Vikings are the best warriors of the early Middle Ages. History of the Vikings and their ancestors

Vikings are common name sea robbers who ravaged Europe for several centuries. It is interesting that the Vikings themselves called themselves Noregs, Dans, but not Vikings. Since the campaign for prey was called “going to Vik,” the warriors were also called Vikings.

The first acquaintance of Europeans with northern warriors

In the summer of 789, the first historical meeting of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Wessex with the Vikings took place. The description of this meeting was recorded by local chroniclers. Three long drakkars landed on the English shores, from which fair-haired and tall warriors came ashore, speaking a vaguely familiar but incomprehensible language. The newcomers were met by the ruler of the local lands, whose name was preserved in the chronicles. It was Thane Beohtrik and his retinue. A short conversation took place with the aliens, which ended with the Vikings snatching swords and axes and slaughtering the entire detachment. After that, they, laughing, loaded the captured weapons and armor of the dead onto their ships and sailed in an unknown direction.

Of course, given the harsh life of that era, there was nothing strange in this attack. Local residents were constantly at odds with each other or with neighboring peoples. Why did the chroniclers record this particular Viking battle? This was facilitated by several unusual facts:

The Viking language was unfamiliar to the English warriors, so they could not understand who these warriors were;
The appearance of the Vikings and their powerful physique amazed the British;
Almost all of Europe had adopted Christianity by this time, and unknown warriors prayed to their gods and shouted their names in battle.

This incident amazed the British, although no one then could have thought that this was the beginning of the great expansion of the Vikings, which (judging by historical documents of that era) lasted about three centuries.

Let's try to figure out who the Vikings are and where they came from.

Historical background that led to the appearance of the Vikings in Europe

People appeared in Scandinavia quite a long time ago, back in the 6th millennium BC. Even then, the ancestors of all ancient Germanic peoples began to populate the territories where present-day Sweden and Denmark are located.

After the fall of Rome, when the great migration of peoples began and all the barbarians began to accept Christianity, Scandinavia was left out of work, it was too far away. If stories about Christians reached the Vikings, they were in a highly distorted form. The Viking gods were distinguished by their stern disposition, so the rare missionaries who entered the territory of Scandinavia could only be surprised to see how the ancient Germanic gods reigned supreme there. History has not preserved the names of those courageous preachers, but most likely they were simply captured into slavery.

It is still not clear to many why the Scandinavians suddenly decided to engage in mass robbery. If you read the historical chronicles of that era, the answer to this question suggests itself.

Around the 5th century AD, global cooling began, which significantly reduced the amount of cultivated land, and in Scandinavia there was already little of it. These anomalies reduced the population of Scandinavia by about 40 percent. Scientists came to a similar conclusion after studying many farms and other settlements of the ancient Scandinavians of that era.

The terrible cold lasted for about two centuries, after which the climate improved. History says that a sharp increase in living standards leads to a demographic explosion. The meager nature of Scandinavia was not able to feed the sharply increased population, especially since in Norway there was generally little suitable land for this.

Since there was no point in splitting up already small plots of land (the land would not be able to feed everyone anyway), the issue of food shortages became acute. It is believed that this is what prompted the best warriors to look for opportunities to feed themselves in other ways.

Where did the ancient Scandinavians have such deep knowledge of shipping?

The Viking village could not feed all its inhabitants by agriculture. All Scandinavians were forced to become excellent fishermen. The best fishermen were the inhabitants of Norway; it was they who made a huge contribution to the development of Viking shipping.

Since the inhabitants of Scandinavia were often at enmity with each other, they often had clashes at sea. It was in such skirmishes that sailors learned to fight well, because their boats already in the 4th century could accommodate 20 oarsmen, each of whom was a skilled warrior.

Since it was not profitable to rob each other (and what can you get from the same poor Scandinavian, except for the loss of your squad), the Vikings turned their attention to their neighbors who prospered in their rich lands.

Viking village, first campaigns in England

The Vikings' military campaigns began in their villages, where rich jarls gathered warriors for campaigns of conquest. Historical document, which would reveal the name of the person who made the first trip to England does not exist, but one thing is clear - this trip was reconnaissance. After the first successful campaign, others followed. The warriors who remained in the village, seeing what fabulous wealth the brave men had obtained, were eager to go on further campaigns. One such trip could bring such wealth that an ordinary Scandinavian could not earn in a lifetime.

English villages were full of defenseless peasants who, as soon as they saw a Viking ax, rushed to run and did not even think about resisting. Troops English nobility they did not have time to help the peasants, especially since the Viking raids were lightning fast.

Why European states were unable to repel the pagans of the north

A reasonable question arises as to why the European kings, having heard about the Vikings for the first time, could not really assess the scale of the threat. Even the Franks, who partially inherited the military secrets and developments of the Romans, possessing fairly serious intelligence, could not resist the wild pagans.

