WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE VIKINGS? - HISTORY - 2025

The origin of the Vikings is found in the Nordic maritime peoples originating in Scandinavia, famous for their assaults on Europe between the 8th and the 11th centuries. They were characterized by their skill as navigators, extending their voyages even to the Mediterranean coast, the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. Its expansion also achieved the dissemination of Nordic culture in those distant places.

The term "Viking" is believed to come from the Norse word "vik" which means "little bay, cove or entrance." Another theory indicates that it could simply be the name of the Norwegian district of Viken (Vikin), so they would simply be "originally from Vikin". However, this theory was rejected since in ancient texts, those who belonged to that people were called "vikverir, people of Vik."

The name Viking is also thought to derive from the term Vikingr, the word for "pirate" in ancient Scandinavian language.

The runic inscription of the term indicates that a Viking was a man who left his homeland to obtain fortune and adventure and return with new riches and fame. The word exists as a noun: "vikingr": an individual who travels on adventures; and also as a verb "viking": traveling or participating in these adventures.

The Germans called them "ash men", because of the solid wood from that tree with which they built their ships. The Franks called them "Northmen" or "Danes" and so did the English.

The Vikings are classified as Anglo-Scandinavian, a term used in an archaeological and historical sense for the period between the 8th and 13th centuries (years 800-1066). During that time, the Scandinavian peoples were the ones who moved and carried out the occupation of what is now the British Isles.

Era of the vikings

The era of the Vikings begins in approximately 790, when they began to make their navigation routes through the Norwegian Sea and the Baltic Sea to the south.

Because of their extensive expeditions, the Vikings cannot only be assigned Scandinavian territory, which currently corresponds to Denmark, Norway and Sweden, but also many places in Great Britain.

They managed to dominate politically a large number of territories, including Iceland and Greenland and the Shetland, Orkney and Faroe Islands, located between Great Britain and the southwestern coasts of Norway.

In history it is documented that they came to the Byzantine Empire, where they served as mercenaries in its service. An order of imperial bodyguards was also created, made up of Scandinavian men, who were known as the Varangian Guard.

The Scandinavian soldiers were trustworthy as they upheld the Viking tradition of absolute fidelity, even to death if necessary. They served as a personal guard to the emperor and their main weapon was the double-edged ax.

In addition to this, there are historical data on the arrival of the Vikings in Baghdad, the center of the Islamic empire.

It is also said that they navigated the waters of the Volga River to market their products. Among them, seal grease to seal ships and waterproof them against water, skins, tusks and slaves.

The Vikings expanded their lands to the north and west. The Norwegians came to Scotland, Iceland, Ireland, and Greenland and the Danes to England and France.

The Swedes came to the east and founded the Kiev Rus Federation, which unified all modern states of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. A territory that stretched from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.

During Viking times the nations of Sweden, Norway and Denmark did not exist, and their only separation was the geographical boundaries. That is why the Vikings formed a single and great culture, very similar in language and customs

At the end of the period of Viking conquests and expansions, these countries acquired their own identities with the process of Christianization. Therefore, it is thought that the end of the Viking Age would be one of the first signs of the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Expansion and invasion of the Vikings

The Vikings sailed in their fabulous longships. These were boats built of solid wood, with capacity for rowers and crew and a single square sail that gave them great maneuverability, speed and efficiency.

They became navigators from the shores of the North Atlantic, reaching as far as eastern Russia, North Africa, the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Constantinople), and the Middle East. Some even came to North America, settling in what is now Canada, during the Middle Ages.

The Vikings were famous for their raiding and looting, but also for their trading alliances and for working as mercenaries if requested.

In their culture, it was popular to return to their homeland with the wealth they had achieved, but later they began to settle in the places they visited or conquered.

However, its expansion into continental Europe was limited. This is due to the strong kingdoms that inhabited the area, such as the Saxons, located in what currently corresponds to North Germany.

The Saxons were a fighting people who used to come into conflict with the Vikings. However, the Vikings managed to establish their presence in the Baltic Sea. It is said that there were several reasons why they decided to start a campaign to spread their culture around the world.

One possible explanation is the arrival of the reign of Charlemagne in Europe, who terrorized all pagan peoples with conversion to Christianity or execution. The Vikings would have decided to carry out a resistance and thus protect themselves from Charlemagne.

Another explanation is that they wanted to take advantage of the moment of weakness in some regions. The Vikings took advantage of the gaps and divisions to attack and loot the coastal cities.

Countries that did not have an organized maritime navy made it easier for the Vikings to take control of most of the navigable routes, either by raiding or trading.

The level of invasions and raids that the Vikings carried out in Europe had no other historical precedent so far. It was the only known town, at that time, capable of carrying out this type of campaign and managing to enter the regions.

Even in the 11th century, the King of Denmark became King of England. Other invasions also led them to settle in northern France.

