Vikings habitat on the map. Vikings. History of the conquerors. Family and home

The most striking events in history can rightfully be considered the campaigns of the Vikings, as they themselves will rightly be called very interesting figures in the period from the 9th to the 11th century. The word "viking" itself roughly means "sailing in the sea." In the native language of the Normans, "wick" means "fiord", which in our opinion would be "bay". Therefore, many sources interpret the word "viking" as "man from the bay." A common question "Where did the Vikings live?" would be as out of place as saying that "Viking" and "Scandinavian" are one and the same. In the first case, we are talking about a person, in the second - about belonging to a particular people.

With regards to belonging to a certain ethnic group, it is difficult to identify it, since the Vikings settled down in the occupied territories, saturated with all the local "benefits", as well as saturated with the culture of these lands. The same can be said about the names given to the "people of the fort" by various peoples. Everything depended on the place where the Vikings lived. Normans, Varangians, Danes, Rus - such names were given to the "sea army" on more and more shores where they landed.

A lot of myths and misconceptions hover around the vivid historical characters, which were the Vikings. Where did the Norman invaders live, what did they do besides their campaigns and raids, and whether they did anything other than them at all - very delicate questions that torment the heads of historians to this day. However, today it is possible to deduce at least seven misconceptions regarding the "Scandinavian barbarians".

Cruelty and lust for conquest

In most films, books and other entertainment resources, the Vikings appear before us as bloodthirsty barbarians who cannot imagine their life without the daily sticking of their ax into someone's skull.

The initial reason for the military campaigns among the Normans was the overpopulation of the Scandinavian lands, where the Vikings lived. Plus the constant feuds of clans. Both that and another forced a considerable part of the population to go in search of a better life. And the river robbery became nothing more than a bonus to their difficult journey. Naturally, poorly fortified European cities became easy prey for seafarers. However, as for other peoples - the French, British, Arabs and others, who also did not disdain bloodshed for the benefit of their pockets. Suffice it to recall that all this took place in the Middle Ages, and this method of profit was equally attractive to representatives of various powers. And the national tendency to bloodshed had nothing to do with it.

Hostility

Another statement that the Vikings were hostile to everyone except themselves is also a delusion. In fact, foreigners could both take advantage of the hospitality of the Normans and join their ranks. Many historical records confirm that French, Italians and Russians may have met among the Vikings. The example of the stay in the Scandinavian possessions of Ansgaria - the messenger of Louis the Pious - is another proof of the hospitality of the Vikings. You can also recall the Arab ambassador Ibn Fadlan - the film "The 13th Warrior" was filmed based on this story.

Natives of Scandinavia

Although, contrary to the above remark, the Vikings are equated with the Scandinavians - this is a deep delusion, which is explained by the fact that the Vikings lived in Greenland, Iceland, as well as France and even Ancient Russia. The mere statement that all "people of the fiord" are from Scandinavia is a mistake.

Where the Vikings lived at the beginning of the Middle Ages is an inappropriate question, since the "sea community" itself could include various nationalities, from different lands. Among other things, it is worth noting the fact that the French king at ease gave part of the lands to the Vikings, and they, in gratitude, became the guardians of France when the enemy "from outside" attacked her. It is not an uncommon case that this enemy was also the Vikings from other lands. By the way, this is how the name "Normandy" appeared.

Filthy pagan savages

Another oversight of many figures-narrators of the past is the portrayal of the Vikings as people of dirty, unclean and wild people. And again, this is not true. And proof of this is the finds that were recovered during excavations in various places where the Vikings lived.

Mirrors, ridges, baths - all these remnants of an ancient culture, found during excavations, confirmed that the Normans were a clean people. And these finds were excavated not only in Sweden, Denmark, but also in Greenland, Iceland and other lands, including the Sarskoe settlement, where the Vikings lived on the banks of the Volga, which was located in the territory of Ancient Russia. In addition to everything else, it is not uncommon for the remains of soap made by the hands of the Normans themselves to be found. Once again proves their cleanliness and the joke of the British, which sounded approximately like this: "The Vikings are so clean that they even go to the bathhouse once a week." It does not hurt to recall that the Europeans themselves visited the bathhouse much less often.

Two-meter blondes

Another incorrect statement, as the remains of the bodies of the Vikings suggest otherwise. Those who are represented as tall warriors with blond hair, in fact, in height reached no more than 170 centimeters. The vegetation on the head of these people was of different colors. The only thing that is undeniable is the preference for this type of hair among the Normans themselves. This was facilitated by the use of a special dye soap.

Vikings and Ancient Russia

On the one hand, it is believed that the Vikings were directly related to the formation of Russia as a great power. On the other hand, there are sources that deny their participation in any event in history. Historians are especially controversial about Rurik's belonging to the Scandinavians, and vice versa. Nevertheless, the name Rurik is close to the Norman Rerek - that is how many boys were called in Scandinavia. The same can be said about Oleg, Igor - his relative and son. And his wife Olga. Just look at their Norman counterparts - Helge, Ingvar, Helga.