Most likely, Europeans simply initially treated the pagans with disdain, considering them a wild horde of barbarians who could easily be defeated by the troops of European states. The Vikings quickly proved that even the famous knightly cavalry of the Franks, which trampled any enemy into the ground, could not resist the shield wall of the stern admirers of the god Odin. The Europeans quickly developed respect for the fighting skills of the Scandinavians, and when they mastered the languages of the Franks and Angles (at the level of negotiations), they preferred to pay tribute to the Vikings.

The meaning of the word "Viking" and the composition of the Scandinavian Hirds

Scandinavian languages allow you to accurately translate the meaning of the word "Viking". This word consists of two words:

"Vic" - meaning bay or bay;
"Ing" - which most often meant family affiliation a certain community of people.

The Viking squads consisted of:

Younger sons who were left without land allotment;
Poor Scandinavians who initially had no land;
Adventurers;
Odin's warriors (who were all berserkers and ulfhednars).

In addition, not only Scandinavians could be part of the Hird (Viking squad). Any adventurer who knew how to fight could count on a place in the squad. After several joint battles, if the new team member did not die and showed himself to be a skilled warrior, he was solemnly accepted into the hird - a real brotherhood of warriors.

Viking moral principles

Despite the fact that most of the Vikings were Scandinavians, they did not hesitate to attack not only other nations, but also each other. Viking sagas (often based on historical truth) are full of descriptions of such battles. Most often, Viking attacks on their compatriots were explained by the following reasons:

The return of the squad from a successful campaign could provoke an attack by less successful brothers in the craft. One can recall more than one story when several ships united and captured a squad weakened after a successful campaign;
Inexperienced Vikings could attack a neighboring village while most of the able-bodied men were sailing away on campaign. These actions helped to better equip your squad and gave the newcomers combat experience;
Often the reason for the attack could be blood feud.

Often, even during joint attacks, the Hirds could fight when dividing up the spoils if the leader of one of the squads felt that he had been deceived. For a Viking, it was better to die than to suffer such injustice.

Vikings - the first marines in history

It was the Vikings who can be considered the inventors of marine tactics, which have survived practically unchanged to this day. The basis for a successful attack was a lightning attack and an equally quick retreat. The greedy and sluggish Vikings, plundering before the arrival of the royal troops, carried big losses in skirmishes, gaining invaluable experience in combat operations.

Although after the 10th century the Vikings became famous as discoverers of new lands, traders and mercenaries at the court of the Byzantine emperor, until the 10th century they were exclusively engaged in robberies, from which all residents of the European coast trembled in fear. Since longships navigated rivers well, the Vikings easily penetrated deep into the country, robbing the local population.

Viking names

Viking names to modern man may seem funny. Much has been written about Scandinavian names scientific works. In addition to the names given at birth, each Viking had a nickname. The nickname was given based on any personal qualities of the warrior (for example, One-Eyed or Red) or in honor of some event in the life of this warrior (for example, Leaky Butt or Strangler). It is also interesting that some funny nicknames could be worn even by famous jarls and kings, because it was given for life.

The names themselves most often designated an animal or contained part of the name of a god. The Viking legend Rognar (Warrior of the Gods) was nicknamed “Hairy Pants” because he always wore fur pants with the fur facing out.

Viking kings and their gods

The king of the Vikings was the king. In his absence, the functions of the king could be performed by any noble jarl. It is noteworthy that the Viking king did not have any unlimited power and could be challenged to a duel by any free Scandinavian (although he did not have to fight himself; he could put up a professional fighter in his place). The finale of the duel was considered the will of the gods, and the warrior who defeated the jarl himself took his place.

The supreme god of the Vikings was Odin. Although every Scandinavian thoroughly understood the gods of his pantheon, the Vikings revered Odin and Thor most of all.

Initially, the main weapon of the Vikings was the ax, since it was the cheapest. Experienced warriors acquired swords in battles, although they did not let go of the ax. The standard set of weapons of an experienced Viking looked like this:

The spear, which was the constant companion of the battle ax;
The Viking sword was a standard Carolingian sword, although there were options with a one-sided sharpening. The sword was owned only by experienced warriors who were able to take it in battle, or rich Vikings who were able to buy such weapons with their own money from blacksmiths or more successful friends in the Hird;
Viking axe. It is the ax that is the subject of legends as the main weapon of the Vikings. There were both one-handed axes, for working in tandem with a shield, and heavy “bearded” two-handed axes.

How did the Icelanders appear?

After the king of Norway began to baptize all his subjects, many pagans had to flee to new lands. The discovery of Iceland in 861 could not have come at a better time. Between 872 and 930, up to 30,000 Norwegians moved to Iceland. This island has been able to preserve the traditional Viking faith to this day.

The Vikings were the best warriors of their time. Many rulers of distant lands hired bands of Vikings to protect their lands from enemies. Although the mercenary army of elite fighters was expensive, they did an excellent job of protecting their employers.

