Discovering Vinland in a Viking Age

Coming from Scandinavian countries, predominantly Denmark and Norway, the Vikings began raiding the British Isles in the late 700s (James). The Vikings primarily targeted monasteries, because that is where most of the wealth was concentrated (Loughrey). These raids were very violent, people were killed, and the survivors were sold into slavery (Loughrey). These violent raids earned the Vikings the reputation of barbarians, much like the Mongols a few centuries later in Asia. After some time, once the Vikings exhausted most of the wealth in the monasteries, they turned their interest into settling the British Isles (James). By the late 9th century the Vikings had conquered most of England (James). However, even though these Viking kingdoms did not last very long, the Scandinavians who resided there stayed. These Scandinavians would go on to change the British Isles in many ways. Despite the violent and negative impacts of Viking raids on the British Isles, once the Vikings settled down, they had a significant and positive peaceful impact on the British Isles culturally, politically, and economically.

Erik the Red was a Norwegian Viking that was born in the 10th Century C.E, and his life contributed significantly to the outstanding legacy of the Vikings through his explorations. It is through the discovery of Greenland and its later settlement that cast Erik the Red’s legendary adventures into folklore. These two events are how Erik the Red played his role in Viking history, not through warfare, but through explorations. The adventures undertaken, and the feats achieved by Erik the Red cement his place in Viking History.

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 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 culture in America is more polarizing than ever. People debate complex ideas and issues every day, yet few and fewer people are sitting on the fence or in middle ground. Most people find themselves on one end of the spectrum or another. One such debate that more recently exists in the United States of America resolves around Columbus Day. This day used to be just any ordinary day; however, it has now become a highly contested day that some have even banned from being celebrated. Furthermore, the debate of Columbus Day, orientates itself around some confusion. Is it a day to celebrate Columbus and all that he did – the good and the bad or is it something to celebrate something else? And can people separate the bad from the good? Therefore, in an effort to clear up the confusion about Columbus Day, William J. Connell writes an excellent article summarizing why Americans need a holiday like Columbus Day and the real reason to celebrate.

Leif Eriksson was the second son of Erik the Red, who was the first forefather of a European community named Greenland (Bio, 2015). Erik the Red sent his son Leif to provide service to the King of Norway Olaf 1. King Olaf transformed

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.

October 12, 1492 is the day Christopher Columbus discovered America with his boats Niña, Pinta, and Sanata María from Spain through the blue ocean. For long days and nights, he sailed across the sea and when he spotted land; it was America! The End. What a beautiful ending, isn’t it? However, this is not the end, there is another side of the story; a darker, terrifying view that is scarcely taught or told. The story that doesn’t paint Christopher Columbus to be a hero so wonderful and praised, a hero who is brave and selfless, a hero who discovered America. The other perspective is filled with horror and disease, loss and labor, death and enslavement; this is the truth about Columbus’s exploration.

Erik Thorvaldsson later known as Erik the red is one of the most well know and predominant Vikings from his era. He is most well-known for his vast exploration, numerous voyages and impressive leadership skills as well as his red hair and beard that earned him the name Erik the red along with his fiery temper that caused him two get banished from multiple European countries throughout his life.

These Vikings’ were the most feared and brutal, being that their self-control was lost frequently in battle. Fighting and raiding to the Vikings could be seen as a hobby. Scandinavians went on raiding adventures and were heartless to who they killed. Women and children were killed as brutally as men were. Europeans were so terrified of the Vikings coming, some French churches created a special prayer for protection: “God, deliver us from the fury of the Northmen.”

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.

On the second Monday in October we celebrate Christopher Columbus, for “discovering” the Americas. However, it was actually the Vikings were the first to discover America 500 years prior to Columbus. Since preschool all through middle school, children are taught that he was a great Spanish explorer who sailed to the Americas on the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria. In our textbooks we are taught that he helped prove that world was not flat, but many people had already began to realize that it was not flat because they did not fall of the side of the earth when they went sailing. Children are taught that he is a hero for the discovery, and that we ought to celebrate him. However, I argue that we should not celebrate him, but instead recognize Native Americans on that day. Through Christopher Columbus’s tyranny and greed, Native Americans were slaughtered, lost their homes, and slavery began to make its presence through out the Americas.

In the 9th century AD, these “seafaring warriors” were known as vikings and came from

The Viking Age started in the 9th century and lasted until the 11th century. During this time, Viking ships sailed from Scandinavia, at the center of the Viking World, out across the Northern Hemisphere. They went out on voyages of piracy and invasion, and journeys of exploration, commerce, and settlement. The Vikings expanded their empire over a great distance. To the east, they traveled as far as the Black Sea and to the west they sailed at least as far as the coast of North America. No one knows exactly why the Vikings decided to expand. Some believe their quest for expansion was due to the overpopulation of their homeland, while others believe that climatic conditions and crop failure forced their migration.

Viking ships were a huge part of ancient history. Vikings are known for one of the greatest warrior cultures ever. Vikings valued the gift of strength and power and you could definitely see this in their ship building designs. These long ships on the sea gave many people fear of setting foot on the water. Vikings made strong and powerful designs on the head of the ships to scare away anything in their way. Most of the time the ship design would be a dragon head that was the Vikings symbol.