Many sources (almost all) unanimously declare that the possessions of the Vikings extended to the Caspian and Black Seas. In addition, to reach the Caliphate, the Normans used the crossings across the Dnieper, Volga and many other rivers flowing in the territory of Ancient Rus. The presence of commercial transactions in the region of the Sarsk settlement, where the Vikings lived on the Volga, was also repeatedly noted. In addition, raids accompanied by robberies in the area of ​​Staraya Ladoga and the Gnezdovsky kurgans were often mentioned, which also confirms the presence of Norman settlements on the territory of Ancient Rus. By the way, the word "Rus" also belongs to the Vikings. Even in the "Tale of Bygone Years" it was said that "Rurik came with all his Russia."

The exact location where the Vikings lived - on the banks of the Volga or not - is controversial. Some sources mention that they were based right next to their forts. Others argue that the Normans preferred a neutral space between water and large settlements.

Horns on helmets

And another misconception is the presence of horns on the top of the Norman military attire. For all the time of excavation and research in the places where the Vikings lived, no helmets with horns were found, with the exception of one, which was found in one of the burial grounds of the Normans.

But an isolated case does not provide grounds for such a generalization. Although this image can be interpreted in another way. This is how it was beneficial to introduce the Vikings to the Christian world, which ranks them among the offspring of the devil. And everything that has to do with Satan, Christians for some reason necessarily have horns.

Vikings- early medieval mainly Scandinavian sailors, in the VIII-XI centuries, made sea voyages from Vinland to Biarmia and from the Caspian Sea to North Africa. For the most part, these were free peasants who lived in the territory of modern Sweden, Denmark and Norway, who were pushed outside their native countries by overpopulation and the thirst for easy money. By religion, they are overwhelmingly pagans.
Swedish Vikings and Vikings from the Baltic coast, as a rule, traveled to the east and appeared in Old Russian and Byzantine sources under the name of the Varangians. The Norwegian and Danish Vikings moved for the most part to the west and are known from Latin sources under the name of the Normans. The Scandinavian sagas provide insight into the Vikings from within their society, but this source should be approached with caution due to the often late date of their compilation and recording. Other non-Scandinavian peoples of the Baltic were also seen participating in the Viking movement. The Baltic Slavs (Vendians) belonged to the Vikings, in particular, the Wagras and Ruians became famous for their pirate raids on Scandinavia and Denmark. This information has also been preserved in the sagas. In the "Saga of Hakone the Good" it is written "Then the Hakon Konung sailed east along the banks of the Skane and ravaged the country, took ransoms and taxes and killed the Vikings, where he only found them, both Danes and Wends."
Lifestyle... Abroad, the Vikings acted as robbers, conquerors and traders, and at home they mainly worked the land, hunted, fished and raised livestock. An independent peasant, working alone or with his family, formed the backbone of Scandinavian society. No matter how small his allotment was, he remained free and was not tied as a serf to the land that belonged to another person. Kinship ties were highly developed in all strata of Scandinavian society, and in important matters its members usually acted together with relatives. The clans jealously guarded the good names of their fellow tribesmen, and trampling on the honor of one of them often led to violent feuds. Women in the family played an important role. They could own property, decide on their own about marriage and divorce from the wrong spouse. However, outside the family home, women's participation in public life remained insignificant.
Food... During Viking times, most people ate twice a day. The main products were meat, fish and cereal grains. Meat and fish were usually boiled, less often fried. For storage, these products were dried and salted. The cereals used were rye, oats, barley and several types of wheat. Usually porridge was made from their grains, but sometimes bread was baked. Vegetables and fruits were rarely eaten. For drinks, they consumed milk, beer, fermented mead, and in the upper classes of society - imported wine.
Clothing. Peasant clothing consisted of a long woolen shirt, short baggy pants, stockings, and a rectangular cape. The upper class Vikings wore long pants, socks, and capes in bright colors. Woolen mittens and hats were in use, as well as fur hats and even felt hats. High society women usually wore long clothes, which consisted of a bodice and a skirt. Thin chains hung from the buckles on the clothes, to which were attached scissors and a case for needles, a knife, keys and other small items. Married women wore their hair in a bun and wore tapered white linen caps. The unmarried girls had their hair tied up with a ribbon.
Dwelling. Peasant dwellings were usually simple one-room houses, built either from tightly fitted vertical beams, or more often from wicker vine coated with clay. Wealthy people usually lived in a large rectangular house, which housed numerous relatives. In heavily forested Scandinavia, such houses were built from wood, often combined with clay, while in Iceland and Greenland, in conditions of a shortage of wood, local stone was widely used. Walls 90 cm or more thick were folded there. Roofs were usually covered with peat. The central living room of the house was low and dark, with a long hearth in the middle. They cooked, ate and slept there. Sometimes inside the house, along the walls, pillars were installed in a row to support the roof, and the side rooms that were fenced off in this way were used as bedrooms.

