My Father Is A Viking From Scandinavia

[Sariel]

[size="2"]The origins of the Vikings lie, like all original Indo-European peoples, in the ancient Nordic homeland between the Black and Caspian Seas in southern Russia. Part of the earliest wave of Indo-European settlers, the Vikings were originally one of the Germanic tribes who settled in southern Scandinavia and Denmark, and who gave rise to the Goths and the Anglo-Saxons in later times.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: [/size] [size="2"]One of the earliest representations of raiding Vikings is to be found in Lindisfarne, on the British coast. Lindisfarne was an early Christian settlement which suffered a particularly severe Viking raid in 793AD. An engraving made by victims of the raid to mark the event depicts the invaders. It was as raiders that the Vikings first landed in Britain - later they made their settlements permanent.

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[size="2"]What made the Vikings unique was that they, of all the original Indo-European tribes, retained their original nature in all aspects longer than any other such tribe - culturally, linguistically and militarily. The Vikings clung to the original Indo-European religions longer than anyone else - they clung to their language longer than anyone else, and kept their warlike countenance longer than any others.[/size]

[size="2"]These traits were evidenced well into the 12th Century, and their direct descendants, still unaltered genetically, reside in large parts of Scandinavia and Iceland. In the latter country the language of the Vikings is still the official language.

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[size="2"]RACIAL MAKE-UP

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[size="2"]As with all Indo-European settlers in Europe, the ancestors of the Vikings mixed with a certain amount of Old European elements they either found in the areas they settled, or who they encountered on their way to these settled areas. In this way there were Vikings who did not fit the tall blond Nordic type so often associated with Vikings - a significant minority were clearly round headed Alpine types, although it is true that the vast majority of Vikings and Scandinavians to this day are Nordic.

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[size="2"]CULTURE - INDIVIDUALIZATION A CHARACTERISTIC TRAIT


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[size="2"]The Vikings lived in Scandinavia by agriculture, cattle breeding and trade and metal working - some artifacts found in Viking sites are evidence that they were skilled craftsmen. They also developed a tradition for piracy which went back to the time they first settled in Scandinavia - indeed the very word Viking comes from the Old Norse word meaning piracy.[/size]

[size="2"]This tradition created a strong sense of loyalty amongst their own particular family or group of families; but there was certainly no sense of national identity, as was the case with many other Indo-European tribes (such as the Goths or Franks, who could usually be counted on to come to fellow tribesmen's aid). The individualism of the Viking was an important feature of their way of living.

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[size="2"]Above: [/size] [size="2"]Intricate Viking carving: an animal head from the Oseberg ship burial, circa 825 AD. Universitetets Oldsaksamling, Oslo.[/size]

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POLYGAMY AS A TOOL FOR POPULATION INCREASE

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[size="2"]Another trait which set the Vikings aside from their racial cousins was the practice of polygamy - it was not uncommon for these Norsemen to have three wives, and their chieftains very often had far more than this. This practice led to a population growth rate in excess of other Indo-European tribes, and may have been a major factor in the sudden expansion of the Vikings from the 8th Century onwards.[/size]

[size="2"]Although the Viking men were known as womanizers - the image of the Viking raider carrying away women as part of his booty had an unfortunately all too accurate origin about it - Viking women were however amongst the most liberated in the world at the time, their status being elevated by the fact that they were forced to take charge of society while their men were away for extended periods at a time.

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[size="2"]FIERCENESS - ORIGIN OF "BERSERK"

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[size="2"]What caused the Vikings to start their extensive raiding parties when they did, remains a matter of conjecture: speculation has ranged from a reaction against the Christianizing efforts of missionaries, or the perfection of sailing techniques combined with a growth in population.[/size]

[size="2"]Although the Vikings had a fierce reputation - deservedly - even the word "berserk" derives from the name of a clan of particularly frenzied warriors - within a few hundred years of their first raids the large majority had been converted to Christianity and had settled in the lands they had formerly raided.