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I am interested in martial arts with weapons and historical fencing. I write about weapons and military equipment because it is interesting and familiar to me. I often learn a lot of new things and want to share these facts with people who are interested in military topics.

Movies and fiction formed the image of the Vikings, whom people imagine as savages in skins, leather armor, helmets with horns on it. But all this is the imagination of directors and writers; in fact, the Vikings did not wear such headdresses, were free farmers, carried out conquests of neighboring territories, and built wooden longships.

The Vikings lived on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and already at the end of the 8th century. began to attack neighboring England and France. Residents of other parts of Europe, who first encountered the Danes and Norwegians, called them Normans, that is, northern people; ascemanns or ash people; madhus - pagan monsters. In Kievan Rus, the Vikings were called Varangians, in Ireland two names for the inhabitants of Scandinavia were common - Finngalls (light aliens) and Dubgalls (dark aliens), in Byzantium - Varangs.

The term "Viking": versions

There is no clear opinion among linguists and historians as to why the Vikings were called by this word. According to one version, the verb wiking in Scandinavia meant “to go to sea to gain wealth and fame.”

According to another version, the term appeared thanks to the province (region) of Vik, which is located in Norway. It is located near Oslo. In medieval sources, the inhabitants of the area were not called Vikings, but vestfaldingi or vikverjar.

The term Viking could also come from the word vik, which among the Scandinavians meant a bay or bay, and the Vikings were those who hid or lived in the bay. There is also a version that says that Viking could mean wic/vicus, which meant a trading post, a camp fortified on different sides, a city.

According to recent research by Swedish scientists, the name “Viking” could come from vikja - to turn and deviate. Vikings were, in this context, people who sailed away from home, people who left home, sea warriors and pirates who went on voyages for loot. The term vikja was used to describe a campaign of a predatory nature, so the people who participated in such events were Vikings. In the chronicles of Iceland, this word denoted sailors who were rude, bloodthirsty, unbridled, robbed and attacked other ships.

The first Anglo-Saxon settlements in the British Isles

At the beginning of the 4th century. AD Germanic tribes, represented by the Jutes, Angles and Saxons, and living at the mouth of the Elbe River, began to make their first aggressive campaigns. The objectives of the military campaigns were:

Capture of England and its settlement;
Settlement in the Western European region;
Displacement of the Romans from occupied territories.

Most of all, the Germans caused problems to the Roman garrisons in the British Isles, forcing the latter to defend themselves. In 407, the Romans and fleet are recalled from England to defend Italy. As a result, the settlements of the Saxons, Jutes and Angles began to increase in size and strengthen.

At the end of the 5th century. AD the conquest of Wessex took place. There is a legend that this was done by King Cerdic, who sailed to the islands in a flotilla of five ships. After this, the Angles and Saxons began to quickly move deeper into the British Isles, displacing the Romans and Celts from there. The consequence of this was the gradual conquest of the colony, the process was finally completed by the 6th century. In the occupied territories, the Angles and Saxons created small kingdoms.

The Celts, who adopted Christianity from the Romans, began to move to the mountainous regions of Wales, and then began to move to mainland Europe. For example, one of the Celtic settlements on the continent was called Britain, which gradually turned into Brittany.

England changed the Vikings and their way of life. If at the time of arrival and then for several decades, the Anglo-Saxon tribes lived engaged in robbery and piracy, then they gradually began to move to a more sedentary way of life.

Already at the end of the 8th century. Seafaring was not the main occupation of the Vikings. Its place was taken by agriculture, which was the basis for the development of society of the descendants of the former northern peoples.

Campaigns and conquests

Coast North Sea, which was abandoned by the Jutes, Angles and Saxons in the 6th century, began to be inhabited by Danes who came from Halland and Skåne (territories in southwestern Sweden). Two centuries later they formed a kingdom, which in 800 became a large and powerful Danish state. The kingdom included Norway and Sweden. In order to protect against attacks by the Franks, a defensive rampart was built, which was called Danevirke. The country at that time was ruled by King Gottrik, who was in power until 810. After his death, the kingdom ceased to exist, as a result of which the Danes and Norwegians began to engage in predatory campaigns and conquer neighboring territories. This era lasted about three hundred years.

Among the main reasons that contributed to the Viking campaigns of conquest, it is worth noting the following:

The Normans had at their disposal a lot of ships that were excellent for sailing the seas and rivers;
The Vikings had navigational knowledge that was necessary for voyages on the high seas;
The Danes and Norwegians mastered the tactics of surprise attacks on opponents from the sea, as well as moving ships and troops along rivers. The inhabitants of the British Isles and continental Europe did not have such knowledge and skills, so they did not make trips to Scandinavia;
The Vikings' opponents were constantly waging internecine wars, which weakened their states politically and economically. All this facilitated conquest and contributed to successful military campaigns against the Angles, Saxons and Franks.

The Viking campaigns began at the end of the 8th century, when the first groups of Norwegians began to penetrate sea coast England. The Normans plundered islands and monasteries, bringing rich booty to Scandinavia.

