of Viking Age Norway, Denmark, and Sweden were divided and rugged; this lead to various groups of people vying for power. When a person or group lost a power struggle, they would often use the waterways of the North Sea to gain access to potential raiding lands. The seafaring technological advances of previous centuries enabled interaction between the raiders of Sweden, Norway and Denmark and the peoples of Ireland and the Carolingian Empire. Because of the technological advances and geographical situation, the Viking raiders were able to interact with many different peoples but also come from the same fundamental background. This caused a multitude of similarities between the Viking activity in the Carolingian Empire and Ireland, but there were also many differences.

The Vikings roamed the seas between the early ninth century and the early eleventh century. They were from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is believed that the Vikings “...were probably prompted to undertake their raids by a combination of factors ranging from overpopulation at home to the relative helplessness of victims abroad” (“Viking (people)”). During their raids, the Vikings also established settlements in Newfoundland,

Vikings were a group of people from Scandanavia (modern-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden) who navigated the North Atlantic and Baltic Regions, sailing to destinations in the south to North Africa, and east to Russia, Constantinople (“Istanbul”) and the Middle East, as ‘hit-and-run’ looters, traders and colonists. Notably, the Vikings were seen as a barbaric clan by their victims, especially to those in Europe with whom they had an imposing influence. Equally, as the Old Norse (the language of the Norsemen) translation of the word ‘Viking’ signifies, the Vikings were feared as fierce and ruthless pirates. However, most of these people may not have called themselves Vikings since only a few engaged in raiding and pillaging, which was seen as a

Ermentarius, a Frankish writer comments that “Everywhere [Christians] are the victims of massacre, burning and plunder. The Vikings overrun all that lies before them…” (Source 2, Viking raids in France.) The Vikings were known for their barbaric reputation however they were also sophisticated and technologically advanced. The Viking reputation is one of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, repeatedly plundering the Christian monasteries throughout the Middle Ages. Nevertheless examples of advanced Viking civilization was their seafaring skills and their complex social hierarchy. ) Thesis statement. This essay will discuss the Viking trading methods and their social hierarchy.

The Vikings were Norse people from Scandinavia who lived during the Viking Age from eighth century to the twelfth century. The first arrival of the Vikings in Ireland was in 795. But at that time the Vikings used the strategy hit and run until the 9th century they began to settle with the Irish. The Vikings were successful around the world because they were very skilled in navigation and very powerful they reached China, Russia, and the Middle East. The Vikings had a great impact on the Irish society in many aspects, for example, trade, art, military, and technology.

In popular media today, the Vikings are remembered as a race of barbarians. They are depicted as warriors, wearing horned helmets and carrying swords, ransacking and burning villages to the ground. Admittedly, there is some historical precedent for their aggressive reputation. Between 793 AD and 1066 AD, the Vikings expanded their territory from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, into neighboring regions, including Eastern and Western Europe, the British Isles, and Greenland. The Vikings were indeed a hard people. However, this was not due to their culture or character, but rather the difficult environment they lived in. Although Vikings are remembered as aggressive expansionists, the factors that led to their voyaging to new lands were competition

Simply put, a "Viking" is a raider, or more correctly; a Norsemen whom went raiding. In more precise terms, a Viking is a Norse Raider.

The Vikings are known for being some of history’s most ruthless invaders. Norseman who pillaged every town they came upon and destroyed any military resistance to their extensive raids. Starting in the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark the seafarers began extending the scope of their raids and influence, eventually wintering overseas. Two modern day countries England and France, once empires and kingdoms, were particularly targeted throughout the Vikings long history. Viking raids happened fast and were effective, often leaving villages in ruins, having been pillaged by the fearless warriors.