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[size="2"]THE EDDA - FIRST COLLECTION OF VIKING SAGAS

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[size="2"]Very few written records of the Vikings, before they first came into contact with their literate victims, exist. The Christian Church in this era kept to itself the skills of literacy, so what is known about the Vikings in their pre-raiding days is based on the accounts set down by the Church. As a result, much of this detail cannot be taken as objective.[/size]

[size="2"]The Vikings did establish a large body of at first spoken, but then very soon written, series of stories and sagas which made up the basis of their world view. The most accurate version of these was taken down by the poet Snorri Sturluson, credited with establishing the Edda, or first comprehensive collection of Viking sagas.[/size]

[size="2"]The Vikings are also credited with the oldest parliament in the world - the open air Althing of Iceland, where free men came to resolve feuds and establish laws for the community.

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[size="2"]RELIGION - VALHALLA FOR HEROES

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[size="2"]Viking religion followed a similar pattern to that of other pre-Christian Germanics. They worshiped Odin, the leader of the gods and god of war; his son Thor, the god of thunder who possessed the mighty war hammer, and Baldur, the god of light. These gods were opposed by a race of evil giants led by Loki. Vikings also believed that if they died heroically in battle they would be called by Odin to stay in Valhalla, the former's home. The Vikings also believed in the Ragnarok, the end of the world in a mighty battle between the gods and Loki's giants, and the destruction of men and Valhalla in this battle but that a new and better world would be created as a result.

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[size="2"]RAIDS - ACROSS EUROPE AND INTO RUSSIA

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[size="2"]Their plundering raids, up and down the length and breadth of Europe right into the Mediterranean and western Russia, filled the Christians with dread and fear, leading to the development of the famous prayer of protection (which did not seem to help) muttered by Christians when they saw the signs of the approaching Vikings: "Lord protect us from the fury of the men of the North."[/size]

[size="2"]Between 800 and 850 AD, Ireland was particularly badly mauled by Viking invaders, who found the Celtic descendants on the island easy prey because of their weakness created by their constant infighting with one another. On the European continent itself, the now famous Viking boats sailed up all the navigable rivers of Europe, raiding and looting at will, only very infrequently being turned back or defeated.

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[size="2"]SETTLEMENTS

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[size="2"]The Viking raids started off as hit and run attacks, but gradually became more organized with raiders erecting temporary camps for raids lasting several weeks at a time. Soon the raiders began to be away for months at a time, depending on the location of the quarry, or depending upon discoveries which they might make upon their journeys.

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[size="2"]DIGGINGS IN VIKING BURIAL SITES BELIE THE IMAGE OF WILD SAVAGE BARBARIANS

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[size="2"]The Vikings were amongst the most skilled people in Europe in the manufacture of arms and jewelry. The Viking habit of burying their chiefs in large burial chambers along with all their swords, axes, carts and even in some cases with their boats, has provided a large number of such artifacts.[/size]

[size="2"]Skilled carvings of animals which held special attraction to the Vikings: horses, snakes, swans and dragons, are plentiful. Gold and silver work was also commonplace.

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[size="2"]THE DRAGON BOAT

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[size="2"]The other Viking development which was crucial to their fame was the development of the dragon boat. Despite its apparent simplicity, the Viking boat was a fine work of engineering - in its time far and away the most advanced seafaring craft available. Ideally suited for transporting anywhere between 20 and 100 fully armed warriors (and often their horses), the Viking boat could sail equally at ease in the open sea and in shallow rivers.[/size]

[size="2"]The engineering of Viking ships was adopted by many others, including the English under Alfred the Great, whose kingdom endured the power of these vessels first hand.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above left: A Viking long boat, circa 800 AD. In these superb ships the White men of Scandinavia sailed rivers and seas, even crossing the Atlantic ocean to North America. The design was so perfect that it was adopted by King Alfred of England and used as a basic design for the very first English navy.[/size]

[size="2"]Above right: An original Viking long boat toolbox, containing over 150 items including rasps, nail making tools, planes, chisels, hammers and shears for clipping metal. Recovered from Mastermyr, Sweden.[/size]

[size="2"]RUSSIA - SAILED THE VOLGA - COMPOSED VARANGIAN GUARD

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[size="2"]Vikings, or Norsemen, as they were also known, emerged from their northern homeland in two directions: east down into Russia, where they founded the modern state of Russia and in the west as raiders and looters from the Mediterranean to Britain.[/size]

[size="2"]The Vikings who turned east traveled through Russia on their boats, cruising the Volga and Dnieper rivers to Constantinople (the Varangian Guard, the personal bodyguards of the Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople, was composed entirely of tall blond Vikings, a rare sight in the darkening world of the Byzantine Empire) and Baghdad. Along with the Slav peoples, the Swedish Vikings laid the basis of the modern state of Russia.