All Viking attacks took place according to a planned and proven pattern. Without any military action from the sea, the Varangian ships approached the shores, then the warriors landed on the coast and began to plunder. Everything happened very quickly, the Vikings left behind fires and dead people. The ships allowed them to leave England, so the people of the British Isles could not pursue them.

The Scandinavians used the same scheme for campaigns in England in the 20s. 9th century In 825 they landed on the Frisian coast and began to rob, kill, and seize new territories. Already in 836, London was captured by the Vikings for the first time. In 845, Hamburg fell to the Danes. The chronology of further Viking campaigns is as follows:

Mid 9th century - recapture of London and Canterbury, the German settlement on the Rhine Xanten, after which came the turn of Bonn and Cologne. The Scandinavians did not ignore France, capturing Aachen, Rouen and Paris. The capture of London and Paris happened many times, so the rulers of the kingdoms decided that the only way to save the cities from robbery was through ransom. As a result of one of them, the Vikings simply lifted the siege of Paris and settled in the northeastern regions of France. At the beginning of the 10th century. Charles the Third gave this territory as hereditary possession to a Norwegian named Rolland. The area where the Vikings lived began to be called Normandy;
In the 860s Scotland and East Anglia were conquered, in which they created their own state, Denlo. It included part of Mercia, Essex, East Anglia, and Northumbria. The country was destroyed by the Anglo-Saxons only in the late 870s;
In the 10th century campaigns became less frequent as Denmark and Norway began to create their own centralized states with strong rulers. At the beginning of the 11th century. the Danes subjugated Norway;

The Danes, after conquering the Norwegians, again began to attack England. The traces of their conquests were stones on which runes were applied. The first campaigns of the Normans at the end of the 10th century. - early 11th century were unsuccessful, most of the soldiers were destroyed. The situation began to change only in 1016, when the Vikings subjugated England. Only by the beginning of the 1040s. Anglo-Saxon rulers began to launch retaliatory offensives. By the middle of the 11th century. The Vikings were driven out of England for a time. In 1066, England was conquered by the Vikings who lived in Normandy. Their leader, William the Conqueror, organized a crossing across the strait connecting the British Isles and continental Europe. October 14, 1066 occurred major battle Vikings and Angles at Hastings. The Normans finally conquered England, which made it possible to stop predatory attacks, begin the development of feudalism on the islands, and gain access to the throne and power in the kingdom.

Conquest of Greenland and Iceland

Hikes were organized in the Mediterranean Sea. The navigational art of the Vikings allowed them to reach Byzantium, which happened in 895. The Normans sailed to the shores of America, Iceland and Greenland.

The first Norwegians landed on the Hebrides in 620. Two hundred years later they settled in the Faroe Islands, Orkney and Shetland. In 820, the Vikings founded their own state in Ireland, which existed near modern Dublin. The Norman Kingdom of Ireland lasted until 1170.

In the early 860s. the Swede Gardar Svafarsson, whose name was preserved in the chronicles, brought his wife’s inheritance from the Hebrides to his native Scandinavia. On the way, his ship drifted to the northern coast of Iceland. There the Swede and his team spent the winter, becoming familiar with the features of this island territory. The Norwegians began actively conquering Iceland in the early 870s, when King Harald Fairhair came to power. Not everyone liked his rule, so the Norwegians began to explore Iceland. From 20 thousand to 30 thousand inhabitants of the kingdom moved here before 930. In Iceland, the Vikings were mainly engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and fishing. Household items, seeds, and pets were transported from Scandinavia.

Information about when the Vikings began to conquer Greenland and when they discovered America came from numerous Icelandic sagas of the 13-14th centuries.

According to historical data and documents, in the early 980s. Icelandic resident Eirik fled from home because he was accused of murder. During the voyage, he reached the shores of Greenland, founding the settlement of Brattalid. Information about this island began to reach the Norwegians gradually, who explored the coast of Greenland several times, discovering the Labrador Peninsula. During one of their voyages, the Vikings discovered an area they called Vinland, i.e. Country of Grapes. This name was given to the new territory due to the fact that a lot of wild grapes and maize grew here, and salmon lived in the rivers. Fish was distributed in reservoirs along the 41st latitude, and grapes along the 42nd parallel. Scientists have determined that the city of Boston is now located in this place. But the Vikings were unable to conquer America-Vinland because, having discovered it once, they did not record the exact coordinates of its location. Therefore, they simply could not swim to her again.

But the Vikings explored Greenland very actively. There were almost 300 Scandinavian households here. It was difficult to increase the number of settlements because there was not enough forest. It was brought from Labrador, but voyages to the peninsula were full of dangers due to the rather dry climate. Therefore, building materials were brought from Europe, which was expensive. The ships did not always reach Greenland. By the 14th century Viking settlements on the island ceased to exist. Archaeologists have found the remains of Viking ships, forests from Europe, and burials of nobles, which suggests that the Vikings actively inhabited this territory.