Literature and art. The Vikings appreciated skill in combat, but they also revered literature, history and art. Viking literature existed in oral form, and only some time after the end of the Viking Age did the first written works appear. The runic alphabet was then used only for inscriptions on tombstones, for magic spells and short messages. But Iceland has a rich folklore. It was recorded at the end of the Viking Age using the Latin alphabet by scribes who wanted to immortalize the exploits of their ancestors. Among the treasures of Icelandic literature stand out the long prose narratives known as sagas. They are classified into three main types. In the most important, the so-called. family sagas describe real characters of the Viking Age. Several dozen family sagas have survived, five of which are comparable in size to large novels. The other two types are historical sagas about the Norse kings and the settlement of Iceland, and fictional adventure sagas from the end of the Viking age, reflecting the influence of the Byzantine Empire and India. Viking art was primarily decorative. The predominant motifs - whimsical animals and energetic abstract compositions of intertwining ribbons - have been used in wood carvings, fine gold and silver work, and runestones and monuments that have been erected to capture important events.
Religion. In the beginning, the Vikings worshiped pagan gods and goddesses. The most important of them were Thor, Odin, Frey and the goddess Freya, less important were Njord, Ull, Balder and several other household gods. The gods were worshiped in temples or in sacred forests, groves and springs. The Vikings also believed in many supernatural beings: trolls, elves, giants, aquatic and magical inhabitants of forests, hills and rivers. Bloody sacrifices were often performed. The sacrificial animals were usually eaten by the priest and his entourage at the feasts that were held in the temples. There were also human sacrifices, even ritual murders of kings for the welfare of the country. In addition to the priests and priestesses, there were sorcerers who practiced black magic. People of the Viking age attached great importance to luck as a type of spiritual strength inherent in any person, but especially leaders and kings. Nevertheless, this era was characterized by a pessimistic and fatalistic attitude. Fate was presented as an independent factor standing above gods and people. According to some poets and philosophers, people and gods were doomed to go through a powerful struggle and cataclysm known as Ragnarök (Iceland - "end of the world"). Christianity spread slowly northward and presented an attractive alternative to paganism. In Denmark and Norway, Christianity was established in the 10th century, the Icelandic leaders adopted a new religion in 1000, and Sweden in the 11th century, but in the north of this country pagan beliefs persisted until the beginning of the 12th century.
Military art
Viking treks. Detailed information about the Viking campaigns is known mainly from the written messages of the victims, who did not spare paints to describe the devastation that the Scandinavians carried with them. The first campaigns of the Vikings were made according to the principle of "fight and flight". Without warning, they appeared from the sea on light high-speed ships and struck at poorly protected objects known for their wealth. The Vikings chopped down a few defenders with swords, and the rest of the inhabitants were enslaved, seized values, all the rest they set on fire. Gradually, they began to use horses in their campaigns.
Weapon. The Vikings' weapons were bow and arrows, as well as a variety of swords, spears and battle axes. Swords and spearheads and arrows were usually made of iron or steel. For bows, yew or elm wood was preferred, and braided hair was usually used as a bowstring. Viking shields were round or oval in shape. Usually, light pieces of linden wood, chipped along the edge and across with iron strips, went to the shields. A pointed plaque was located in the center of the shield. For protection, warriors also wore metal or leather helmets, often with horns, and warriors from the nobility often wore chain mail.

Viking ships. The highest technical achievement of the Vikings was their warships. These boats, kept in exemplary order, were often described with great love in Viking poetry and were a source of pride for them. The narrow frame of such a vessel was very convenient for approaching the shore and fast passage along rivers and lakes. Lighter ships were especially suited for surprise attacks; they could be dragged from one river to another in order to bypass rapids, waterfalls, dams and fortifications. The disadvantage of these ships was that they were not sufficiently adapted for long voyages on the high seas, which was compensated by the navigational art of the Vikings. Viking boats varied in the number of pairs of rowing oars, large ships - in the number of rowing benches. Thirteen pairs of oars determined the minimum size of a combat vessel. The very first ships were designed for 40-80 people each, and the large keeled ship was 11th century. accommodated several hundred people. Such large combat units exceeded 46 m in length. Ships were often built from boards laid in rows with overlapping and fastened with curved frames. Above the waterline, most of the warships were brightly colored. Carved dragon heads, sometimes gilded, adorned the prows of ships. The same decoration could be at the stern, and in some cases there was a wriggling dragon's tail. When sailing in the waters of Scandinavia, these decorations were usually removed so as not to frighten the good spirits. Often, when approaching the port, shields were hung out in a row on the sides of the ships, but this was not allowed on the high seas.
Viking ships moved with sails and oars. A simple square sail, made of rough canvas, was often painted in stripes and checkers. The mast could be shortened and even removed altogether. With the help of skillful devices, the captain could lead the ship against the wind. The ships were controlled by a paddle-shaped rudder mounted aft on the starboard side.

