Figure 1.--

The northern Germanic peoples were found in the southern area of modern Scandinavia. They became the modern Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Icelandians. The North Germanic tribes were unknown to the Romans, but burst out upon Medieval Europeans in the 9th century as the Vikings and played a major role in the history of Western Europe, especially the British and French. A Scandinavia people known as the Rus also moved east at this time and helped found modern Russia. The northern Germanic an un-Chritianized Germamic people began raiding Christian Europe in the 8th century, first striking the rich monastery at Lindesfarne, an island off northern England. Voyages further into the Atlantic followed, to Iceland, Greenland, and North America. A permanent settlement was established in Iceland. The most important Viking explorers were Erick the Red and his son Leiv Eriksson. Norwegian-born Eirik Thorvaldsson, known as Eirik the Red, sailing from Iceland, explored and colonized southwestern Greenland (986). He named this largely ice-covered island Greenland to attract settlers, His son, Leiv Eiriksson, became probably the first European to reach North America. Little accurate data from the extensive Viking voyages, however, ever appeared on European maps. The Norsemen or Vikings became a major threat to Christian Europe after the death of Charlermagne and the splintering of his domain. The Vikings established Normandy, a dukedom that rivaled the power of the French monarchy and Duke William of Normandy would conquer England (1066). While Danish and Norwegian Vikings struck west and south, Swedish Vikings moved east and played a major role in the development of Russia. The Vikings while devestating large areas also played a role in the spread of commerce and the evolution of democracy in England.

Northern Germanic Tribes

The northern Germanic peoples were found in the southern area of modern Scandinavia. They became the modern Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Icelandians. The North Germanic tribes were unknown to the Romans. Subsequent Europeans would become very familiar with them. They came to be called the Norsemen and Vikings. Norsemen meant northern men meaning men froim northern Europe. Vikings was an Old Norse word meaning pirate or raider.

Historical Records

The Vikings when they appeared on the European scene were a pre-literate people (8th century). Thus all surviving written records are left to us by the literate Christian kingdoms they raided and pllaged.. From an historian's point of view this is not an ideal circumstance because it means that all contremprary accounts are biased against the Vikings. This not mean that all the contemprary accounts are inaccurate. We suspect that many accounts of Viking attacks are reasonably accurate. Left unsaid, however, is that the Vikings were not the only ruthless, armed men at the time. ccounts. Also the cobtemporary accounts give us very little information about the ordinary lives of most Viking people which consisted of both agricultural and fisheries. Nor do they tell us much about their social organization which was more democratic and eqalitarian than the developing Feudal system in Euurope. Modern archaeological work is beginning to provide a great deal of basic information about Viking life.

Viking Life Style

Archaeological work has unearthed a great deal of information about Viking life styles. Archeologists have found sickles, picks, hoes and ploughshares, They have also found evidence of the crops they tilled and he livestock they raised. In addition to farming, the Vikings also took advantage of bountiful fishery resources in the northern waters. Scandinavian's forests also provided the raw material for the famed Viking longboats which skilled Viking craftsmen fashioned. The Vikings were very competent metal workers, using the iron they found in bogs. Iron had a multutude of uses for both tools and weapons. They built homes of wood, stone and sod, depnding on the raw materils availsable to them.

Viking Long Boats

The Vikings were ferrocious warriors, but what made them difficult for medevil Europe to resist them was the long boat. The longboat gave the Vikings that othr Europeans did not possess. The Vikings became the best sailors and navigators in Europe. Thus they could strike a will aling coasts and even up rivers. The Viking longboat was the most technologically advanced ship in Europe until the sailing vessels like caravells of the 15th century. The longboat could be propelled by both square sail and oars. It would be manned by a war party of Norsemen who would array their sides along te side for protection. Contemprary accounts spoke of "Draggon boats". For some time these accounts were dismissed a hyperbole. Archeologists in modern times have unearthered well-preserved longboats and other Viking ships. Thus we now know a great deal about these vessels. At indeed they did have carved draggons at the bow. The vessels had a shallow draft giving them the ability to negotialte coastal waters and even go up rivers.

Religion

The Vikings were Germanic pagans. They celebrated the Old Norse legends. The fact tht the Vikings were not Christians and did not respect priests and churches was one of the characteristics that made them especially feared by Christian Europeans.