The influence of the Vikings on European history

The Scandinavians also made expeditions to other parts of continental Europe, for example, to Eastern Europe. The most famous conquests are the conquest of Kyiv and its surrounding territories, the founding of the Rurik dynasty. In addition, the merits of the Vikings in Europe include:

The conquered peoples were taught new shipbuilding traditions;
The opening of trade routes previously unknown to Europeans;
Contributed to the development of military affairs and wood processing;
Contributed to the development of shipping and navigation;
Viking navigation was one of the most advanced in the world at that time, so medieval states used the knowledge and achievements of the Vikings in science, technology, and geography;
The Vikings founded many cities in Europe.

In addition, almost all royal dynasties in medieval states were founded by people from Scandinavia.

For three centuries (from 9 to 11), the shores of Europe were devastated by the terrifying Scandinavian seafaring warriors - the Vikings. In Europe they were called Normans (people of the north), in England - Danes (hence the name of the country “Denmark”), in Rus' - Varangians. The word “Viking” is interpreted as “knight”, “warrior”, “one who is on a campaign”.

The Vikings attacked ships they encountered along the way, coastal villages, plundered monasteries, villages and entire cities, seized land for settlement, as in the British Isles and northern France, or occupied empty lands - for example, the islands of Iceland and Greenland. Some Viking units served as mercenaries or were members of the squads of Russian princes and the guards of the Byzantine emperors.

In the 10th century, the kings (kings, leaders) of the Scandinavian countries took control of the raids, and Viking detachments were now part of the king’s army. At the beginning of the 11th century, the Danish king Knut the Mighty created a power that included Denmark, Norway and England and disintegrated after his death.

Vikings usually became younger sons in the family. Campaigns could be organized by the head of the family; often “sea kings” who had no land in their homeland and spent their entire lives on campaigns at sea went on campaigns. The members of the Viking squad represented a special “companionship” for trade and military campaigns.

The Vikings' main means of transportation was the ship. A fast and capacious sailing vessel made it possible to sail on the open sea, climb up rivers, and quickly disappear from the scene of an attack. Vikings were often even buried in a ship. After the ship, horses were an important form of transport. For transportation, the Scandinavians also used carts in summer and sleighs in winter, skis and skates. The Viking was armed with a spear, sword or battle axe, bow and arrows, and protected by a round shield, chain mail or scale armor.

The Vikings were pagans for a very long time, which especially horrified Christian Europeans. They honored the supreme god Odin, the thunder god Thor, to whom they even made human sacrifices. Heroes who fell in the campaign, according to the Vikings, after death ended up in the heavenly palace Valhalla (Valhalla), where they feast with the gods to this day. The exploits of warriors were sung by special poets - skalds. The main task of the skald was to describe the battle and compare the leader with great warriors, put him on a par with the heroes, and immortalize his name, for glory was the main value for the Scandinavians.

Art also flourished among the Vikings. Weapons, memorial stones, decorations, pillars in the house, benches, sleighs were decorated with ornate ornaments, images of intertwining fantastic animals, and scenes of a person fighting them.

By the 12th century, Viking campaigns had ceased. They finally settled in the lands of Scandinavia and founded their kingdoms - Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Their kings built capital cities, they began to build fortresses, make laws and sought to streamline and make the life of their subjects peaceful, like other European countries. Some of the Vikings settled in Normandy, where they began to speak French. The Normans from Normandy conquered England in 1066.

Vikings - early medieval Scandinavians

some sailors, inIn the 8th-11th centuries, they made sea voyages from Vinland to Biarmia and from the Caspian Sea to North Africa. For the most part, these were free peasants living in the territory of modern Sweden, Denmark and Norway, who were pushed beyond the borders of their native countries by overpopulation and the thirst for easy money. By religion, the overwhelming majority are pagans.

Swedish Vikings and Vikings from the Baltic coast - traveled east and appeared in ancient Russian and Byzantine sources under the name of Varangians.

Norwegian and Danish Vikings - mostly moved to the west and are known from Latin sources under the name of the Normans.

The Scandinavian sagas provide an insight into the Vikings from within their society, but this source should be approached with caution due to the often late date of their composition and recording.

Settlements

The Vikings lived in large family groups. Children, fathers and grandfathers lived together. When the eldest son took over the farm, he simultaneously became the head of the family and responsible for its welfare.Peasant dwellings of the Scandinavians of the 9th-11th centuries were simple one-room Houses , built or from tightly fitted vertical bars , or more often from wicker wicker coated clay . Wealthy people usually lived in a large rectangular house, which housed numerous relatives. B strongly populated In Scandinavia, such houses were built from wood, often in combination with clay, and in Iceland and Greenland, due to a shortage of wood, local stone was widely used. There they built walls 90 cm thick or more. Roofs were usually made of peat . The central living room of the house was low and dark, with a long hearth . There they cooked, ate and slept. Sometimes inside the house along the walls they were installed in a row pillars , supporting the roof, and the side rooms fenced off in this way were used as bedrooms.

