Viking Warriors |
In
honor of those Scandinavian descendants that settled, specifically in
the northern part of the Door Peninsula, I have put together a history
of the famed period of Scandinavia that is known as the Viking Age.
Here in the Peninsula, we have a rich historical heritage of cultural
history, families that came to the New World for various reasons, and
settled in what became known as the Door Peninsula, Door County,
Wisconsin. The very first European settlers here in this region, the
peninsula, were French explorers, traders, and trappers who mingled and
became friends, and sometimes joined, the tribes of Native Americans,
incorrectly called Indians by Christopher Columbus,
who married women of the local tribes and lived generation after
generation here on the Peninsula and Washington Island. Today, those
descendants, Native Americans, still have the French surnames of their
ancestors.
Map of Door County with Washington Island |
Today, these European descendants remain with familiar family names of the original settlers, and some who arrived long afterwards. Thus, because of my interest in the Scandinavian history, I have put together information that you may find interesting and informative.
Ingolf by Raadsig |
No wings, no horns on Viking helmets |
After a time, the term to go a-Viking meant to go on an expedition in search of wealth and glory. Vikings were Nords, of which today represents Scandinavia.
Helmet-Jaw Bone, British Museum |
Archaeological
finds have given us a rich knowledge and view of Norsemen life,
to include well-preserved clothing that provides us knowledge of
Norsemen life in the Viking Age. Just about every year there seems to be
a new archaeological find providing a rich source of information and
insight. Remains of Viking trading towns, houses and craftsmen's shops,
enable a study of their building methods and even the tools they used.
In Viking culture it was custom to bury people with their personal possessions. Weapons, furniture, jewels and clothing haven been found in these graves, another source of information about their daily lives. Some objects found were from foreign lands which provides an insight as to the routes of Viking travel and where they either raided or traded. The most valuable archaeological finds have provided us information about the famous Viking ships they built and sailed pretty much around the known and unexplored regions of Earth that could be reached by sea, except for the south-eastern hemisphere. The ships have been well-preserved and found in burial mounds of important people within the Viking culture. Five ships were excavated in Denmark, where they had been sunk to block a narrow fjord. i
In Viking culture it was custom to bury people with their personal possessions. Weapons, furniture, jewels and clothing haven been found in these graves, another source of information about their daily lives. Some objects found were from foreign lands which provides an insight as to the routes of Viking travel and where they either raided or traded. The most valuable archaeological finds have provided us information about the famous Viking ships they built and sailed pretty much around the known and unexplored regions of Earth that could be reached by sea, except for the south-eastern hemisphere. The ships have been well-preserved and found in burial mounds of important people within the Viking culture. Five ships were excavated in Denmark, where they had been sunk to block a narrow fjord. i
Viking Village Scene |
But who were the Vikings, exactly?
By the 9th century, they turned to piracy and plundering, terrorizing the people of Western Europe and later into Eastern Europe and even the Middle East. Scandinavia escaped being invaded by the Romans and barbarian tribes who overran Roman territories in the late period of the Roman Empire. It is because of this, Scandinavians were left in peace to thrive and grow.
They established a profitable trading link with the Roman Empire and with many of the kingdoms that came to be after the Roman Empire fell. This period of Scandinavian history is known as the Age of Gold. Graves of chieftains of this period have been found with rich treasures.
Denmark Reenactment Viking Village |
Contrary
to belief, not all Vikings were murderous pirates or merciless
explorers, like those that landed in North America after exploring
Greenland. Many stayed home living and working in peace. You might say
it was the warrior class of Scandinavians that developed the negative
reputation of the Scandinavian people who were called Vikings during
that period of history.
GEOGRAPHY
Viking Exploration - Trade Map, Wikipedia |
As
aforementioned, the Vikings were made up of Scandinavians from the
countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and it remains a geographical
location that is a place of contrast in terrain and climate.
Geiranger Fjord, Norway |
Sweden during
the Viking Age was mostly settlements that were in the southern part of
the country, mostly on the shores of lakes and near the Baltic
coastline, where the soil was more fertile. The land in the northern
part of Sweden is mountainous and forested, and weather can be harsh.
Parts of Sweden and Norway lie with the region called the Arctic Circle, where in winter it is dark during the day or night periods.
Norway is a very mountainous country. It's 2,000 mile long coastline has thousands of long, narrow inlets, called fjords,
which are bordered by rocky terrain and mountains. The majority of
Viking settlements in Norway were at the rich soil areas located on the
edges of the fjords and along the country's river valleys. The Norwegian
Vikings would sail out of these tributaries into the open sea and
towards their targeted places to plunder.
VIKING FARMS AND VIKING CULTURE
Nordic Reenactment Village |
Viking
farms had to be self-sufficient, producing food, cloth, leather goods,
and tools. Most farmers owned their farms and operated them with the
help of their families. Others paid those who had no land to perform
some of the skilled tasks required, like planting crops, or working as a
carpenter, blacksmith, a cooper, making barrels for storage. Wealthy
landowners had slaves to perform tasks like spreading manure on the
fields, chopping wood, and digging up peat that was used for fuel.