Vikings in England
June 8, 793 A.D. NS. Vikings landed on the island of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, destroying and devastating the monastery of St. Cuthbert. This is the first Viking attack to be clearly recorded in written records, although it is clear that Scandinavians have visited British shores before. Since at first the Vikings used the tactics of pin strikes, the chroniclers did not attach much importance to their raids. Nevertheless, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions a raid of sea robbers of unknown origin on Portland in Dorset in 787. The conquest of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the occupation of western and northern England were a major success for the Danish Vikings. In 865 the sons of the Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok brought a large army to the shores of England, christened by the chroniclers "the great army of pagans." In 870-871. the sons of Ragnar subjected the kings of East Anglia and Northumbria to a cruel execution, and their possessions were divided among themselves. Following this, the Danes began to conquer Mercia.
King of Wessex Alfred the Great was forced to conclude with the Danes first a truce, and then a full-fledged peace treaty, thereby legitimizing their possessions in Britain. Jorvik became the English capital of the Vikings. Despite the influx of fresh forces from Scandinavia in 892 and 899, Alfred and his son Edward the Elder successfully resisted the Danish conquerors, clearing the territory of East Anglia and Mercia by 924. Scandinavian rule in distant Northumbria lasted until 954.
A new wave of Viking raids on British shores began in 980. It culminated in the 1013 conquest of England by the Danish Vikings of Sven Forkbeard. In 1016-35. at the head of the united Anglo-Danish monarchy was Knud the Great. After his death, the Wessex dynasty, represented by Edward the Confessor, regained the English throne. In 1066, the British fought off another invasion of the Scandinavians, this time led by the Norwegian king Harald the Severe.
The Scandinavian influence on the political culture, social structure and language of Ireland and other Celtic lands was much more significant than in England, but the chronology of their invasions, due to the paucity of sources, cannot be reconstructed with the same accuracy. The first foray into Ireland is mentioned in 795. The founding of Dublin is associated with the arrival of the Vikings, which the Scandinavians ruled for two centuries. Limerick and Waterford had their own Scandinavian kings, while Dublin kings extended their rule even to Northumbria at the beginning of the 10th century.
The Vikings' relationship with the Frankish Empire was complicated. During the time of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious, the empire was relatively protected from the onslaught from the north. Galicia, Portugal and some Mediterranean lands suffered from episodic Norman raids in the 9th and 10th centuries. Viking leaders like Rörik of Jutland entered the service of the Frankish rulers in order to protect the frontiers of the empire from their own tribesmen, at the same time controlling rich markets in the Rhine Delta, such as Walcheren and Dorestad. The king of Jutland, Harald Klack, as early as 823, took an oath of allegiance to Louis the Pious.
The penetration of the Vikings into Finnish lands began in the 2nd half of the 8th century, as evidenced by the oldest layers of Staraya Ladoga. At about the same time with them, these lands were settled and mastered by the Slavs. Unlike raids on the shores of Western Europe, Viking settlements in Eastern Europe were more stable. The Scandinavians themselves noted the abundance of fortified settlements in the east of Europe, christening Ancient Russia "the country of cities" - Gards. The evidence for the violent infiltration of the Vikings into eastern Europe is not as abundant as it is in the west. An example is the Swedish invasion of the Curonian lands, which is described in the life of Ansgar. The main object of interest of the Vikings was the river routes, along which it was possible to get to the Arab Caliphate through the system of drafts. Their settlements are known on the Volkhov, Volga and Dnieper. The places of concentration of Scandinavian burial grounds, as a rule, are located several kilometers from the urban centers where the local population, mainly Slavic, settled, and in many cases from the river arteries themselves.
In the 9th century, the Vikings provided trade with the Khazars along the Volga with the help of a proto-state structure called by some historians the Russian Khaganate. Judging by the finds of treasures of coins, in the 10th century the Dnieper became the main trade artery, the main trading partner instead of Khazaria - Byzantium. According to the Norman theory, from the symbiosis of the newcomer Varangians with the Slavic population, the state of Kievan Rus was born, headed by the Rurikovichs - the descendants of Prince Rurik.

In the lands of the Prussians, the Vikings held in their hands the shopping centers Kaup and Truso, from where the "amber route" in the Mediterranean began. In Finland, traces of their long-term presence have been found on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi. In Staraya Ladoga, under Yaroslav the Wise Jarl, Regnwald Ulvson was sitting. The Vikings traveled to the mouth of the Northern Dvina for furs and explored the Zavolotsky route. Ibn Fadlan met them in the Volga Bulgaria in 922. Through the Volga-Don portage near Sarkel, the Russians descended into the Caspian Sea. For two centuries they fought and traded with Byzantium, concluding several treaties with it.
Termination of sea voyages... The Vikings curtailed their campaigns of conquest in the first half of the 11th century. This is due to the decline in the population of the Scandinavian lands, the spread of Christianity in the north of Europe, which did not approve of robbery and the slave trade. In parallel, the tribal system was replaced by feudal relations, and the traditional semi-nomadic way of life of the Vikings gave way to a sedentary one. Another factor was the reorientation of trade routes: the Volga and Dnieper river routes steadily gave way to the importance of Mediterranean trade, which was revived by the Venetian and other trading republics. In the 11th century, individual adventurers from Scandinavia were still hired to serve the Byzantine emperors and ancient Russian princes. Historians attribute Olaf Haraldson and Harald the Severe, who laid down his head while trying to conquer England, to the last Vikings on the Norwegian throne. Ingvar the Traveler, who died during an expedition on the shores of the Caspian Sea, was one of the last to undertake a long overseas campaign in the spirit of his ancestors. Having adopted Christianity, yesterday's Vikings organized in 1107-1110. own crusade to the Holy Land.
Weapons and armor
Horned helmet- in the mass consciousness it is considered almost an obligatory attribute of the Viking, which was worn by everyone. However, in the entire history of excavations, not a single horned helmet has been found. They found thousands of different ones - pointed and obtuse, decorated and not, even dug up a pair of helmets with wings, like Hermes, but not a single horned one. Different peoples had such helmets, but it is assumed that primarily for ritual and decorative purposes. The fact is that a sword can slide off a sharp-pointed helmet, and, catching on a horn, it either tears off the helmet from the head, or turns it 90 degrees, or cuts it together with the head. In fact, the most common among the Vikings was a helmet similar to the "St. Wenceslas", that is, conical, with a nosepiece and aventail. At that time, it was not sickly innovation.

