Viking Activity in the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Centuries "The pagans from the northern regions came with a naval force to Britain like stinging hornets and … robbed, tore and slaughtered … even priests and deacons, and companies of monks and nuns"
Originating from the sparsely populated, barren and virtually resourceless land of the Scandinavian peninsulas, the Vikings set out, in the late 8th century to capture the wealth and resources of their trading partners. Throughout the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries the Northmen brutally killed and
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Each Viking race, striving to capture the perceived wealth and fertile lands of their European trading partners, so different to the barren and resourceless peninsulas of Scandinavia, efficiently moved throughout areas of Europe, violently conquering as they travelled. The Norwegians moved towards Western Europe, invading countries such as Scotland, Ireland, Greenland, Iceland and Newfoundland. The Danish invaded to the South, conquering areas such as the Frankish empire, Seville and Southern Gaul. The Swedish raiders moved towards the East, invading parts of Russia, Constantinople, Baghdad, and it is suggested moved even as far as Western China. (David M. Wilson, The Vikings and Their Origins (New York: A&W Publishers inc. 1980), 65-71) United by a common Language, the Scandinavian people are portrayed by history as little more than violent thieves, who used force to invade Europe, and terrorised the continent for well over a century.
The Viking attacks throughout Europe were perhaps best characterised by two things: the inhumane violence and savagery of the attacks, and also the swiftness, stealth and incredible mobility of the people. Many records of Viking attacks create
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.
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
Vikings, also known as Norsemen or Northmen, were a group of people from the Scandinavian warriors that existed from the 9th century until the 11th century. They were seafaring warriors that raided and claimed their areas in Europe. Their disruptive influence affected the European history. The pagan vikings, which were Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, were prompted to take their raids caused by overpopulation or helplessness of their victims.
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.
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.
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
Viking expansion was caused by Christian churchmen, beginning with Alcuin, who attributed it to God’s doing. These men deemed the Viking raids punishment for religious laxity. However, an eleventh century Saxon cleric claimed that Viking expansion was actually the result of overpopulation and poverty in the Viking homeland. The Norse, or the Viking peoples, had gone to the Atlantic islands as landless sons, social outcasts, and political refugees because they were forced to leave their homes to search for opportunities elsewhere. The reason of Viking expansion is similar to that of the Europeans when they discovered and conquered the New World. The Viking emigration spread all over Europe, with the Danes spreading through Holland all the way down to Spain and in to the Mediterranean. The Swedes traveling east, across the Baltic
It is widely believed that the Vikings were little more than barbaric and brutish warriors that had little to no lasting influence on European societies. This belief, however, is wrong. The viking age lasted approximately from 800 CE - 1100 CE and created a lasting influence on things such as art, technology, cultures, trade and currency. There is still currently a firm hold of the concept of Vikings in Danish societies and there are traces of Scandinavian dialect in places like Scotland and North England. The Vikings, while they did have an excellent military system, were more than a violent society of people and they have made many last influences on modern society and were a prominent and important empire in early Europe.
Jeremy Moore English 101 April 27, 2015 The Vikings beyond the Myths Vikings were prominent figures in European history from around 750 A.D. to about 1100 A.D... Much is known about the Vikings through writings of the people who encounter them. As history would have it not all the writings were good.
As quoted from “A Traveller’s History of England”, “The Vikings were Scandinavian people who, because of population increase and political instability, sought their fortune throughout Europe.” The Vikings were often found invading and raiding other kingdoms, including Wessex and East Anglia. “The Vikings…were portrayed as ruthless raiders and pillagers who came, slaughtered, and left”, “A Traveller’s History of England” writes. In the thirteen century, this community became known as “Danes” because of the involvement of the Danish king. The Viking society was structured around their infamous attacks and intrusions on many of the other kingdoms. Usually, when the Vikings invaded other kingdoms, they eventually became integrated into the kingdoms’
The Vikings were well-known for their creation which integrated metal works, woodcrafts, figurines, tusk, earthenware, crystal, as well as books. In Zemljanoe Gorodishche, there are many specimens of trinket, adornment, apparel, comb, recreation collections, sacred objects, stallion harnesses, armaments and objects with decay, which contain the legendary dragon head, a diminutive statue of a female, as well as two charms with mysterious engraving. Parallel discoveries happened at Jorvik which produced kitchenware, basins, recreational fragments, adornment also horn combs. Archaeological site of Viking Dublin consist of timber mixer, trowels, cords of tree twigs, barriers of thicket fences, blades of lumber, intertwining slabs of ivory, in addition
The Viking Era began in the late eighth century and ended in the mid eleventh century (history). Vikings originated from modern day Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Then, they eventually discover and inhabit Iceland and Greenland. A majority of the people living in these regions were farmers. Trade was also popular in Europe at the time. A short growing season due to the regions northern location, thick forestation, and a growing population, likely initiated Scandinavian merchants to venture out of their region and begin exploring trade with various European countries. As the thirst for Europe’s riches grew the Scandinavian people became more brutal and deleoped more creative ideas for acquiring money. They began raiding Christian monasteries
In the 9th century AD, these “seafaring warriors” were known as vikings and came from
The Vikings were Norsemen who set out on expeditions, often in ships, for trade or plunder. The word Viking eventually became a common word meaning sea-raider. Often the entire Norse people were referred to as Vikings. The life of a Viking was dangerous, but sometimes very rewarding. Vikings were warriors, farmers, merchants, and explorers. A Viking lived in a complex and sophisticated society that was based on more than violence and raids. A successful Viking had time to enjoy music, eat a variety of foods, and make and drink alcohol. As a Viking, you could trade with or explore distant lands. You might also enjoy silks and other exotic luxuries.
There is much debate among historians about what drove the Viking expansion. One widely held idea is that it was a quest for retaliation against continental Europeans for their previous invasions of Viking homelands, such as Charlemagne's campaign to force Scandinavian pagans to convert to Christianity