During
the spring, farmers began preparing the land for planting. In summer,
there was less to do on the farm, so the men would often go on hunting
or raiding expeditions. When the fall approached, farmers would harvest
crops and store food for the winter. In winter, some farmers went
hunting to bring home fresh meat and furs.
Diorama, Viking Village-Port - Wikipedia |
The
Vikings enjoyed drinking beer that was made from barley and hops they
grew, and mead being the favorite – made from honey, water and yeast –
fermented to achieve its alcohol and flavor content.
Wealthy
people could afford to eat wheat bread, considered a luxury because it
was imported. They drank wine made from grapes that were imported from
France and Italy. The Vikings became proficient traders.
As
mentioned, Vikings ate a lot of fish, being a sea people. There were
many varieties of fish available, not only in the sea, but in the rivers
and lakes that included herring, salmon, and cod.
Fish
were caught with traps, nets, and spears. In coastal areas, people
hunted seals and walruses with spears. Whales were also hunted, driving
them into shallow creeks or on to beaches, where they were killed with
spears by men in small boats. Hunting was a good source of food, as well
as providing furs and hides that kept them warm in the winter. Groups
of men would go on hunting trips during the winter to supplement or
replenish food stocks that had been depleted. They killed animals with
spears, bows and arrows, or caught them with traps. Men would climb down
cliffs on a rope to catch sea birds and collect their feathers to be
used as padding in quilts and cloaks for warmth. Cow and goat milk was
used to make cheese and butter. Meat and fish were grilled on spits and
forks. To preserve meat and fish, they were salted and then smoked.
Grain was ground into flour by hand between two stones. They made bowls
from wood and used horns from animals for drinking mugs, as well as
pitchers and mugs made from clay and fired in kiln ovens. Most cooking
and eating utensils were made of wood, except for knives. If a farmer
raised chickens, ducks and geese, they had eggs to add to fruits and
nuts gathered.
Wattle-Daub Construction |
Viking Longhouse [Archaeology Hebrides] |
Clothes
and weapons were hung from pegs, or propped up against the walls.
Valuables and personal clothing, as well as personal bedding, were kept
in large chests.
Viking Longhouse |
Vikings
has little use for furniture, mostly because space was limited in the
Great Halls. Every household had a loom for making cloth. People sat on
stools or on the platforms along the edge of the hall. Tables were used
as a place to eat as well as working surfaces. The master of the house
might have had a chair and a bed to sleep in – both ornately decorated.
Viking Tools |
Others made objects such as pieces for a game board from wood or clay.
Burial sites and pictures carved on stone and wood provide us with an idea of how Vikings dressed.
Chest found in 1936 with tools inside |
Viking-Style Beard/Hair |
Viking Home Scene |
Both
men and women wore jewelry, Vikings being fond of the decoration
sometimes wore many pieces of jewelry. Those that could afford it, their
jewelry was made of silver and gold. Those that could not wear jewelry
made of bronze, copper, and iron created by the casting process. The
most popular ornaments worn by women were tunic brooches that were
usually oval in shape and patterned with animals or spiral geometric
designs. Some were gilded or decorated with silver wire. Women also wore
bead necklaces that sometimes were hung between their tunic brooches.
Both men and women wore rings made of gold, silver, and copper; often
several on each hand. Rings of copper, gold or silver were worn as
bracelets on their wrists or arms. Instead of necklaces, men wore heavy
rings called torques, much in the fashion of the Celts.
Clothing - British Museum |
Viking
women, like Celtic women, received more respect and had more
independence than other women in other countries did at the time. There
are places in Scandinavia that are named after famous women and unlike
other cultures, women were allowed to own land and property. Daughters
would sometimes inherit a share of their parents' estate along with
their brothers. However, as in most societies, women had different
levels of status according to her position and parentage. The wife of a
chieftain had more authority and freedom than the wife of a farm worker.
Parents
usually chose wives and husbands for their children, mostly for
financial or political reasons. Before a wedding, a bridegroom offered a
gift of property of an agreed value to his bride's father. This gift
was called the bridesprice. The bride's father provided his
daughter with a dowry of goods and money. The bridesprice and the dowry
remained the wife's property after marriage. A viking wedding ceremony
was followed by a large feast where many guests would attend. In one
saga, a wedding feast lasted for one month with guests from all over.
Nordic wives were keepers of the keys |
Women
took care of the children when they were young and nursed family
members when they were ill or injured. They had to know how to make
remedies using herbs and minerals. As a sign of status and her
responsibility, the housewife could always be seen carrying the
household keys that were kept on a chain attached to her tunic brooch.
The keys were for doors to the house, her husband's strong box, and
containers containing valuables such as jewels, silks, or precious
spices from the East.