Shield- the main protection of the Viking was exactly he, round, with an umbilicus, about a meter in diameter, in the simplest case bluntly hammered out of boards, sometimes covered with leather and bound with metal for reinforcement, but still - a consumable. It is he who holds most of the blows, there are a number of cunning and not very tactics to divert him to the side, and the one who remains in the cut without a shield is practically guaranteed not a tenant, if he does not have time to rebound behind the backs of his comrades. During hiking, the shield was hung on the back, and in the sea, it was attached to the sides of the drakkar. Shields were also used as a signal flag: a white shield raised to the mast meant peaceful intentions, red - "now someone will be killed."
Armor- depending on the well-being: from a leather jacket or a sleeveless jacket made of bearskin for ordinary warriors to chain mail with additional scales or a vest made of lamellar worn over it by a jarl or an experienced fighter.
Sword- the most popular weapon. The classic Viking sword - straight, double-edged, with a rounded end and a ball-shaped pommel - is intended only for chopping blows. In the X-XI centuries, fencing as a discipline did not yet exist, and sword fighting included such elements as "swing harder", "fuck with all the foolishness" and "take a hit on the shield." They did not practice piercing blows, they did not parry a sword with a sword - the rough-forged iron from such disrespect was easily serrated and could easily break. Actually, the main purpose of the sword is to chop down a weakly defended enemy or to cut off extra limbs from the armed.
Poleaxe / ax- the second most popular and the first most important weapon. When the word "Viking" is heard, most often a hefty bulwark in a horned helmet, chain mail and with a double-sided poleaxe is presented. In fact, the latter was used by the ancient Greeks and all sorts of Asians, and the Vikings preferred one-sided axes, the reason for which is quite simple: they fought in close formation, forming a wall of shields, and in such conditions, when swinging, you can easily hurt your own neighbor. In general, an ax is not only a weapon, but also a universal tool of that time - you can fix a drakkar, chop wood, break down a gate, break a skull, and cook porridge. And when robbing civilians, the ax is more convenient due to its versatility. Chopping doors with a sword - a toad will strangle you, but an ax is not a pity for such a thing, because high-quality steel was used only for making the blade, and the butt and other parts were made of ordinary iron. In battle, with an ax, it is much more practical to break shields and cut through armor, plus the ax continues to cut tolerably well, even having lost its sharpening, while the sword turns into a useless crowbar. Well, you should not write off the economic aspect: the ax is easier to manufacture ⇒ cheaper, and therefore more affordable for a rogue, and it is easier to straighten a chipped blade.
Brodecks- an ax with a 45 cm blade, sitting on a meter-long ax with a two-handed grip. Invaluable for crumbling into a fine vinaigrette. It is no coincidence that the Brodex fighters were put on the edge of the wedge of the attacking Scandinavian stealth pihot.
Hammer- a less common, but most respected type of weapon. Could be both combat and throwing. Known is the hammer of the Scandinavian god Thor Mjolnir, which was homing, triggered lightning upon impact, and returned back to the hand after hitting the target. Accordingly, the Vikings, who respected their god, wore pendants in the form of a hammer. From a practical point of view, it is good that it punches through such flexible armor as chain mail.
Spears- were used by the Vikings on an equal basis with all neighbors, throwing and combat were distinguished. Combat ones usually had a long leaf-shaped tip, which could not only stab, but also chop, and the shaft was bound with metal.
Viking ships
Drakkar- terrifying Viking ships. A dragon's head was always placed on the bow of the ship, at the sight of which the civilian population dirty their pants and fled in horror. The ship worked on a manual drive, by rowing oars against the water. With a tailwind, the speed was added by a square sail. Thanks to their smart-ass design, these ships were versatile, all-terrain and invisible.
For a Viking, the drakkar meant more than the ancestral castle for the knight, and it was a great shame to fuck the drakkar - such a leader could easily scatter the whole squad. Contrary to popular belief, only free Vikings could be rowers on a drakkar, and if, for some reason, a slave was put behind the oars, then after that he received freedom. Drakkar rowers had different status depending on their location on the ship. The most honorable places were on the bow of the ship. This was due to the fact that the speed and efficiency of the ship's movement depended on the rowers, at the same time they were warriors, and when going into hand-to-hand combat, the units sitting on the bow were the first to enter the battle.

In France they were called Normans, in Russia - Varangians. Vikings - so called themselves people who lived in the territory of present-day Norway, Denmark and Sweden from about 800 to 1100 AD.