Cloth

Peasant clothing of the Scandinavians of the 9th-11th centuries consisted of a long woolen shirt, short baggy pants, stockings and a rectangular cape. Vikings from the upper classes wore long pants, socks and capes in bright colors. Woolen mittens and hats, as well as fur hats and even felt hats, were in use.

Women from high society They usually wore long clothes consisting of a bodice and a skirt. Thin chains hung from the buckles on the clothes, to which scissors and a case for needles, a knife, keys and other small items were attached. Married women wore their hair in a bun and wore conical white linen caps. U unmarried girls her hair was held back with a ribbon. Vikings wore metal jewelry to indicate their status. Belt buckles, brooches and pendants were very popular. Screw bracelets made of silver and gold were usually given to a warrior for leading a successful raid or for winning a battle.

In popular culture, Vikings are often depicted with horned helmets. In fact, archaeologists cannot say for sure what shape Viking helmets were. The idea of horned helmets is associated with drawings found in burials (for example, the Oseberg ship). Now scientists are inclined to believe that if helmets with horns were used, it was only for ritual purposes, and not in battle.

Weapon

The most common type of weapon is spear about 150 cm long. Such a spear could both stab and chop. Scandinavian axes were distinguished by a wide, symmetrically diverging blade . The Scandinavian sword was a long, double-edged blade with a small garda . Only the upper third of the blade was sharpened, the lower two thirds were poorly sharpened or not sharpened at all.

Ships

The Vikings were skilled shipbuilders, creating the most advanced ships of their era. Because it was common in Scandinavian society to bury warriors along with their longships, archaeologists have a good idea of the characteristics of Viking ships. Specialized museums have been opened in Oslo, Roskilde and some other cities. Among the most famous are the Gokstad and Useberg ships. Both were discovered more than a hundred years ago and are now on display at the Longship Museum in Oslo. It is known from the sagas that ships went into battle under a banner with the image of a black raven.

The Viking fleet consisted primarily of warships called longships and knorr merchant ships. Warships and trading ships allowed men to visit overseas countries, and settlers and explorers crossed the sea in search of new lands and riches. Numerous rivers, lakes and other waterways of Scandinavia provided the Vikings with easy and convenient way movement. In Eastern Europe, in conditions of numerous portages, single-shaft boats were common, which were designed to enter shallow rivers and moor to flat banks, which allowed the Vikings to move very quickly and take their enemies by surprise.

Vikings in England

June 8, 793 AD e. The Vikings landed on the island of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, destroying and devastating the monastery of St. Cuthberta. This is the first Viking attack clearly recorded in written sources, although it is clear that Scandinavians visited British shores before. Since at first the Vikings used pin-strike tactics (quickly plundered and retreated to the sea), chroniclers did not consider their raids of great importance. However, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions a raid by sea raiders of unknown origin on Portland in Dorset in 787.

A major success of the Danish Vikings was the conquest of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the occupation of the western and northern parts of England. In 865, the sons of the Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok brought him to the shores of England large army, dubbed by the chroniclers “the great army of the pagans.” In 870-871 the sons of Ragnar subjected the kings of East Anglia and Northumbria to cruel execution, and their possessions were divided among themselves. Following this, the Danes began to conquer Mercia.

King Alfred the Great of Wessex was forced to conclude first a truce with the Danes (878), and then a full-fledged peace treaty (about 886), thereby legitimizing their possessions in Britain. The city of 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 of them by 924. Scandinavian rule in remote Northumbria lasted until 954 (Edred's war with Eirik Bloodaxe).

A new wave of Viking raids on British shores began in 980. Its culmination was the conquest of England in 1013 by the Danish Vikings Sven Forkbeard. In 1016-35 Canute the Great was at the head of the united Anglo-Danish monarchy. After his death, the Wessex dynasty in the person of Edward the Confessor regained the English throne (1042). In 1066, the British repelled another Scandinavian invasion, this time led by the Norwegian king Harald the Severe (see the Battle of Stamford Bridge).

The last of the Danish monarchs to lay claim to English lands was Canute's nephew, Sven Estridsen. In 1069, he sent a huge fleet (up to 300 ships) to help Edgar Etling in the fight against William I the Conqueror, and the next year he personally arrived in England. However, having captured York and met William's army, he preferred to receive a large ransom and returned with the fleet back to Denmark.

Movement to the West

Scandinavian influence on political culture, social structure and the language of Ireland and other Celtic lands was much more significant than that of England, but the chronology of their invasions, due to the paucity of sources, cannot be reconstructed with the same accuracy. The first raid on Ireland is mentioned in 795. The arrival of the Vikings is associated with the founding of Dublin, which the Scandinavians ruled for two centuries. Limerick and Waterford had their own Scandinavian kings, while the Dublin kings extended their power even to Northumbria at the beginning of the 10th century.