Before
Christianity came to Scandinavia, any man who was not a slave was
allowed to live with several women. He had one proper wife who was head
of the household and usually came from the same social class as himself.
The other women were regarded as household slaves.
Holy Nation of Odin |
She might also reward a skald, a Norse bard, for composing a song or poem which flattered her husband's courage in battle and his generosity as a host.
When
a wife's husband was off trading or fighting, she was responsible for
the farm and his business while he was away. She made decisions on her
husband's behalf and bargained with visiting merchants. A noblewoman was
expected to organize the protection of her home, many women being as
fierce a warrior as their husband, much like the Celtic women.
Old Norse Rune Alphabet |
Archaeological
evidence has provided us with cultural knowledge of the Vikings and
shows that Viking women had professions other than housewife and
business organization in the absence of the husband. Some written texts
mention female skalds and a female who could carve runes, the
Norse writing form. In one woman's grave possessions there were scales,
weights and measures that suggested that she was a merchant or worked in
some capacity at a market. Some women took leading roles in religious
ceremonies and rituals held to worship the Nordic gods. Certain women
played the role of prophetess, able to foretell the future and provide
advice to people concerning their daily lives.
One famous saga/story tells of a famous Viking woman by the name of Freydis, daughter of Eric the Red.
She was a member of the exploring expedition of North America. One
morning a party of native Americans attacked the settlement. Freydis
frightened them off by charging them, beating her chest with a sword.
Later, when a quarrel broke out in the camp between Freydis and two
brothers, she persuaded her husband to kill the brothers and their men.
She took an axe and killed their wives herself.
Codex Runicus, Wikipedia |
Erickson Expedition Viking Ships |
When an image of a Viking ship comes to one's mind, immediately the image of a longship appears.
These well-constructed longships or dragon ships were swift, strong and
light enough to row and carry if necessary. They could be sailed in
shallow waters inland and beached when the Vikings chose to go ashore.
Merchant ships were wider, deeper and slower than longships, carrying 30
to 40 people. Goods and livestock were kept in the middle of the ship –
a sunken space from the deck to the bottom of the ship that would be
called the cargo hold today.
Longship |
VIKING WARRIORS
Viking Swords, British Museum-Archaeology Magazine |
Warriors
carried round wooden shields that averaged 3 feet in diameter that
covered their bodies from chin to knee. Shields were often reinforced
with a metal rim. The shield carrier's hand holding it was protected by a
metal cap called a boss affixed in the middle of the shield.
Some men painted scenes and patterns on their shields. Most warriors
wore helmets made of leather or metal or both. Some had rounded tops
while others were conical in shape that had an eye and nose guard. The
conical helmets usually had just a straight nose piece. As
aforementioned, Vikings did not adorn their helmets with horns or golden
wings.
Replica Viking Weaponry |
Double-Head Axe |
After the Vikings had begun to become professional raiders, chieftains began, in the 9thcentury, to gather and command large forces of several hundred men to venture on expeditions to seek new lands or plunder foreign lands. These armies would be carried by a large fleet of hundreds of longships. One of these fleets was known as the Great Army. In battle, a chosen warrior would carry a banner that was decorated with an emblem that represented the chieftain or tribe that the Viking warriors belonged to. Emblems included images of a serpent, raven, or dragon. Some Vikings believed that the banners had magical powers that would help them in battle, but it was their fierceness as warriors that truly instilled fear in people of foreign lands.
When
Vikings were surrounded in battle, they immediately formed a bodyguard
around the chieftain and often used their shields as a protective wall
against attack and arrows. If the chieftain was killed, his warriors
were expected to fight to the death along their chieftain's body. Berserks
[Berserker] were the most feared of all the Viking warriors. Before a battle they
would make speeches to insult the enemy and boasted their prowess as
warriors. A similar practice was also performed by the Celts of
Britannia. The Berserks demonstrated their bravery by fighting without
wearing protective clothing, which also lightened them in order to fight
more fiercely.
Some
people, among their enemies, believed the Berserks possessed magical
powers that prevented weapons from piercing their skin. One saga
describes how some berserks advanced without mail shirts and were frenzied like dogs and wolves, they bit their shields in their fury.
Viking Stone Axehead |
Most
Viking settlements were small farming communities in fertile lands.
There were a few towns that grew from the prosperity of trade. The most
famous were Hedeby in Denmark and Birka in Sweden. Archaeologists have
excavated Viking towns and settlements at York in England and Dublin in
Ireland.
Viking
towns were crowded and dirty with smoke polluting the air from many
household fires. Craftsmen lived in towns to be near their customers as
well as for protection. Merchants of many nationalities came to buy
goods from Vikings such as slaves, furs, walrus ivory, and falcons. They
also bought items that Viking merchants had brought from the East such
as silks, spices, and wine.
At
the beginning of the Viking Age, people bartered goods and paid for
goods with weighted quantities of silver. The silver was usually foreign
coins or jewelry that traders or plunderers had brought back from
foreign lands. By the 10th century, coins began to be produced throughout Scandinavia. A craftsman called a moneyer stamped out coins from a strip of silver using a die.