Wars and feasts are two of the Vikings' favorite pastimes. Rapid sea robbers on ships bearing sonorous names, for example, "Bull of the Ocean", "Raven of the Wind", raided the coast of England, Germany, Northern France, Belgium - and took tribute from the conquered. Their desperate berserk warriors fought like mad, even without their armor. Before the battle, the berserkers gnashed their teeth and bit the edges of their shields. The cruel gods of the Vikings - the ases were pleased with the warriors who died in battle.

Discoverers of Iceland

But it was these ruthless warriors who discovered the islands of Iceland (in the ancient language - "ice land") and Greenland ("green land": then the climate there was warmer than now!). And the leader of the Vikings Leif Happy in 1000, sailing from Greenland, landed in North America, on the island of Newfoundland. The Vikings named the open land Vinland - "rich". Due to clashes with the Indians and among themselves, the Vikings soon left and forgot America, lost contact with Greenland.

Age of Vikings

And their songs about heroes and travelers - the sagas and the Icelandic parliament althing - the first national assembly in Europe, have survived to this day.

The year 793 is considered to be the beginning of the Viking Age. This year saw the famous Norman attack on a monastery located on the island of Lindisfarne (north-east of Great Britain). It was then that England, and soon the whole of Europe, learned about the terrible "northern people" and their dragon-headed ships. In 794 they "visited" the nearby island of Wearmus (there was also a monastery there), and in 802-806 they reached the Isles of Man and Iona (the west coast of Scotland)

The first sack of London

Twenty years later, the Normans gathered a large army for a campaign against England and France. In 825 the Vikings landed in England, and in 836 London was sacked for the first time. In 845, the Danes captured Hamburg, and the city was ravaged so much that the episcopate, located in Hamburg, had to be moved to Bremen.In 851, 350 ships again appeared off the coast of England, this time London and Canterbury were captured (and, of course, plundered).

Establishment of the Norman state Danlos

In 866, by storm, several ships were carried off the coast of Scotland, where the Normans had to spend the winter. In the next year, 867, the new state of Danelaw was formed. It included Northumbria, East Anglia, parts of Essex and Mercia. Danlos existed until 878. At the same time, a large fleet again attacked England, London was again captured, and then the Normans moved to France. Rouen was captured in 885, and Paris was under siege (in 845, in 857 and 861, Paris was already sacked). Having received the ransom, the Vikings lifted the siege and retreated to the northwestern part of France, which in 911 was transferred to the Norwegian Rollon. The area was named Normandy.

Conquest of England in the 10th century

At the beginning of the 10th century, the Danes again tried to capture England, which they succeeded only in 1016. The Anglo-Saxons managed to overthrow their power only forty years later, in 1050. But they did not have time to enjoy the freedom. In 1066, a huge fleet under the command of William the Conqueror, a native of Normandy, attacked England. After the Battle of Hastings, the Normans reigned in England.

Division into Norwegians and Icelanders

In 861, the Scandinavians learned about Iceland from the Swede Gardar Svafarsson. Shortly thereafter, in 872, the unification of Norway by Harald the Fair-Haired began, and many Norwegians fled to Iceland. According to some reports, up to 930, between 20,000 and 30,000 Norwegians moved to Iceland. Later they began to call themselves Icelanders, thus separating themselves from the Norwegians and other Scandinavian peoples.

Eirik Raud (Red) Founder of the Brattalid settlement

In 983, a man named Eirik Raud (Red) was exiled from Iceland for murder for three years. He went in search of a country rumored to have been seen west of Iceland. He managed to find this country, which he called Greenland ("Green Country"), which sounds rather strange when applied to this snow-covered and cold island. In Greenland, Eirik founded the settlement of Brattalid.

Vinland Leif Eiriksson, son of Red, discovered Boston

In 986, a certain Bjarni Bardsson sailed from Iceland, intending to go to Greenland. He stumbled into unknown land three times until he reached the southern coast of Greenland. Upon learning of this, Leif Eiriksson, son of Eirik Raud, repeated Bjarni's journey, reaching the Labrador Peninsula. Then he turned south and, walking along the coast, found the area, which he called "Vinland" ("Grape country"). Presumably this happened in 1000. According to the results of the work carried out by scientists, Vinland Leif Eiriksson was located in the area of ​​modern Boston.

Leif's brothers: Torvald and Thorstein

After Leif's return, Thorvald Eiriksson, his brother, went to Vinland. He lived there for two years, but in one of the clashes with local Indians he was mortally wounded, and his comrades had to return to their homeland.

Leif's second brother, Thorstein Eiriksson, also tried to reach Vinland, but he was unable to find this land.

There were only about 300 estates in Greenland. The lack of forest created great difficulties for life. The forest grew on Labrador, which was closer than in Iceland, but everything that was needed had to be transported from Europe, due to the very difficult sailing conditions to Labrador. Settlements in Greenland existed until the XIV century.

Viking history

VIKINGS - (Normans), sea robbers, immigrants from Scandinavia, committed in the 9-11 centuries. hikes up to 8000 km, maybe over long distances. These daring and fearless people in the east reached the borders of Persia, and in the west - the New World.

