The phase of Scandinavian exploration in Europe is known as the Viking Age. It occurred from AD 793 to 1050. This period is chronologically understood through five main socioeconomic attributes. These systems are classified as decentralized to centralized authority, pagan to Christian ideology, non-market to market exchange, moderate to high levels of surplus production, and rural to urban settlements (Barrett: 2). Their development marks the beginning of Scandinavian state formation, however, these systems were not simultaneously adopted throughout Europe (Barrett: 26). In northern and eastern England, there is a historical area known as the Danelaw, which is linked to the Viking era, and the location of many archeological finds. It has a variety of burial grounds that are important when examining the progression of the Viking exploration in England. This paper will focus on the development of Christian ideology and centralization of power by examining the cemeteries of Heath Wood and Repton.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronics documented that the Viking Great Army occupied a winter fortress in Repton from 873 to 874, which is confirmed through the discovery of Viking burials in the area (Biddle: 37). Repton was the location where Mercian monarchs were buried, however, these graves were disrupted by the Great Army. There were four v-shaped ditches on site, which were used as a defense tactic. Two significant graves were discovered in a D-shape enclosure. The earliest burial in its area, Grave 511 was a male aged 35 to 40 who died from a wound to his left femur (Biddle: 40); there were a variety of grave-goods in his grave, which implicates a higher status. Grave 295 was a male, aged 17 to 20, and buried with an iron knife (Biddle: 41). ...
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...led the centralized power that coincide with Christianity. The movement from paganism to Christianity by Viking settlers is viewed as a tactic to develop greater agency over England. The centralization of power created lead to the formation of state, which equated from Christianity. However, Viking assimilation was not homogenous, and there were groups who kept their pagan beliefs. This contrast is seen in Heath Wood and Repton, which cemeteries have different religious practice. The cremation burials in Heath Wood, which consist of human and animal display traditional pagan ritual. Where at Repton the burials show an influence of Christianity. The transition from paganism to Christianity was not simple. However, Christianity became the traditional religious practice because it was useful for the centralization of power and creating Scandinavian state formation.
Kapelle, W.E. ‘The Norman conquest of the North:The region and its transformation 1000-1135’ (Croom Helm 1979)
- - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication
When the Vikings first attacked England many of the Anglo-Saxons viewed them as people who don’t claim a religion. The thought of the Vikings not claiming a religion horrified the people of England because of many reasons. The main reason was because the Vikings didn’t worship the same God as the people of England and the Vikings also didn’t have any respect to the symbols that connected the people of England together (Gunnell 351). Another reason is that the Vikings had been trying to teach a different view of the world to the English people; which furiated the church because the church had been trying to throws out these beliefs. This view of the world seemed to anger the English people because these beliefs wasn’t written down in a book, it was always told orally which meant
In conclusion, both the textual and archaeological evidence can be contradictory as to the exact nature of the early viking-native encounters. Some evidence supports genocidal tendencies, other evidence supports native integration. Evidence for the different theories was presented above, but even that which was presented represents only a fraction of the evidence, both archaeological, textual, and linguistic, that support the various models. It is also important to note that Scotland has still been left woefully unexplored by modern archaeologists, and that further investigation may provide key answers to reconciling the disparity in evidence. Until such time, it seems the most logical conclusion to draw is that of the middle ground, whereby both genocidal and more peaceable vikings arrived and initiated different circumstances for the natives.
Many people think that Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot in America, but this conventional belief is wrong; Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer set foot in Newfoundland almost 500 years before Columbus was even born. This paper will cover everything about Leif Erikson’s life including his grandfather’s banishment from Norway, and Leif’s father’s exile from Iceland. Leif Erikson’s early life, his family, and his visit to Norway to serve under the king. The first recorded European to see North America, Bjarni Herjólfsson, and Leif Erikson’s voyage to America. This paper is also going to talk about Leif Erikson’s brother, Thorvald Erikson’s voyage to Vinland because his tale is interesting. Near the end of this research paper, it will have a paragraph on Leif Erikson’s later life. Finally at the end of this paper it is going to talk about the unknown reason why no other Europeans sailed to Vinland, and Leif’s impact on modern day North America.
