While researching the Vikings and what made them such fierce warriors, I learned that the cause of their behavior came from their code of ethics as well as their ideals and religion.
The Vikings had a code of ethics that dictated how any respectable warrior especially those who wanted to be heroes among their people. This is proven in the book Vikings: Raiders From The North which states "Self-respect, honor, and reputation were necessary above all, and these could not exist without a firm foundation of loyalty to family and comrades. Conventions ruled everything in life- conventions about hospitality and the giving of gifts, about keeping oaths and avenging wrongs, about doing good deeds for the neighborhood such as building bridges and churches. Leaders of men must demonstrate courage, fortitude, fellowship, truthfulness, eloquence, and zest for life coupled with the ability to face death with an untroubled mind. All of these requirements, and countless others, were incorporated in the Old Norse poem Havamal, literally, 'the speech of the high one,' which includes the entire Viking-age code of conduct from simple little homilies to statements on the true meaning of eternal honor." (34) Using this code of ethics to guide them and having this code so deeply ingrained into their way of life is also shown when then book states “He could never make it as a king if he did not have both income and honor. He required both to inspire his warriors. Honor decreed that he lead his own troops into battle, and ...
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... is when Donovan states, “ Yet the Viking movement did make noteworthy contributions to European civilization. Outstanding among them are the ideals of loyalty, courage, and individual freedom, which are shared by Viking descendants in many lands.” (25)
In conclusion it was ultimately the Vikings’ code of ethics, religion, and ideals were the reasons why they were such a fierce people.
Works Cited
Donovan, Frank R., and Thomas D. Kendrick The Vikings. London: Cassell, 1964. Print.
Haworth-Maden, Clare, Judith Millidge, and Wayne Humphries. Viking Gods. Edison, NJ: Chartwell, 1999. Print.
Kingsley, Rebecca. Myths and Legends of the Vikings. New Jersey: Chartwell, 1999. Print.
Odijk, Pamela. The Vikings. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Silver Burdett, 1990. Print.
Vikings: Raiders from the North. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1993. Print.
In The Saga of the Volsungs, a paradoxical notion of the value of life emerges from almost every action that the characters perform. One’s corporeal death is almost of no concern in the sometimes harsh and cruel society of the saga. The importance of honor over almost anything else can explain many of the seemingly contradictory and nonsensical actions of characters in the saga. This obsession with honor constitutes the basis for an honor society—a culture where pain, death, and other earthly concerns fall short in significance to one’s good name and honor. Many of the actions inspired by this fixation with honor seem foolish, but considered within the context of how the culture in the saga views reputations and honor make perfect sense.
After fighting and winning many battles, Beowulf's life enters a new stage when he finally becomes king of his homeland, Geatland. Even in his old age, his code of honor still obligates him to fight against an evil, fiery dragon. For fifty years he has governed his kingdom well. While Beowulf is governing, the dragon "...kept watch over a hoard, a steep stone-barrow" (Norton 55). Under it lays a path concealed from the sight of men. Over centuries no one had disturbed the dragon’s kingdom until one day when a thief broke into the treasure, laid hand on a cup fretted with gold, which infuriated the dragon. "The fiery dragon had destroyed the people's stronghold, the land along the sea, the heart of the country" (Norton 57).
TheVikings have been sailing for thousands of years (Steel 1). The Vikings traveled for 2 years this was called a Vikings trial (Steel 1). They would go out in search for land and new wonders in life. They would build their own boats out of wood and hides of animals. They were known as the best sailors of their time.
...Hagen committed a disgraceful murder and perished in a way unbecoming of knight: at the hands of a woman. In contrast, Njal’s death was a sacrifice, for the good of others. He welcomed his death and surrendered his family in order to prevent an endless civil war in Iceland. Njal went against Icelandic custom of avenging one’s kin. Instead, he adopted a new Christian principle of absolution, accepting insult and assault by his enemies. He proclaimed before he laid down to die, “Bear this bravely and don’t express any fear for its only a brief storm... Have faith that God is merciful, and that he will not let us burn both in this world and in the next” (Cook 220). Njal trusted in God that his martyrdom was for the good all people and would end the blood feud. His acceptance of death and ultimate sacrifice liberated Iceland from self-destruction and damnation.
data contribute to the author's unparalleled style. Njal's Saga is undoubtedly unique, and speaks of the traditions and virtues upheld by the very first Icelanders.
