History and Mechanics of Viking Warfare

Vikings Reign

In the earliest years of the Vikings, there was little history recorded due to the polytheistic views that they followed. After the Vikings converted to Christianity, there were eventually written documents created pertaining to their existence. In Viking Warfare, I.P. Stephenson states that the Vikings “first described attack took place in AD 789”(11). The Vikings were also known as Norsemen. They were great storytellers, and that is perhaps how society knows so much about them today. The stories that the Norsemen told were called Sagas. Today, Vikings are often depicted as murderous savages, but while they were not pillaging villages they were actually quite a peaceful civilization. There were three countries that Vikings evolved from; Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Although it may seem that all Vikings were on the same side, they quarreled with each other as well. Despite the fact that Viking battles were bloody and gruesome they were also known to be the most hygienic out of many of the earlier civilizations. There was not a huge percentage of Vikings that went out and raided but when they did they made a huge impact on what Vikings are now known for. The success of Viking warfare and raids relied primarily on the uses of armor, weapons, long ships, and battle tactics.

The armor that the Vikings wore depended strongly on what they could provide for themselves as protection. Social status was a major factor in the quality of a warrior’s armor. One of the most important pieces of armor the Vikings used was their shield. The most common type of shield used in Viking warfare was a round shield. There were other shields during this time, but the circular shield made it extremely easy for the Vikings to move around. A...

... middle of paper ...

... 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.

Works Cited

Cohat, Yves. The Vikings: Lords of the Seas. Trans. Ruth Daniel. New York: A Times Mirror Company, 1992. Print.

Sprague, Martina. Norse Warfare: The Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Vikings. New York: Hippocrene, 2007. Print.

Stephenson, I. P. Viking Warfare. Stoud, Gloucestershire: Amberley Pub, 2012. Print.

What Life Was like When Longships Sailed: Vikings AD 800-1100. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1998. Print.