Reasons attributing to the Viking’s success included their inability to be stopped by Western Europe and the fear that was installed into the residents of Western Europe. The viciousness of the attacks is clearly described in the Three Sources on the Ravages of the Northmen in Frankland, c. 843 – 912. The collection of these three texts describe various Viking attacks throughout Frankland, giving the reader a clear idea of the horror that the people of Frankland endured when attempting to resist the
This book is a very important primary source for historians because it contains the only primary source concerning the Vikings before they converted to Islam, and many other accounts of important information including Viking raids. The book shows how the Eastern Vikings lived and how the Muslim world interacted with them. It also gives insight into the state of Islam in the tenth through twelfth century. Almost all of the information is this book is relevant to historians and the eye witness accounts are very useful concerning the people and places in this time period.
...l and perceptive way for rulers to unite empires and spread their society to other regions. The religion of Christianity, in itself, holds a number of assimilations with local pagan rituals that allowed for a much smoother transition. People tended to take the religion of the successful or more advanced civilizations because of logical areas as promoting trade and unifying their own neighbors, turning enemies into allies or possibly vassals. A further dissection of Christianity reveals that the ideas and precepts of this organization have striking similarities to that of other religions of the time. Although it should be noted that there is obviously no definitive answer on religion and it is the choice of the individual to follow their beliefs to their hearts content, but a bit of abstract observation and scrutiny is hardly a crime, at least in modern society.
Clarke, D., & Maguire, P. (200). Skara Brae: Northern Europe's best preserved neolithic village ; (p. 14). Edinburgh: Historic Scotland.
There was a huge influence of both paganism and christianity that can be noticed in Old English Poetry. To better understand these two values, let us explain what paganism and christianity mean. Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. As presented in New Thestament, Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God and the Messiah prophesied in The Old Testament. Christianity began in the 1st century AD as a Jewish sect, and shares many religious texts with Judaism, specifically the Hebrew Bible, known to Christians as the Old Testament. The name Christian means belonging to Christ or partisan of Christ. As far as Paganism is concerned, the word comes from latin paganus and means a country dweller, rustic. It is a term which has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or cultic practises or beliefs of any folk religion a nd of historical and contemprorary polytheism religious in particular. (...) Characteristic of pagan traditions in the anscence of proselytisation and presence of a living mythology which explains religious practice. The term Pagan is a Christian adaptation of the goy of Judaism.
During the medieval warm period the spread of the Norse occurred. The Norse raided, traded, ventured from Scandinavia across the North Sea into France along with the Low Countries. The Norse was known as peaceful traders who kept their knowledge close on a personal level. They kept their knowledge from generations to generations. Their knowledge was always in constant use. “Nose navigators lived in intimate association with winds and waves, watching sea and sky, sighting high glaciers from afar by the characteristics ice-blink that reflects from them, predicting ice conditions from years of experience navigating near the pack” (Fagan, 5). The climate
...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
In conclusion Vikings were people which wanted to expand their territory. With the information that we have they expanded till Greenland and British isles. And with their struggle they did and at last they have found Newfoundland which was so good for them by resources and land. Yet they couldn’t stay there because of weather conditions and the distance between Greenland and Canada played a major role too. And these circumstances resulted on their abandoned. However Historians may certainly not know all the facts about why settlement did not last. With that in mind the evidence points to battles with the natives, the long distance from Greenland, the population lack and the natural environmental factors. In my last words the Vikings were here for an instant and, for numerous reasons abandoned their settlement, leaving their spot forever.
Before the year 596, almost everybody had strong pagan beliefs. In 596 missionaries had begun to attempt to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. By the year 650, almost all of England had converted to Christianity- at least in name. Although almost everyone claimed to be strong believers in Christ and the church, most still held on to their pagan beliefs and traditions. No matter what they believed, everyone applied their religious beliefs to their everyday life. (Chin et al. Glencoe Literature, p.35).
Rice, Eugene E. and Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. 2nd. ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1994.