In
the early period of the Viking Age, Scandinavia was divided into
several kingdoms, but the kings were not powerful because most of the
community was more loyal to their chieftains than the king. The king
would conduct religious rituals and lead in battle. He was expected to
keep a large force of warriors and ships to protect the people and the
lands. When a king died, his oldest son did not automatically succeed
him. A new king was chosen from the members of the royal family. The
candidate's age, reputation, health and popularity would be considered
before making the choice.
VIKING SOCIAL CLASSES
Apart from the royal class of kings, there were three main groups within Viking society – jarls, karls, and thralls.
JARLS
The
wealthiest and powerful people of Viking culture, the Jarls were the
chieftains and aristocracy that owned and ruled large areas of land. A
Jarl usually had a small band of warriors that would fight for him and
with him if needed. If he decided to go a-Viking, many men from his community would join the expedition.
KARLS
This
was the largest group in Viking society who were free men and women –
you might say they were the middle class. Many karls owned farmsteads;
while others rented land from rich landowners. In the Viking Age, a
man's land was usually inherited by his eldest son. Younger sons had to
make their own fortunes, so they joined raiding parties to seek wealth
or became professional warriors or merchants. Others became hunters,
fishermen, or craftsmen. Poorer karls without land would be servants or
farm workers.
THRALLS
Viking slaves were called thralls.
They had no rights and were bought and sold like any piece of property.
Many of the thralls were captured in raids or wars. Some were karls who
had lost their freedom after going bankrupt or committing a crime.
Children of thralls remained in the same class as their parents. Most
thralls were household servants or farm workers. A few who were gifted
worked as craftsmen who actually earned a wage. Those who worked hard
and save enough money could purchase their freedom for themselves and
their family.
VIKING FAMILIES
BBC: Viking Family Life |
A
Viking's honor and reputation was the most highly prized possession –
male or female. A warrior's worth was judged by his courage, fighting
skills, how many adventures had been undertaken, how far adventures had
taken him, and how successful his expeditions were. All freemen and free
women were expected to be loyal to their friends, followers, and
chieftains.
VIKING GOVERNMENT
βing - Vikingsgraad
|
Anyone
suspected of a crime were brought to a trial. If the evidence against
him/her was inconclusive, other methods of determining guilt were used.
For example, people could be tried by ordeal. Women had to pick stones
out of boiling water and men had to carry red-hot iron pieces a few
paces. If they dropped the stones or the hot iron, they were considered
guilty. Those who succeeded were given medical treatment. After a week
they were examined and if the wounds had shown progress in healing, the
person was declared innocent. Some men chose to undergo trial by combat
to settle a dispute. They fought until one was killed or surrendered. A
criminal's punishment was decided by the Thing.
He or she could be fined, reduced to slavery or exiled. An exiled
person had no protection of the law and anyone could kill him, if he or
she did not depart quickly. Vikings believed that everyone was worth a
certain sum of money, called their wergeld. For example, a warrior's wergeld was worth more than a fisherman's wergeld. A murderer had to pay a wergeld to his victim's parents.
VIKING FUNERALS
The
most spectacular burials were those of royal family. The body and grave
goods were put in a ship which was either buried or burned. The Vikings
believed that the ship and its occupant sailed off to Asgard, the land
of the Norse gods.
In 921, an Arab diplomat called Ibn Fadlan was journeying through Russia and met a band of Viking warrior merchants, known as the Rus. Fadlan witnessed a chieftain's body being cremated on a ship and wrote an account of what he had seen. The dead chieftain was laid in a tent on the deck of a longship. Around him, family and friends placed many treasures and other possessions. A slave girl volunteered to accompany her master into the next life and was given a pain-killing drink. Then an Angel of Death, an old woman, strangled the girl and her body was placed on the ship within the shelter her master laid in. The ship was set on fire and later a mound of earth was piled over the ashes. Ibn Fadlan revealed much about Nordic vulture. and his memoir was what the film The 13th Warrior was loosely based upon.
In 921, an Arab diplomat called Ibn Fadlan was journeying through Russia and met a band of Viking warrior merchants, known as the Rus. Fadlan witnessed a chieftain's body being cremated on a ship and wrote an account of what he had seen. The dead chieftain was laid in a tent on the deck of a longship. Around him, family and friends placed many treasures and other possessions. A slave girl volunteered to accompany her master into the next life and was given a pain-killing drink. Then an Angel of Death, an old woman, strangled the girl and her body was placed on the ship within the shelter her master laid in. The ship was set on fire and later a mound of earth was piled over the ashes. Ibn Fadlan revealed much about Nordic vulture. and his memoir was what the film The 13th Warrior was loosely based upon.
Some
people stacked stones or placed large rock in memory of their dead
relatives, particularly those Vikings who had died abroad and whose
bodies never returned home. Memorial stones had inscriptions or pictures
on them. Some people who could not afford a ship burial had graves
outlined with stones in the shape of a boat.
