Norsemen

Who were the vikings? The term used for vikings is “Scandinavian seafaring pirates and traders who raided and settled in many parts of northwestern Europe in the 8th–11th centuries.” Although this is the correct terminology for vikings, many people do not view them this way. Generally people view vikings as brutal, savage, unfeeling warriors who pillaged and burned with reckless restrain. This is not the entire story. While vikings were great warriors, they did not kill without a motive. They…

Who were the Vikings? The true meaning of a Viking is the following “one that belongs to the pirate crews and teams from whom were the Northmen, who raided the coastlines of Europe in the 8th, 9th, and even the 10th centuries.” Some of the historical explanations have offered an image of the Vikings as being extremely brutal, savage, unsympathetic warriors who robbed and burned with reckless abandons. In fact this is not the complete story. While the Vikings were amazingly great warriors and…

What do you think of when you hear the word “viking?” Do you think of masculine, Scandinavian brutes pillaging villages? Well, you would not be wrong. However, they damaged more than just the lives of innocent villagers. Now, what do you think of when you hear the word “Iceland?” With its cold, Nordic atmosphere, one would think that Iceland would be able to withstand anything, but that is not the case. Surprisingly, Iceland’s environment is very fragile, and the vikings did their fair share to…

The Viking Age occurred from late 8th century to mid-11th century. Within this time frame Viking populations across the globe experienced a number of significant changes that signalled the transformation of the Viking age. It should be made clear that this essay will argue for the transformation of the Viking age, as opposed to the end. The main factors behind this transformation are primarily religious in nature, a claim supported by Angus A. Somerville and R. Andrew McDonald, who cite, ‘the…

The sudden death of King Cnut the Great in 1035 CE brought the stability of the most impressive Scandinavian empire of the period into peril. Harthacnut, Cnut’s eldest son born to Emma of Normandy, his second wife, and the heir apparent to Cnut’s state, faced insurmountable odds to retain the lands over which his father held domain. Yet, the breakdown of the empire failed to undermine the legacy of Cnut’s accomplishments, and in proxy, the success of early High Medieval Scandinavian states.…

The Viking age of exploration took place in the 9th and 10th century, and; they became known for their unique, designed vessels and daring, seafaring raids. During early exploration, the Vikings comprised of many groups, such as: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. The numerous Viking groups sought opportunities of different intent whether that be a new land settlement, opportunities of trade, or barbarically raiding villages. None of these would prove to be more pivotal than the settlement of…

Jared Diamond spends the prologue of his novel, “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”, explores the demise of communities throughout history and how such a thing could occur. He believes, as can be inferred from the title of the book, that societies primarily fail as a result of the decisions they make in response to other issues. In the prologue, “A Tale of Two Farms”, Diamond presents his definition of a collapse, his framework for analyzing a collapse, and how he compares the…

Food consumed during the Viking Age was mainly food that was easy and convenient to acquire; however, we will see more uncommon foods being served at special occasions such as feasts where the purpose of that food was to impress the highly-ranked guests. When researching the topic of Viking Food, there are many different traditions that are brought up that deal heavily with food. However, in most sources there is a common theme that is repeated, which is the importance of certain foods and the…

Lief Eriksson is credited to actually have been the first to discover America, hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus. His father, Eric the Red, discovered and settled the area we know as Greenland. Two famous Vikings that came from an era that would be best known for its brutality, the legendary warriors and the mythology. From 700-1100 AD, Vikings ruled the land. A strong and proud race of Nordic seafarers who traveled the Norwegian and Baltic seas in long boat, from battle to battle…

The Viking Age was an era in European history during which the peoples of the Baltic and Scandinavia surged onto the world stage as pirates, raiders, traders, and fearless explorers. There are many controversies and theories as to why the Scandinavians chose, or were forced, to leave the far northern reaches of Europe. Various indications have suggested a possible population increase that correlates with available farming land, which in turn, connects to an increase of people looking to settle.…