During the 9th century they tried to occupy Ireland as well, reaching a slight advantage in the 10th century, but they never fully succeeded because of the fierce resistance of the Irish.

Vikings, men and women, sailed and traveled through Europe and other more distant territories. They spread their influence and brought customs and traditions from as far away as the Byzantine Empire to Scandinavia, their homeland, achieving an interesting mix of cultures.

Viking culture

The legacy of the Vikings continues to this day. Despite not being a literate people, they created an alphabet - the runes - with which they described their world and their customs.

Some of his words were acquired by the English language and are used today. "Leather", "knife", "husband", "hell" ("leather", "knife", "husband", "hell") are some of the examples. The English word for Thursday "thursday" is a Nordic term in honor of the god Thor which means "Thor's Day", that is, the day consecrated to Thor, God of Thunder.

At the end of his golden age, certain writings in Latin or Old Norwegian began to appear, giving us more details of his interesting way of life. Their traditions were known to the skalds, a kind of Scandinavian bards who recited epic poems - known as sagas - recounting the adventures of Viking kings and lords.

The Vikings were pagans and worshiped a vast pantheon of gods and goddesses, which, as in most ancient cultures, represented some aspect of the real world.

Although Scandinavia received Christian influence like the rest of Europe, its influence was slower and its original religion remained longer. It should be noted that the Vikings personalized their beliefs from one place to another, adapting them to the realities of each locality.

The central pillar of their religion was based on two groups of gods. The Vanir and the Aesir, who for a time went to war but were finally able to reach an agreement through a hostage exchange.

The main gods are the Aesir, who together with Odin, the father of all gods, lived in Asgard, a divine kingdom that was connected to the earth, called Midgard. The connection was established through a rainbow-shaped bridge known as the Bïfrost.

Along with Odin, the main gods were Thor, the god of thunder and Frejya, goddess of beauty and fertility and queen of the Valkyries.

In the Viking religion there is also a large amount of mythology and giants, dwarves and dark elves are mentioned.

The Valkyries, for their part, were also important within the pantheon of gods. They are female deities who serve Odin to go find the most heroic warriors who died in battle and take them to Valhalla, a huge hall in Asgard compared to paradise.

There, the fallen soldiers became einherjer. That is, warrior spirits that would fight alongside Odin in Ragnarok, the great battle at the end of the world that would occur at the twilight of the gods.

In Viking society, only men could be warriors and also those who had the greatest political and economic power.

When a powerful or wealthy Viking died, his body had to be burned according to a ritual, which included a ship where he left most of his possessions. Even slaves and pets were slaughtered and buried or burned along with the Viking.

Whether or not they performed human sacrifices is controversial. In the event that this were the case, they were volunteers among their slaves at the time of their master's death, as is written in different documents.

Vikings military practices and technology

The Vikings were known for being great military strategists and conquerors with their spectacular ships called barcoluengos, which had capacity for 40 or 60 men.

The ships of the Vikings were of a unique design. Some of them, like the Gokstad, were also used for the funeral ritual. The Gokstad was 23.3 meters long and 5.25 wide. The advantage and characteristic of this ship was its elasticity and lightness, being much more maneuverable than another rigid ship.

Their looting and robbery activities were feared by all peoples. Above all, because of the torture techniques they practiced on their enemies. One of the most famous is the "Blood Eagle", where the enemy's chest was cut and his ribs were extracted along with his lungs, forming a kind of winged angel.

These tortures symbolized a gift for the gods and for Odin. Thus, as a sample of the victory obtained.

In addition, there was an important loyalty between the warriors and their lords, with whom they committed themselves to the death. However, many Vikings, being professionals of war, worked as mercenaries for different masters.

In peacetime, a lord's warriors were in charge of being messengers, forming embassies, collecting tributes and other activities. In war, they were the heart of the army and the lord could ask them for help as ships and crew if he had the need to enter into conflict.

For their part, the warriors received a pointed helmet. They also wore a spear and armor, as well as bows and arrows.

There was no formal structure in the army, only some warriors younger than others and a more mature warrior in charge of the ship's crew. The bearer of the ship's banner was thought to be fortunate because its position gave it magical properties.

The army was a mixture of loyal warriors, who served with great honor the other members and also the king, and mercenaries.

As a point, an interesting characteristic of the Vikings is that their interest was not to destroy their enemies, but to obtain their wealth. This is why the vast majority of their targets were monasteries, without the presence of guards and that they were easier to loot.

References

1. History of the Vikings. History World. Recovered from historyworld.net.
2. What does the word Viking mean? Recovered from hurstwic.org.
3. Overview: The Vikings, 800 to 1066. History. Recovered from bbc.co.uk.
4. How the vikings worked. Culture. Recovered from history.howstuffworks.com.
5. Viking Military Organization. Recovered from regia.org.
6. Alfred the Great and Æthelred II 'the Unready': the Viking Wars in England, c. 850-1016. Recovered from usna.edu.