In
1888, a Viking burial ship was uncovered in Gokstad, Norway. It had
been built around 850 and used 50 years later as a royal funeral ship.
The blue clay that was around the ship kept it well-preserved. Inside
was a small wooden chamber on deck that contained the body of a king.
His huge cargo of burial goods included six dogs, 12 horses, and a
peacock. A Viking ship built 50 years earlier than the Gokstad ship was
excavated at Oseberg, Norway, in 1903. The bodies of the queen and her
maids were also aboard. Packed into the hold of the ship was a
collection of decorated wooden furniture that included four sledges,
three beds and many kitchen utensils. It is finds like these that
provide us with so much information about the Vikings.
VIKING RELIGION: Gods, Goddesses and Supernatural Beings
The Vikings believed that some souls came back to haunt the living, and they named these creatures – Dead Walkers. The could be vicious and have supernatural strength.
Viking Warrior Reenactment, Irish Archaeology |
Odin on horseback with his Ravens flying overhead |
The Norse universe had three levels. On the highest level there was a heavenly place called Asgard. This is where the gods lived in beautiful halls with their servants and followers.
On the middle level was the world where humans lived, called Midgard. Asgard and Midgard were connected by a flaming rainbow bridge called Bifrost. Surrounding Midgard was an ocean inhabited by a serpent called Jormungard.
The lowest level is where the land of the dead called Niflheim, an icy place of eternal darkness and another area called Muspellheim, the land of fire.
There were two main types of Norse gods and goddesses – the Vanir and the Aesir.
The Vanir were the fertility deities who made crops grow and were
worshipped by farmers. Fighting men worshipped the Aesir, who were
warrior gods. The following are the key deities of Viking pagan religion
–
Odin and Frigg
Odin Symbol |
Thor
was the son of Odin and the Earth. He was known for his love of feasts,
excessive drinking and ferocious fighting. He had a flaming red beard
and long red hair to match his fiery temper. Thor was the god of law and
order, he controlled his enemies with his super strength and with his
magic hammer called Mjollnir.
Thor raced through the skies in a chariot drawn by two giant goats.
People thought the sound of thunder was the sound of Thor's chariot
wheels.
Frey
was the god of fertility. He made the sun shine, the rain fall, and the
crops grow. In Sweden, at harvest time, a statue of Frey was pulled
around the countryside in a cart. People thought that this would ensure
health and their harvests be fruitful. Frey's twin sister, Freya, was
the goddess of love and death. Two great cats pulled her chariot through
the sky. She had magic powers that allowed her to predict the future
and transform herself into many different shapes and disguises.
Loki
was the son of two giants, but he was also said to be Odin's blood
brother. He could change his shape and become any animal he chose. Loki
was handsome and clever, but increasingly became cunning and dishonest.
His practical jokes often had terrible consequences.
Giants and Dwarfs
Giants
and dwarfs lived in two separate worlds that lay across the ocean from
Midgard. Giants were evil and lived in mountains. They often played
tricks upon mortals with their magic. Dwarfs lived in caves under the
mountains. They were misshapen ugly creatures who were greedy for power,
gold and beautiful women. They were skilled goldsmiths.
WORSHIPING THE NORSE GODS AND GODDESSES
Nordic Architecture |
What
we do know is mostly from archaeological evidence and that Vikings
conducted their religious ceremonies in the open countryside among
trees, on hillsides and near springs – places they considered to be
holy. Vikings also built temples to worship in. One written account
describes a highly decorated building with elaborately carved pillars,
golden ornaments and statues of Norse deities. Another document
describes a temple which contains a life-size statue of Thor sitting in a
chariot pulled by rams. These sites were destroyed by Christians when
they converted Scandinavia to Christianity, leaving little evidence to
back up the written accounts.
Normally,
religious rituals were conducted by the local leader, such as a
chieftain or wealthy landlord. They performed sacrifices and rituals on
behalf of the people of the community, offering weapons and jewels by
throwing them into bogs or rivers. At Uppsala, Sweden and Lejre,
Denmark, a huge festival was held every ninth year. Adam, a Christian
monk from Bremen, Germany, wrote an account of what took place at the
Uppsala festival which lasted nine days and nights. Every day a man and a
variety of male animals were sacrificed and their bodies hung on trees
in a grove near the temple. At Lejre, 99 men and 99 horses, dogs, and
cocks were sacrificed and hung in a sacred grove. Food was also offered
to the gods in these places and amulets were hung in the trees along
with the sacrificed animals and humans. The center of the ceremony was a
stone altar, where the chieftain would perform the prescribed ceremony.
The feasts would usually be in a large hall, where guest warriors would
hang their weapons and shields on the walls as a sign of peace and
goodwill. Guests were entertained by storytellers and by poets called skald
who recited poems, sometimes singing them as ballads. Acrobats and
other performers would also entertain the host and guests. Wine was a
luxury because it was imported, usually from France or Germany –
available for the special occasion. A lot of food and ale, including
honey mead was available as well.
