What was the history behind these men called vikings? Around A.D. 800 to the 11th century, a large amount Scandinavians left their homes in search of riches. These men eventually gained the name Vikings or Norsemen which come from North Man, a homage to their homeland. Viking raids started small, pillaging structures around the coast, particularly undefended monasteries, in the British Isles. Over the next three hundred years, they would be known far and wide as pirates, raiders, traders and settlers. Contrary to popular belief, Vikings were not a race, linked by ties of common ancestry or patriotism, and could not be defined by any single definition. Most of the Vikings, whose accomplishments are best known to come from Denmark, Norway and …show more content…
One such battle tactic was a shield wall in which men with large shields would stand in the front lines while other Vikings using spears would fill in the gaps between the shields with the spears, killing anyone who dare get to …show more content…
Another tactic was the svinfylking or boar formation. It is a tactic in which a group of heavily armed warriors would interlock their shields and form a triangle pointing at the enemy. The advantage to the triangular shape was that when the warriors would get in this formation and charge forward they would put themselves in the enemy’s line and break it through sheer force alone. Just like a boar’s charge. Although the Vikings used group tactics they were brutal in one on one combat. There were very few rules when it came to fighting, this is evidenced by the barbaric tactics that would be used in one on one combat such as cutting an opponent in the back of the knee and then decapitating them when they dropped to one knee. However, even though they were barbaric they were also very clever. In a battle with someone wielding a spear it was common practice to dodge the spear and grab it by the handle in order to pull the wielder close and stab them through the torso. Alternatively when throwing a spear most Vikings would take the pin that was keeping the spearhead on the shaft , preventing the weapon from being thrown
The Vikings are famous for their violent ways when they pillaged and plundered villages of Northern Europe. Their dramatic exploits commenced during 800 – 1050 A.D, The first being the raid on Lindisfarne Monastery in 793, followed by a chain of attacks all over the coast of northern Europe during the next 200 years. As the years went on the frequency of Viking attacks increased as they became bolder. They were opportunists, raiding when the villages were off–guard or weak and trading when they were powerful. The speed and tactical advantage of the Viking longships allowed them to slip quietly ashore, pillage the village and make a fast getaway via water before the village can summon an army. By this time some Viking plunderers would stay over winter in a village. Soon their raiding camps became settlements and Viking control over Europe began to grow, it was not long before Vikings overran most of England.
Inside these tribes was the great tale of the warrior Beowulf. Beowulf was considered to be the greatest warrior from that century. In "Beowulf", they say that "he had the strength of 30 men in each hand". These stories were made up by the Vikings as almost a tale to tell near a camp fire after a great raid or pillage. When the warriors would come back from battle they needed some type of entertainment to keep them at bay with their senses.
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.
The beginning of the ninth century AD to the eleventh was known as the “Viking age”; during this time Iceland was settled by Scandinavians and CeltsCeltics. Some of the settlers were Christian while most were Pagan; together they created a culture
An important aspect of the Anglo-Saxon culture was the values and how much the people held them in their hearts. These values are quite unique when being compared to modern-day values and the way society works today, as we have grown as people and changed our views. When thinking about Beowulf, the way the warriors acted is a detail that comes to mind. These warriors fought with everything they had and believed they had two choices, victory or death. While this is still true today, we do not blame our warriors or call them cowards for not wanting to fight, unlike the Anglo-Saxon people. In the story of Beowulf, the battle with Grendel is considered intense, as many warriors died trying to save the kingdom; however, Beowulf is honored and celebrated
...etween the Danes becomes more than the typical warfare, but done for moral reasons. In Beowulf, individuals differ based upon their alterative motives, but the fight against the evilness of Grendel and his mother proves to become the biggest fight that Beowulf overcomes.
... in their enemies to their greatest advantage. When the Vikings sailed abroad to a new town, even just the sight of them sent the inhabitants running in the opposite direction. Even with all the terror that the Vikings spread, they were not around for a very long time. There are many other interesting lifestyle choices and aspects of the Vikings, but their unique warfare techniques and strategies are what they are best known for.
When the Vikings attacked England they came in small raiding parties because a large raiding force would have a hard time crossing the ocean. Skandians also land in small raiding parties, attacking one city at a time. One exception to this occurred in book 2, The Burning Bridge. During this installment in the series, the Skandians assembled a large army of troops to attack Araluen because the Skandians were bankrolled by an evil warlord named Morgarath. This motivated Araluen sign treaty with the Skandians to prevent major conflict. England never employed such a diplomatic move with the
Beowulf certainly consist of an epic journey by which Beowulf travels by sea from southern Sweden, home of the Geats, to Zealand, home of the Danes. It involves single-handed combat, “I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be,” lines 436-439. It also involved someone who ...