Language

Old Norse was a Germanic language spoken by the northern Germanuc inhabitants in Scandinavia and beginning in the 8th century in the settlements founded during the Viking Age. The Vikings at the beginning of their expansion were a pre-literate people. As a result there are few surviving texts in Old Norse and most of them come from Medieval Iceland (Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian). This would be Old West Norse. Old Eastv Norse (Denmark and Sweden) is less well understood. It is important because it was Danish settlement that played an important role in England and influenced the Old English of the Anglo-Saxons. Scholars believe that the two dialects were very similsar. Scholars also believe that there were similarities with Anglo-Saxon Old English and a degree of mutual intelligibility. Old Norse langguage survive until about the 13th century when more modern forems began to appear.

Viking Migrations

It is not well known why the Vikings burst out on the European scene in the late 8th century. Some historians suggest it was over population in Sandanavia that prompted the Viking incursions. Certaily learning of places in Western Europe where gold and silver trasures could be found and were largely unguarded were powerful enducements. The Vikings went out from Scandinavia as raiders, explorers, and traders. They left an endelible imprint on Christian Europe. Their migrations took them west into the North Sea and further into the Atalantic Mediterranean. Other Vijings went east into the the great northern forrests and the rivers of the great Steppe, eventually reaching the Black Sea and Byzantuium.

Movement West

The Northern Germanic tribes or Norsemen were unknown to the Romans, but burst out upon Medieval Europeans in the 9th century as the Vikings. They played a major role in the history of Western Europe, especially in British and French history. The Norsemen were an un-Chritianized Germamic people that began raiding Christian Europe in the 8th century, first striking Lindesfarne (793). This was a revered monastary on an island off northern England. The plunder found there brought further attacks on England, Scotland, and Ireland. Voyages further into the Atlantic followed, to Iceland, Greenland, and North America. A permanent settlement was established in Iceland. The most important Viking explorers were Erick the Red and his son Leiv Eriksson. Norwegian-born Eirik Thorvaldsson, known as Eirik the Red, sailing from Iceland explored and colonized southwestern Greenland (986). He named this largely ice-covered island Greenland to attract settlers, His son, Leiv Eiriksson, became probably the first European to reach North America. Little accurate data from the extensive Viking voyages, however, ever appeared on European maps. The Norsemen or Vikings became a major threat to Christian Europe after the death of Charlrmagne and the splintering of his domain. The Vikings established Normandy, a dukedom that rivaled the power of the French monarchy and Duke William of Normandy would conquer England (1066). The Vikings while devestating large areas also played a role in the spread of commerce and the evolution of democracy in England.

Movement East

While Danish and Norwegian Vikings struck west and south, Swedish Vikings moved east and played a major role in the development of Russia. These Vikings became known as the Rus. They settled Kiev and Novgorod and both fought and traded with Byzantium.

Clothing

We know of no specific clothing for Viking children. The boys were dressed like adult men and the girls like women. There were variations regionally as well as by social class. Viking clothing was very utilitarian. And as theyb lived in northerly lattitudes, warm was very important. This meant not only heavy clothes, but also snug fitting clothing. Vikings wore both linnen and wool garments, but wool was the principal material used. One source suggests, "Many textiles in the Viking Age were made of worsted wool in twill patterns. These wools were carefully woven, supple, attractively textured, and often dyed in bright colors." [Priest-Dorman] Brightly colored clothes were popular and the Vikings cultivated a number of vegrtable dyes. Most Viking clothes were made by the women of the household. And households had their own weaving looms. Viking clothes because they were made in the home, tended to be very simple. The simplest fabric to produce were squares. Thus shirt-like garments might be two squares sewn together abnd worn as pullovers. Necklines and armholes were made by not completing the seams. Viking men and boys wore throusers. There is evidence of both knee-length, baggy trousers as well as narrow, full-length more sufgly fitted trousers. [Priest-Dorman] There is evidence that trousers were worn by Vikings for centuries befpre they burst on the European scene in the 9th century. Winter clothing was wool garments supllements with animal hides and fur. The booty from wealthier parts of Europe might include fine gaments, even expensive fabrics like silks and brocades. These were be worn by Viking aristocrats and wealthy merchants. There are several problems with obtaining information on Viking clothing. Textiles deteriorate and thus unlike pottery and tools, little clothing has survived. This is aspecial problem with men's clothing as Viking warriors with their clothing were cremated.

Sources

Priest-Dorman, Carolyn. "An archaeological guide to Viking men's clothing, (1993). The author has include an especially useful list of sources.