The origin of the word viking

The word "viking" goes back to the ancient Norse "vikingr". There are a number of hypotheses regarding its origin, the most convincing of which leads it to “vik” - fiord, bay. The word "viking" (literally "man from the fiord") was used to refer to robbers who operated in coastal waters, hiding in secluded bays and bays.

In Scandinavia, they were known long before they gained notoriety in Europe. The French called the Vikings Normans or various variants of this word (Norseman, Northman - literally "people from the north"); The British indiscriminately called all Scandinavians Danes, and the Slavs, Greeks, Khazars, Arabs called the Swedish Vikings Rus or Varangians.

Danish Vikings

Wherever the Vikings went - to the British Isles, to France, Spain, Italy or North Africa - they ruthlessly plundered and seized foreign lands. In some cases, they settled in the conquered countries and became their rulers. Danish Vikings conquered England for a while, settled in Scotland and Ireland.

Norse and Swedish Vikings

Together they conquered a part of France known as Normandy. Norwegian Vikings and their descendants established colonies on the islands of the North Atlantic - Iceland and Greenland and founded a settlement on the coast of Newfoundland in North America, which, however, did not last long. Swedish Vikings began to rule in the east of the Baltic. They spread widely across Russia and, descending along the rivers to the Black and Caspian Seas, even threatened Constantinople and some regions of Persia. The Vikings were the last Germanic barbarian conquerors and the first European pioneer navigators.

Activity in the 9th century

There are different interpretations of the reasons for the violent outbreak of Viking activity in the 9th century. There is evidence that Scandinavia was overpopulated and many Scandinavians went abroad in search of their happiness. The wealthy but undefended cities and monasteries of its southern and western neighbors were easy prey. It was hardly possible to get a rebuff from the scattered kingdoms in the British Isles or the weakened empire of Charlemagne, consumed by dynastic strife.

Winter robbery in summer landowners

During the Viking Age, national monarchies gradually consolidated in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Ambitious leaders and powerful clans fought for power. The defeated leaders and their supporters, as well as the younger sons of the victorious leaders, shamelessly perceived unhindered robbery as a way of life. Energetic young people from influential families usually gained credibility through participation in one or more campaigns.

Many Scandinavians plundered in the summer and then turned into ordinary landowners. However, the Vikings were attracted not only by the lure of prey.

The prospect of establishing trade opened the door to wealth and power. In particular, immigrants from Sweden controlled the trade routes in Russia.

Viking translation - man from the bay

The English term “viking” is derived from the Old Norse word vkingr, which could have several meanings. The most acceptable, apparently, is the origin from the word vk - a bay, or a bay. Hence, the word vkingr translates as “man from the bay”.

The term was used to refer to robbers taking refuge in coastal waters long before the Vikings gained ill-fame in the outside world. However, not all Scandinavians were sea robbers, and the terms “Viking” and “Scandinavian” cannot be considered synonymous. The French usually called the Vikings Normans, and the British indiscriminately attributed all Scandinavians to the Danes. The Slavs, Khazars, Arabs and Greeks who communicated with the Swedish Vikings called them Rus or Varangians.

Definitions from encyclopedias

VIKINGS (Old Scandinavian), Scandinavians - participants in sea trade, predatory and conquest campaigns at the end of the 8th-middle of the 11th centuries. to European countries. In Russia they were called Varangians, and in Western Europe - Normans (Scandal Northman - "northern man"). In the 9th century. captured Northeast England, in the 10th century. - Northern France (Normandy). Reached North America.

Cyril and Methodius Encyclopedia

About three centuries from 800 to 1050 A.D. NS. Viking warriors sailed on their ships, terrorizing Europe. They sailed from Scandinavia in search of silver, slaves and lands. The Vikings mainly attacked Britain and France while they invaded Russia. The Vikings explored many unknown lands, sailing across the vast Atlantic Ocean.

Vikings - who are they? Viking lifestyle. Their history and religion. Military art of the Vikings. Vikings are early medieval Scandinavian sailors who made sea voyages from Vinland to Biarmia and North Africa.

Who are the Vikings?

The English term "viking" is derived from the Old Norse word víkingr, which could have several meanings. The most acceptable, apparently, is the origin from the word vík - a bay, or a bay. Therefore, the word víkingr translates as "man from the fjord (bay)". The term was used to refer to robbers taking refuge in coastal waters long before the Vikings gained ill-fame in the outside world. However, not all Scandinavians were sea robbers, and the terms "Viking" and "Scandinavian" cannot be considered synonymous. The French usually called the Vikings Normans, and the British indiscriminately attributed all Scandinavians to the Danes. The Slavs, Khazars, Arabs and Greeks who communicated with the Swedish Vikings called them Rus or Varangians.