Vikings
prayed to their gods and goddesses in their daily lives, reciting
spells, and asking for protection from evil. They believed witches used
clippings from a victim's hair or nails to control them. Many people
wore charms called amulets to bring them good fortune and counter any
evil spell being made against them.
Viking Prophetess Freya |
Of
course, when it comes to written accounts, it is the sagas of the
Vikings that provides us with tales of adventures and battles, as well
as something about the gods and goddesses they worshiped. The first
sagas to be written were recorded by Christian monks in Iceland in the
12thcentury.
Writing performed by the Vikings were written in runes, marks and
letters that made up the Nordic written language. The angular shape of
runes made it easier to carve or scratch into stones, bones, or wood.
The actual Viking alphabet was known as futhark,
named so after the sounds of the first six runes. It contained 16
runes, which was not enough for every sound in their language. This made
the formation of words difficult.
CHRISTIANITY IN THE VIKING AGE
Viking Cross found in Sweden |
Missionaries,
as they were later called, were sent by the leader of the Roman
Catholic Church, the Pope, the first organized church of Christianity,
to convert people in the new kingdoms of western Europe. During the 9thand 10thcenturies,
missionaries from Rome and Constantinople began spreading the word to
the people of central and eastern Europe. Their teachings and evangelism
led to converts among people like the Magyrs (Hungary) and the Slaves
of eastern Europe and Russia.
Nordic Law Book |
It
took almost two centuries to convert Scandinavia to Christianity. The
first Christians to go there were probably slaves captured on raids, or
European merchants who visited towns like Birka and Hedeby. Later
missionaries were sent by the Church to all Scandinavian countries on a
specific mission to fully convert the populace. Their mission was clear –
they could not only preach and teach what Jesus the Christ had taught,
but also stop the raids that terrorized the people all over Europe
through the Scandinavian conversion to Christianity. Vikings made
monasteries and churches their main target on raids because they held
relics of gold and other valuables within.
The first missionaries arrived in Denmark in the 8thcentury, their success was, at first, limited. Most were ignored, but the unlucky one were forced into slavery or killed.
In 965, Harald Blue-Tooth,
the King of Denmark, became a Christian. Only a few of his subjects
followed his example wholeheartedly, but he claimed, as was written on
the Jelling Stone in a runic inscription to have made the Danes Christians. The stone included an image of Jesus the Christ. During the reign of Harald's grandson, Cnut (pronounced ka-noot),
king of Denmark and England, English missionaries worked steadily to
convert the Danes. Eventually the Danish people fully accepted
Christianity and, in 1104, a Danish man was made an archbishop, one of
the highest ranking clergymen in the Catholic Church.
The Norwegians were persuaded to adopt Christianity by two of their kings, Olaf Tryggvason and Olaf Haraldson.
Both kings used threats and violence to force some of their subjects to
be baptized. Olaf Haraldson was made the first patron saint of
Scandinavia. After his death, people claimed to see miracles at his
grave site.
Olaf
Tryggvason also used force to persuade settlers in Iceland to become
Christians. For example, he threatened to kill any Icelanders living in
or visiting Norway unless the islanders converted. Finally after a long
debate at the Althing,
Christianity became the official religion of the Norwegian state.
However, for years after the decision, people on the island secretly
worshiped Norse gods.
Sweden
was the last country to adopt Christianity. Missionaries were sent by
the Roman Catholic Church in Germany to work among the Swedes. King Olof Skötkonung of
Sweden was baptized in 1008, and Christianity became the country's
official religion. However, just as in Norway, many Swedes continued to
secretly worship the traditional Norse deities, keeping the old religion
almost 100 years after Christianity became an official religion. Olof
caused a public uprising when he ordered his men to cut down the sacred
groves where Vikings worshiped. Statues of the Norse gods were taken
down and dragged through the streets.
When
Christianity first arrived in Scandinavia, the new religion and old
religion existed together. Some people just added the Christian god to
their list of Norse deities they already worshiped. Viking customs, such
as sacrificing humans, killing weak children and burying grave goods
with people were soon forbidden. Gradually, Christian churches could be
seen all over Scandinavia. It was the beginning of the end of the Viking
Age and the Vikings as well.
AGE OF VIKING KINGS
During
the Viking Age, Norway, Sweden and Denmark developed into separate
kingdoms, each united under one monarch. People began to see the
advantage of this when trade flourished and foreign relations grew, as
well as stability.
Denmark was ruled by one king as early as the 9thcentury,
but little is known about Harald Blue-Tooth except what has been
previously mentioned. It is thought that during his reign, Harald built
royal fortresses, using them to reinforce his personal and military
power following his defeat by the German emperor in 974 at Danevirke on
the southern border of Denmark. Sweyn Forkbeard,
Harald's son, grew impatient to inherit the throne, so in 987, he
overthrew his father and seized the crown. Harald died soon afterward in
exile. Sweyn was a ruthless military leader. He maintained Danish
control over Norway and conquered England in 1013. He died a year later.