Typically, the image of a Viking is a barbaric, bearded man plundering and destroying a neighboring village. This is actually the stereotypical viewpoint. In actuality, Vikings, have a very different image. For example, Vikings did not wear furry boots or furry armor, they did not have horned helmets, they invaded Britain, and they also were the first to discover America! They were also experts in nautical technology, crafts, trading, warfare and many other skills (Jonsson 1). With all of these traits, the Vikings seem like an unstoppable force in the European continent. But, who were the Vikings? The Vikings were actually venturesome seafarers. This means that they were travelers who were constantly exploring and looking for new areas of land. There roots can be traced all the way back to 6000 B.C. were nomadic men traveled in primitive crafts up the Denmark coast. Fast forward two millennia and these nomadic people have established permanent homes, but still using the boat for food and travel. As stated before, they were not just raiders, although they did do this frequently, but they were actually expert traders, trading all around the world. It wasn’t until around 793 A.D. that a Viking explosion took place in northern Europe (Jonsson 2). Raids began to take place on neighboring villages and their places of worship. To some this is the only type of knowledge they have about Vikings. However, their culture was something to be admired. Trading, religion, and everyday life are all important parts of a Viking culture.
...when other warriors got through by force or let through. It could be swung around in wide sweeping strokes and clear a radius of six feet. A warrior in good armor would be slain quickly. A disadvantage of the broad-axe is that the warrior can’t use a shield to defend himself and it demands the wielder to stay in motion the entire time. A common disadvantage to all axes is “short cutting edges make it impossible to cut through both shield and man” in a single blow (Haywood 62). The axe was able to do more than just thrust and slash like the sword. Both axes can be used in taking down an enemy’s shield with the ‘beard’ of the axe and pulling their leg to make them off balanced or even to fall down for an easy kill. The Vikings could raid and battle each other in small numbers for little treasure. The Vikings need to go west in England to find the wealth they craved.
Warfare is a prominent theme in Beowulf . The reasons and conduct for and during warfare are mentioned and displayed throughout the poem. The reason for warfare is usually for retribution. As an act of revenge, battles are fought. The conduct is also very standard and prevalent. All warfare fought by honorable men had to be fought fair. If the opposing side bore no weapons, then the other side also used no weapons. The author of this poem depicts himself/herself to be an advocate of warfare. By idolizing Beowulf because of his heroic deeds during warfare, the poet makes armed conflict courageous and noble.
The conflict began on 9:00 in the morning, the English were positioned atop a small hill, and Norman archers began firing upwards, into the English ranks. The English quickly formed a shield wall which deflected the arrows that landed on target; most of the arrows missed completely or overshot the English soldiers entirely. William was growing impatient, and he sent a wave of spearmen to assault the shield wall, all of whom were pushed ...
The first battle is between Beowulf and Grendel. Grendel is an isolated monster that terrorized Herot and killed thirty men every night for twelve years because he was bothered by the loud noise of the parties at Herot late at night. When the news travels to Geatland, Beowulf decides to help King Hrothgar rid his people of the monster since the king had helped Beowulf’s father in the past. Beowulf is also the only man who could defeat Grendel. Beowulf is described as: “…There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful…” (Line 196). Beowulf and his men travel to Herot and join in their festivities, and then in the night time, as everyone sleeps, Grendel attacks. Beowulf decides to make it a fair fight and not use any weapons or armor to slay Grendel. Grendel kills many of his men as he first walks in. Beowulf grabs Grendel’s hand and rips his arm completely out of its socket. Unable to fight anymore, Grendel goes back to his lair and dies from the fatal wound. Beowulf uses Grendel’s torn off arm as a trophy and displays it in Herot for all to see and know Grendel is now dead. King Hrothgar and his men then celebrate because Beowulf has br...
The epic hero Beowulf was also very skillful when it came to battles. When he first fought Grendel, Beowulf had no idea what he was up against. Instead of just attacked Grendel, he waited until the monster had killed one of the other men in the hallway while Beowulf watched under the guise of sleep. Then when Grendel came to claim Beowulf's life, he knew that hand to hand combat was the only way to defeat this foe. The monster latched onto Beowulf's arms, but Beowulf did the same to Grendel.