Wherever the Vikings went - to the British Isles, to France, Spain, Italy or North Africa - they ruthlessly plundered and seized foreign lands. In some cases, they settled in the conquered countries and became their rulers. Danish Vikings conquered England for a while, settled in Scotland and Ireland. Together they conquered a part of France known as Normandy. Norwegian Vikings and their descendants established colonies on the islands of the North Atlantic - Iceland and Greenland and founded a settlement on the coast of Newfoundland in North America, which, however, did not last long. Swedish Vikings began to rule in the east of the Baltic. They spread widely across Russia and, descending along the rivers to the Black and Caspian Seas, even threatened Constantinople and some regions of Persia. The Vikings were the last Germanic barbarian conquerors and the first European pioneer navigators.

There are different interpretations of the reasons for the violent outbreak of Viking activity in the 9th century. There is evidence that Scandinavia was overpopulated and many Scandinavians went abroad in search of their happiness. The wealthy but undefended cities and monasteries of its southern and western neighbors were easy prey. It was hardly possible to receive a rebuff from the scattered kingdoms in the British Isles or the weakened empire of Charlemagne, swallowed up by dynastic strife. During the Viking Age, national monarchies gradually consolidated in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Ambitious leaders and powerful clans fought for power. The defeated leaders and their supporters, as well as the younger sons of the victorious leaders, shamelessly perceived unhindered robbery as a way of life. Energetic young people from influential families usually gained credibility through participation in one or more campaigns. Many Scandinavians plundered in the summer and then turned into ordinary landowners. However, the Vikings were attracted not only by the lure of prey. The prospect of establishing trade opened the door to wealth and power. In particular, immigrants from Sweden controlled the trade routes in Russia.

Viking lifestyle

In their homeland, the Vikings obtained food using traditional methods: they cultivated the land, hunted and fished, and raised livestock. And abroad they were most often known as conquerors and robbers, although civilized trade was not alien to them.

Viking peasants were independent, unlike serfs in Russian history. They worked alone or with their families, and regardless of the area of ​​cultivated land, they retained their freedom and were the basis of Scandinavian society. Family ties were very important to their society, and when making serious decisions, the advice of relatives was crucial. The clans protected their good name, and crimes against honor and dignity led to cruel showdowns, reaching bloody feuds between entire clans.

Family and home

Women in the family the Vikings played a serious role. Unlike many other countries, they were already able to own property and independently make decisions about marriage and divorce. Outside the family, their rights were less than that of men, so their participation in public life was insignificant. insignificant.

Food. During Viking times, most people ate twice a day. The main products were meat, fish and cereal grains. Meat and fish were usually boiled, less often fried. For storage, these products were dried and salted. The cereals used were rye, oats, barley and several types of wheat. Usually porridge was made from their grains, but sometimes bread was baked. Vegetables and fruits were rarely eaten. For drinks, they consumed milk, beer, fermented mead, and in the upper classes of society - imported wine.

Clothing. Peasant clothing consisted of a long woolen shirt, short baggy pants, stockings, and a rectangular cape. The upper class Vikings wore long pants, socks, and capes in bright colors. Woolen mittens and hats were in use, as well as fur hats and even felt hats. High society women usually wore long clothes, which consisted of a bodice and a skirt. Thin chains hung from the buckles on the clothes, to which were attached scissors and a case for needles, a knife, keys and other small items. Married women wore their hair in a bun and wore tapered white linen caps. The unmarried girls had their hair tied up with a ribbon.

Dwelling. Peasant dwellings were usually simple one-room houses, built either from tightly fitted vertical beams, or more often from wicker vine coated with clay. Wealthy people usually lived in a large rectangular house, which housed numerous relatives.
In heavily forested Scandinavia, such houses were built from wood, often combined with clay, while in Iceland and Greenland, in conditions of a shortage of wood, local stone was widely used. Walls 90 cm or more thick were folded there. Roofs were usually covered with peat. The central living room of the house was low and dark, with a long hearth in the middle. They cooked, ate and slept there. Sometimes inside the house, along the walls, pillars were installed in a row to support the roof, and the side rooms that were fenced off in this way were used as bedrooms.

Literature and art

Literature and art. The Vikings appreciated skill in combat, but no less revered literature, history and art. Viking literature existed in oral form, and only some time after the end of the Viking Age did the first written works appear. The runic alphabet was then used only for inscriptions on tombstones, for magic spells and short messages. But Iceland has a rich folklore. It was recorded at the end of the Viking Age using the Latin alphabet by scribes who wanted to immortalize the exploits of their ancestors.

Among the treasures of Icelandic literature stand out the long prose narratives known as sagas. They are classified into three main types. In the most important, the so-called. family sagas describe real characters of the Viking Age. Several dozen family sagas have survived, five of which are comparable in size to large novels. The other two types are historical sagas about the Norse kings and the settlement of Iceland, and fictional adventure sagas from the end of the Viking age, reflecting the influence of the Byzantine Empire and India. Another major prose work that appeared in Iceland is the Younger Edda, a collection of myths recorded by Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian and politician of the 13th century.

Poetry was held in high esteem among the Vikings. Icelandic hero and adventurer Egil Skallagrimsson prided himself on being a poet as much as on his achievements in battle. Poets-improvisers (skalds) sang the merits of jarls (leaders) and princes in complex poetic stanzas. Much simpler than the poetry of the Skalds were songs about the gods and heroes of the past, preserved in a collection known as the Elder Edda.

Viking history