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The impact the vikings had on continental western europe
The vikings world history
The vikings world history
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“We and our fathers have now lived in this fair land for nearly three hundred and fifty years and never before has such a terror been seen in Britain as we have now suffered at the hands of a pagan people. Such a voyage was not thought possible. The church of St. Cuthbert is spattered with the blood of the priests of God.” These are the words of Alcuin of York, an Anglo-Saxon scholar, describing the first recorded presence of Norsemen warriors and their attack on Lindisfarne, a holy monastic undefended island of the coast of England in 793 A.D. This attack by pagans from Scandinavia introduced a new kind of warrior to the known world and established a new chapter in history known as the Viking Age. From this moment and for the next twelve centuries, the Vikings were perceived as uncivilized pagan murderers and thieves who left an insignificant impression on European society and culture. It wasn’t until the last 100 years have historians come to appreciate the magnitude and influence of Viking culture on the modern world and how years of misrepresentation tainted Viking history. These misrepresentations have led to missing information or even false information. The defining argument of this paper is to present Vikings in a new historical light and attempt to re-introduce them as a more intelligent, purposeful civilization by asking what were their financial, political, and cultural motivations for raiding and what type of influence and impact did the Vikings have on the modern world.
The goal of this paper is to not defend the cruel actions and terrorist attacks by Vikings on the innocent people throughout Middle Age Europe. There is no denying raiding and plundering occurred. But there is more to Viking livelihood than terr...
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...f Rurik answered the call and led an army into the modern city of St. Petersburg. This event sparked decades of further Russian takeover by the Rurik Dynasty, which didn’t end until the death of Fyodor, son of Ivan the terrible, in 1598.
Further Russian and Eastern European migration from primarily Swedish Vikings include the use of Varangian mercenaries in service for the Greek emperors in Constantinople. Throughout the 10th century, the Varangians fought battles for the emperors in Mesopotamia, Crete, Southern Italy, and other areas. The Varangian guards protected Byzantine emperors until the 13th century.
Vikings from Norway utilized their fighting skills in return for economic prosperity mainly in Northern France. Some were mercenaries like their Swedish brothers, but Norweigan Vikings let fear work for them and extorted large payoffs to not attack. Paris.
Kapelle, W.E. ‘The Norman conquest of the North:The region and its transformation 1000-1135’ (Croom Helm 1979)
The Great Heathen Army was the name of a coalition of Norse armies from the Scandinavian region; Denmark, Norway, and possibly also Sweden in approximately 865CE, and ending in approximately 875CE with the defeat of the Viking army by King Alfred ‘The Great’ of Wessex. There were multiple possible motivations for this invasion, including (but not limited to): revenge for the death of legendary Ragnarr Lodbok, the expansion of Norse control into the British Isles, and the need for fresher lands for agriculture. There are two main sources that tell us about the Great Heathen Invasion; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle by various authors and Life of King Alfred by Asser, which will be evaluated to determine their reliability as primary sources for the
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.
Through raiding, some Vikings settled in foreign lands, where they farmed, raised cattle and in time, contributed to the community like the natives.
In his translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: the Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer, Jesse L. Byock compiles many versions of this famous Norse epic and creates a very important scholarly work. Of special importance is the introduction, which provides a central working background to base readings upon. There are several themes echoed throughout the translation that reflect accurately on this portion of history. Byock does a superb job of illustrating these important aspects in his work. While the tale Byock tells is a fairy-tale handed down by generations of families, within the reader can find tell-tale signs of important aspects of Norse culture. For instance, important aspects of family life and the role of men and women surface. Likewise, the importance of wealth and material possessions on the power and prestige of a king is also evident.
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.
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.
"Norse Mythology: The Valkyries: The Chooser of the Slain." Norse Mythology. Accessed May 29, 2014. http://www.viking-mythology.com/valkyries.php.
One of the first literary work studied by our class was “Beowulf,” the longest and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The poem is packed full of Christian and Pagan elements that are constantly fighting for the dominant position. In order to understand these thematic elements portrayed throughout “Beowulf,” we must first discover
"The Anglo Saxons appear as a race of fierce, cruel, and barbaric pagans, delighting in the seas, in slaughter, and in drink "(Allen, 17). The character of the ancient Saxons displayed the qualities of fearless, active, and successful. The Anglo-Saxons are mostly a barbaric race, not savage and rude but mostly military and...
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.
The title "Viking" includes a wide description of Nordic people; Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, who lived during a period of
Before the period of the middle ages, the British Isles mostly lay dormant in local disputes and settlements of small tribes. Up until the late 900’s, the Anglos and the Saxons laid their claim to the land of Britain. However, this all soon changed. An ambitions individual with hero-like characteristics set foot and conquered the Anglo-Saxons and started Britain on its journey to modernism. Thus, the tide was set in motion for a new government and a civilized race. A monarchy was established, and the Middle ages began in roughly 975 AD (Vinogradoff, p 18).
Sprague, Martina. Norse Warfare: The Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Vikings. New York: Hippocrene, 2007. Print.