Sweyn's
son, Cnut, inherited the Danish empire from his father in 1014. He was
the most powerful king to rule during the Viking Age. He seized part of
Sweden and enlarged his kingdom. But when he died in 1035 his empire
soon collapsed. Stability returned when Sweyn Estridsson, Cnut's nephew, came to power in 1047.
Norway was united under a single monarch in 880, when Harald Finehair became King of Norway. He was a popular king, celebrated in poems and sagas. Harald's son,Eric Bloodaxe,
inherited the throne in 930. Eric was harsh and cruel, and he was soon
overthrown and the throne went to his brother, Hakon. But Hakon was
killed in 940 in a battle waged by the sons of Eric Bloodaxe, led by one
of the sons, Harald Grey-cloak. The victors divided Norway with King Harald acting as overall ruler.
In 995, Harald Finehair's grandson, Olaf Tryggvason,
returned to Norway after on raiding expeditions. He drove out Jarl
Hakon and seized the throne. Olaf ruled for five years, until he was
deposed by Sweyn Forkbeard, King Olof of Sweden and Jarl Hakon's son, Eric Hakon.
The battle that followed was fought at sea in longships. When Olaf
Tryggvason realized his men were outnumbered and facing defeat, he dove
overboard, preferring to drown rather than be captured and humiliated by
the enemy. Some stories claim he survived and became a monk in Syria.
After the battle, Norway was shared by the victors. But in 1015 the throne was seized by Olaf Haraldsson.
He forced his subjects to convert to Christianity and strengthened his
control of the Orkney and Shetland Islands. He also reformed Norway's
laws.
In
1028, Olaf and the King of Sweden waged war on Cnut of Denmark. They
were defeated by Cnut's army and Olaf was exiled to Russia. He returned
to attempt to regain his throne in 1030, but was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad.
In
1035, Olaf Haraldsson's son, Magnus the Good, returned from exile in
Russia. The people of Norway chose him to be their king in preference to
the Danish king, Cnut. When Magnus died in 1047 without an heir, his
uncle, Harald Hardrada (meaning “the ruthless”)
became King of Norway. At the age of fifteen, Harald was wounded at the
Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. He escaped to Kiev, where he served in
the army of King Yaroslav before joining the Varangian Guardin
Constantinople. Harald was a powerful king, but his reign was plagued
by conflict within Norway and a war against Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark.
He was eventually forced to give up the Danish throne, although the
Norwegian throne remained in his family for many generations.
Sweden was divided between two people at the beginning of the Viking Age – the Svear and the Gautes. By the 8thcentury, the Svear had become more dominant. The first powerful Swedish king, according to sagas and legend, was Eric the Victorious. He ruled Sweden at the end of the 10thcentury.
Eric's son, Olof Skötkonung,
became the ruler in 995 and converted to Christianity in 1008. He tried
to make Christianity the official state religion, but most of his
subjects still worshiped the Norse deities. His reign was plagued by
uprisings. When Olof destroyed the temple at Uppsala, the people
rebelled violently.
Norwegian
and Danish raiders first appeared off English shores in the early 790s.
The inhabitants of England at the time were primarily Anglo-Saxon descendents who adopted Christianity, and were farmers, scholars and craftsmen. This attracted
the Norsemen as a place of choice to raid and the rumors of golden loot in monasteries.
In
793, a band of warriors attacked St. Culbert's church on the island of
Lindisfarne on the northeast coast of England. Many monks were
slaughtered and the church was looted and destroyed. Soon after, similar
raids took place at Iona and Jarrow. Most Viking raids took place in
the summer months when the weather was good for sailing. The raiders
usually attacked in the night or when it was foggy for an element of
surprise. They sailed or rowed their longships far inland via rivers and
estuaries. Then the ships were beached and the warriors disembarked to
began their looting, raping and killing spree. Some captives were taken
to be kept or sold as slaves. Raids lasted only a few days, so Vikings
were gone by the time reinforcements arrived or a rescue party could be
gathered. Raids on England became more frequent, but starting in 851,
the tactics of Viking attacks changed. Raiding parties began to stay for
the winter and built camps instead of sailing back home after the raid.
In 865, a huge Danish fleet set out to conquer England, the force known as the Great Army, led by the three sons of Ragnar Lodbrok to
avenge their father's death. The Great Army landed and began
slaughtering the people of East Anglia. The following year they captured
York. By 869, they had seized land all over Northumbria, East Anglia,
and Mercia. Ragner's sons caught their father's killer, the King of
Northumbria, and tortured him to death.
In 870, part of the Great Army, led by a Dane called Guthrum,
marched on Wessex, the most powerful kingdom in England at the time.