The Scandinavian colonization of Iceland began under Harald Fairhair (around 900), who, with his onslaught on the small Norwegian kings, forced them to seek fortune “in the western seas.” Moving west, the Vikings settled Orkney, Shetland, the Hebrides, the Faroe Islands, and the Isle of Man. The Icelandic pioneers were led by Ingolf Arnarson. Icelander Erik the Red settled in Greenland in the 980s, and his son Leif Eriksson founded the first settlement in Canada around the year 1000 (see L'Anse aux Meadows). There is a theory that in their movement to the west the Scandinavians reached Minnesota (see Kensington Runestone).

The Battle of Clontarf (1014) ended Scandinavian hopes of conquering all of Ireland. Nevertheless, the British, who invaded Ireland in the 12th century, discovered that the coastal areas of the island were still ruled by baptized Scandinavians.

Vikings and Franks

Viking relationship with Frankish Empire were difficult. During the times of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious, the empire was relatively protected from attacks from the north. Galicia, Portugal and some Mediterranean lands suffered from occasional Norman raids in the 9th and 10th centuries. Viking leaders such as Rörik of Jutland entered the service of the Frankish rulers in order to defend the borders of the empire from their own tribesmen, at the same time controlling the rich markets in the Rhine delta, such as Walcheren and Dorestad. The King of Jutland, Harald Klak, swore an oath of allegiance to Louis the Pious back in 823.

With the growth of feudal fragmentation, defense against the Vikings became more and more difficult, and their raids reached as far as Paris. King Charles the Simple finally decided in 911 to give the north of France, which was called Normandy, to the Scandinavian leader Rollon. This tactic proved effective. The raids stopped, and the squad of northerners soon disappeared into the local population. William the Conqueror, who led the Norman conquest England in 1066. At the same time, the Norman Hauteville family conquered the south of Italy, laying the foundation for the Kingdom of Sicily.

East Europe

The penetration of the Vikings into the Finnish lands began in the 2nd half of the 8th century, as evidenced by the oldest layers of Staraya Ladoga (similar to the layers in the Danish Ribe). At approximately the same time, these lands were inhabited and developed by the Slavs. Unlike the 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 eastern Europe, dubbing Ancient Rus'“country of cities” - Gardami. Evidence of violent Viking penetration in eastern Europe is not as abundant as 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, through a system of portages, it was possible to reach the Arab Caliphate. Their settlements are known on the Volkhov (Staraya Ladoga, Rurik settlement), the Volga (Sarskoe settlement, Timerevsky archaeological complex) and the Dnieper (Gnezdovo mounds). The places where Scandinavian burial grounds are concentrated are, as a rule, several kilometers from the urban centers where the local population, predominantly Slavic, settled, and in many cases from the river arteries themselves.

In the 9th century, the Vikings ensured trade with the Khazars along the Volga with the help of a proto-state structure, called by some historians the Russian Kaganate. Judging by the finds of treasures of coins, in the 10th century the Dnieper became the main trade artery, and the main trading partner instead of Khazaria was Byzantium. According to the Norman theory, a state was born from the symbiosis of the alien Varangians (Rus) with the Slavic population Kievan Rus led by the Rurikovichs - descendants of Prince (King) Rurik.

In the lands of the Prussians, the Vikings controlled the trading centers of Kaup and Truso, where the “Amber Road” to the Mediterranean began. In Finland, traces of their long-term presence were found on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi. In Staraya Ladoga, under Yaroslav the Wise, Regnvald Ulvson sat as jarl. The Vikings traveled to the mouth of the Northern Dvina for fur and explored the Zavolotsky route. Ibn Fadlan met them in Volga Bulgaria in 922. Through the Volga-Don portage near Sarkel, the Rus descended into the Caspian Sea (see Caspian campaigns of the Rus). For two centuries they fought and traded with Byzantium, concluding several treaties with it (see the campaigns of Rus' against Byzantium). The military trade routes of the Vikings can be judged by runic inscriptions found on the island of Berezan and even in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral of Constantinople.

Termination of sea voyages

The Vikings curtailed their campaigns of conquest in the first half of the 11th century. This is due to the reduction in the population of the Scandinavian lands, the spread of Christianity in northern Europe, which did not approve of robberies for which tribute was not paid to the Roman catholic church. In parallel, the clan system was replaced by feudal relations, and the traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of the Vikings gave way to a sedentary one. Another factor was the reorientation of trade routes: the Volga and Dnieper river routes were steadily losing importance to Mediterranean trade, which was revived by the Venetian and other trading republics.

Individual adventurers from Scandinavia in the 11th century were still hired into the service of the Byzantine emperors (see Varangian guards) and ancient Russian princes(see the saga of Eymund). Historians include Olaf Haraldson and Harald the Harsh, who died trying to conquer England, as the last Vikings on the Norwegian throne. One of the last to undertake a long overseas expedition in the spirit of his ancestors was Ingvar the Traveler, who died during an expedition on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Having adopted Christianity, yesterday's Vikings organized in 1107-1110. own crusade to the Holy Land.