Beowulf risk his life for populace numerous of times. Beowulf went to help a person that wasn’t even art of his society knowing that he might die but he didn’t care because the daredevil inside of him would not go out without a fight. Beowulf fought the monster Grendel without arms knowing that it may not work but at the
...tory over Satan to play a central part in the spread of Christianity among the Vikings, whom looked to Odin and Thor for such attributes.
The Vikings were a ruthless people. A historian by the name of Sherma tells the story of the ruthlessness of the Vikings, “The mother of all churches, . . . was taken and plundered by the Moors . . . moreover, [the Vikings] slaughtered all the Christians whom they found” (87). The Vikings were a fearsome people who made plundering and killing a way of life. The Norse were also heavily feared by the Christians. “The heathen from the North wrought havoc in Christendom as usual and grew greater in strength” (Sherma 87).
The Norse religion is the religion of the Norse people prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia. It may seem as though the religion’s influence has died out, but it still affects our culture today. The general mythology is well known, but the details, such as how the lore was passed down from generation to generation, is obscure.
In the Homeric world, honor is qualified by power. In the Iliad, power is measured several ways. When Nestor tries to mediate between the enraged Achilles and Agamemnon, he makes the point that “power and glory [are] given by Zeus himself” (Book I, Line 294). A king is the ultimate in nobility, even if he is the king of a small, poor Greek city. Being a king depends on accident of birth, not on ability, and is a sign of the gods’ favor. Because the gods have smiled on him, “a scepter-holding king has honor beyond the rest of men” (Book I, Line 293). In the Greek army...
To the Anglo-Saxons, a hero was both brave and mighty as well as audacious and arrogant. In Anglo Saxon society, warriors were assumed to be loyal to their leaders in battle, even if the battle appeared to be hopeless, because they earned great honor and riches from protecting their leader. These warriors were alleged to be just as fearless as their heroes, and always as loyal as a dove. In the epic poem Beowulf, created by Anglo-Saxon storytellers, the loyalty of Beowulf’s warriors varies depending on the levels of security they feel in fights; they are more loyal to their leader when they believe they can prevail, and their loyalty wanes when the predicted outcome of the battle appears unfavorable, contradicting the appetite for eternal
...of goods with the Vikings. In everyday life, every one of us is in search of the right food, the best and warmest clothing, and the perfect place to live. Religion is still important to the American people, just like it was to the Vikings way back then. And even today, the American people exchange goods through the use of trading. However, in the present, we use plenty of money to get the supplies we need to survive. The Vikings culture can be seen as a way of survival. If they didn’t work hard enough to get the items they needed to survive, they would die off. So, the Vikings were more than a bunch of wild men running around northern England destroying cities and killing people. They strived to lead a healthy life to the fullest extent possible during their time. Many people in northern England who are descendants of the Vikings are proud to be a progeny of such a dominant and prestigious culture.BIBILIOGRAPHY
Williams, Gareth. "Viking Religion." BBC History. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be convincingly argued that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, which is very fatalistic in nature; it focuses on a world coming to an end in a great cataclysm. Along with this fatalism comes the willingness to die. That is why warriors would go to fight in battles and combats. Surprisingly enough, not only the heroes die but also so do the Gods. Therefore, the central value of this culture is glory and heroism.
One of the praised mannerisms in the Anglo-Saxon Age was loyalty. Warriors are supposed to be loyal, but when Grendel attacks, “the only survivors were those who fled him”(37-38). The soldiers were awfully timorous of Grendel, that they fled the attack cite and turned the battle into every man for himself.