But Alfred, King of Wessex, resisted with his army. After several
setbacks, Alfred, after almost being captured by the Vikings, he hid in
the Somerset marshes. After that, Alfred reorganized his army and
started building fortified positions in towns and a navy of his own. He
finally defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington in 878. After his
victory, Alfred was able to force the Danes to accept him as their
overlord. He also forced them to become Christians. An area was set
aside and established for the Danes to live in accordance with their
customs and laws, the place being named Danelaw.
It was an area that ran from Chester to London. However, the peace
didn't last long and soon Alfred's descendants wanted the Danes off
English soil forever. In 926, Alfred's grandson, Athelstan, defeated the Danes at the Battle of Brunanburgh, seized the Danelaw and became the first King of England.
Anglo-Saxon
kings ruled England until the reign of Ethelred (978-1016), when a new
wave of Viking raids took place. Ethelred was a weak leader and even
bribed the Danes with silver to go away. This money was known as Danegold and
was raised by taxes. Ethelred soon became desperate and ordered all
Danes living on English soil to be killed. Many of them were murdered
and this event became known as the Massacre of St. Brice's Day.
Angered by the murder of so many of his countrymen, King Sweyn Forkbeard of
Denmark invaded England in 1013. The Anglo-Saxons offered him the
English throne to stop the destruction caused by Viking armies, but
Sweyn ruled England for only one year when he died.
Sweyn's
son, Cnut of Denmark, became King of England in 1016. He married
Ethelred's widow and tried to act like an Anglo-Saxon king. He sent home
part of the Danish fleet, kept a bodyguard of only 2,000 men, and used
English advisers to help him rule wisely. When Cnut died in 1035, his
sons fought each other for the English throne. Harald ruled until 1040,
then Harathacnut. But when he died in 1042, Ethelred's son, Edward, became king.
In the late 8thcentury,
Norwegian raiding parties sailed west, across the North Sea, looking
for new, poorly defended land to raid and plunder. First they reached
the Shetland Islands, which were only a one-day voyage from Norway with a
good wind in their sail. From there they sailed to other islands,
including the Orkneys, the Faroes and the Hebrides. Some raiding parties continued to Scotland, while others ventured south to Wales and Ireland.
Some of the islands in the Atlantic Ocean had originally been discovered and settled by Irish monks in the 6thcentury.
But many of these monks fled when the Vikings arrived. The Vikings used
those islands for bases from which they would attack Ireland and
Scotland. Eventually Norwegians settled in these places they had
plundered and lived in peace. They found good agricultural land and
prospered there.
Viking Ship |
Raiding
parties sailed toward Scotland, plundering islands called Skye and Iona
on their way. The monastery of Iona was attacked in 795, 802, and 806 –
so the monks finally abandoned it, fleeing to Ireland. Some Viking
crews who reached Scotland decided to settle there and started farming
the land. Some sent for their families to join them, while others
married into the local Pict people, as well as the Scots, an Irish tribe
that settled in Scotland in the 6thcentury.
In time, people forgot their original origins and considered themselves
to be Scots. Later in history, royal families of Scotland and Norway
were joined in marriage. Either way, the Viking heritage can be traced
not only in Scandinavia, but in Ireland and Scotland as well among the
Celtic descendants. It might be why the Scots and Irish became famous
(or notorious) for their feisty nature.
Isle of Man |
While
times changed, and Vikings settled into a more quieter life among the
people they had conquered or subdued, it was Christianity, the new religion
that changed the pagan world drastically and its traditions becoming
extinct, along with the Vikings who now became Danes, Swedes, et cetera.
The Vikings who had been converted to Christianity no longer longed for
the combative and rowdy ways of the pagan Viking, whose polytheism
changed to monotheism and they developed into a more cultured society,
unifying under one monarchy. No longer would the feared arrival of
Viking ships on the shores of Europe and the Near East occur, while
inhabitants sought escape and refuge from a horrible death or slavery,
burying their treasures to prevent the Vikings looting it – later to be
found by archaeologists in the modern era providing an insight upon the
culture and daily life of people in that point in history.
The following Viking Proverb describes the mindset of the average Norseman:
Praise not the day until evening has come; a woman until she is burnt; va sword until it is tried; a maiden until she is married; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk.
Secrets of the Viking Sword
NOTE: Since this article was written, Viking reenactment and Live-Action Role Playing (LARP) where groups can be found in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and in Scandinavia where the Viking culture began.
i Fjord – A long, narrow inlet of the sea which runs inland between high cliffs. The coastline of Scandinavia has many fjords.
ii Wattle and daub
– A type of wall which is made by weaving long, flexible twigs together
to form a framework. This framework is then covered with a mixture of
straw and mud, which dries into a hard plaster-like covering.
iii If you wondered where the term for the darkest place of purgatory came from, now you know.
iv Beginning in the 7th century after the death of Mohammad the prophet, founder of Islam.
v “Burnt” meaning the practice of cremation of the dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment
No SPAM, please. If you wish to advertise or promote website, contact me.