In France they were called Normans, in Rus' - Varangians. Vikings were the name given to the people who lived in what is now Norway, Denmark and Sweden from about 800 to 1100 AD.

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

Discoverers of Iceland

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

Viking Age

And their songs about heroes and travelers - sagas and the Icelandic parliament, the Althing - the first people's assembly in Europe, have survived to this day.

The beginning of the Viking Age is considered to be 793. This year there was a famous attack by the Normans 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 (west coast of Scotland)

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 so devastated 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).

Creation of the Norman State of Dunloe

In 866, a storm carried several ships to the shores of Scotland, where the Normans had to spend the winter. The following year, 867, the new state of Danelaw was formed. It included Northumbria, East Anglia, part of Essex and Mercia. Danlo existed until 878. At the same time, a large fleet attacked England again, London was captured again, and then the Normans moved on to France. In 885, Rouen was captured, and Paris was under siege (in 845, 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 region 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 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 between Norwegians and Icelanders

In 861, the Scandinavians learned about Iceland from the Swede Gardar Svafarsson. Soon after, in 872, the unification of Norway by Harald Fairhair began, and many Norwegians fled to Iceland. According to some estimates, between 20,000 and 30,000 Norwegians moved to Iceland before 930. Later they began to call themselves Icelanders, thus distinguishing 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 three years for murder. He went in search of a country that was rumored to have been seen to the west of Iceland. He managed to find this country, which he named Greenland (“Green Country”), which sounds rather strange in relation to this snowy 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 get to Greenland. He stumbled upon unknown land three times until he reached the southern coast of Greenland. Having learned about 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 an area he called “Vinland” (“Grape Country”). Presumably this happened in the year 1000. According to the results of work carried out by scientists, Leif Eiriksson's Vinland 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 skirmishes 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 in Labrador, which was closer than in Iceland, but everything needed had to be brought from Europe due to the very difficult conditions of navigation to Labrador. Settlements existed in Greenland until the 14th century.

Viking History

VIKINGS - (Normans), sea robbers, immigrants from Scandinavia, who committed in the 9th-11th centuries. hikes up to 8,000 km long, perhaps even longer distances. These daring and fearless people in the east they reached the borders of Persia, and in the west - the New World.

Origin of the word Viking

The word “Viking” goes back to the Old Norse “vikingr”. There are a number of hypotheses regarding its origin, the most convincing of which traces it to “vik” - fiord, bay. The word “Viking” (lit. “man from the fjord”) was used to refer to bandits who operated in coastal waters, hiding in secluded bays and bays.

They were known in Scandinavia long before they became infamous in Europe. The French called the Vikings Normans or various variations of this word (Norsmanns, Northmanns - literally “people from the north”); The British indiscriminately called all Scandinavians Danes, and the Slavs, Greeks, Khazars, and Arabs called the Swedish Vikings Rus or Varangians.

Danish Vikings

Wherever the Vikings went - to the British Isles, France, Spain, Italy or North Africa, - they mercilessly robbed and seized other people's lands. In some cases, they settled in conquered countries and became their rulers. Danish Vikings conquered England for some time and settled in Scotland and Ireland.

Norwegian and Swedish Vikings

Together they conquered a part of France known as Normandy. The Norwegian Vikings and their descendants created colonies on the North Atlantic islands of 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 eastern Baltic. They spread widely throughout Rus' and, going down 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 seafarers.

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 to seek their fortune. The rich but undefended cities and monasteries of their southern and western neighbors were easy prey. It was unlikely that there would be any resistance from the scattered kingdoms of the British Isles or the weakened empire of Charlemagne, consumed by dynastic strife.

In winter, robbery in summer by landowners

During the Viking Age, national monarchies gradually consolidated in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Ambitious leaders and powerful clans fought for power. Defeated leaders and their supporters, as well as the younger sons of victorious leaders, unabashedly embraced unfettered plunder as a way of life. Energetic young men from influential families usually gained prestige through participation in one or more campaigns.

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

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

Viking translation - man from the bay

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

The term was used to describe the marauders who took refuge in coastal waters long before the Vikings became notorious 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 classified all Scandinavians as Danes. The Slavs, Khazars, Arabs and Greeks who communicated with the Swedish Vikings called them Rus or Varangians.

Definitions from encyclopedias

VIKINGS (Old Scandinavians), Scandinavians - participants in maritime trade, predatory and conquest campaigns at the end of the 8th - mid-11th centuries. to European countries. In Rus' they were called Varangians, and Western Europe- Normans (Scand. Northman - “northern man”). In the 9th century captured Northeast England in the 10th century. - Northern France (Normandy). Reached North America.

Encyclopedia of Cyril and Methodius

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