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[size="2"]ENGLAND - VIKING KINGDOM AROUND YORK

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[size="2"]According to Anglo-Saxon records, the Vikings first raided England in 787 AD and continued intermittent raids until around 830 AD, when finally they started settling in northern England instead of just raiding and departing. The Vikings also settled in Ireland, founding the towns of Dublin and Limerick amongst others. In England, the Vikings soon established themselves in an area big enough to proclaim a kingdom - a large part of England south of Scotland and north of present day Birmingham became a Viking Kingdom centered in York. (As a result thereof, one of the largest Viking museums in the world is to be found in Leeds in northern England).[/size]

[size="2"]The Saxon king of England, Alfred the Great, who ruled from 871 to 899 AD, managed to militarily halt the Viking advance and entered into an agreement with the Vikings to halt the fighting which had marked the latter's presence in the island from the time of their first settlement. In effect Alfred accepted the permanence of the Viking kingdom in the North of England. This Viking English kingdom was to later be the source of a Scandinavian claim to the English throne.

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[size="2"]RAIDING CHURCHES FOR THEIR WEALTH

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[size="2"]On the continent, the Vikings established for themselves a reputation as fierce pirates - their favorite targets were Christian churches and monasteries. It is unlikely that they targeted these places for any anti-Christian ideological reason, but rather for the fact that any wealth in any Christian territory was more than likely to have been drawn into the local church as a tax. The Vikings knew that the wealthiest place in any town would be the church, and always made straight for this building during any raid.[/size]

[size="2"] Left: Tricking the Christians - Viking raiders always knew that the riches of society would be found hoarded in the church of any town. One of the most interesting stories from this time is that of the Viking raider Hasting, who plundered France for several years and then went to Italy with the intention of sacking Rome itself. Driven ashore by a storm near the town of Sarzana on the Magra River, the Viking mistook the town for Rome. Pretending to be on a peaceful mission, he was admitted into the town and baptized a Christian at the hands of the local bishop. During the following night, loud wailing was heard from the Viking ship, and it was announced that Hasting had died. He was taken ashore for a burial service - in the rich Christian church. It was an elaborate trick. As the Bishop was about to conduct the service for what he thought was his latest convert, Hasting sprang from the coffin, and, with the assistance of his armed followers, first dispatched the Bishop and the governor, and then attacked the town, capturing it after a bloody battle.[/size]

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FRANCE - PARIS RAIDED 840 AD

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[size="2"]It was not too long before the Vikings began looking to settle in other parts of Europe as well - the emerging French capital of Paris was raided in 840 AD by a particularly adventurous Viking band. In the early 900s, a Viking settlement was established with force of arms in northwestern France. In 911, the Frankish king, a great grandson of Charlemagne, granted formal recognition to this Viking settlement and in somewhat of a post factum manner made the settlement a vassal of the Frankish state.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: [/size] [size="2"]The extent of the Viking power was visibly demonstrated in 840 AD, when they besieged and raided the fortified city of Paris, then already the most powerful center in all of France. Here Viking boats approach the walls of the city on the Seine River.

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[size="2"]The leader of this particular band of Vikings, called Gang-Hrolf by his own people (Ralph the Walker - as he was allegedly too large for any horse to carry him comfortably) was known to the Franks as Rollo, reciprocated the Frankish recognition by being baptized as a Christian and becoming the first Duke of Normandy - the name Normandy deriving from the word Norse-man. Rollo and his Normans did indeed become loyal vassals, pledging to protect their piece of coastline against other Viking invaders.[/size]

[size="2"]Before 1100, the Norman (and thus Viking) soldier Robert Guiscard sailed for Sicily, then partly under the occupation of the Muslim invasion which had accompanied the invasion of Spain. Guiscard fought his way into the Muslim controlled area, and proceeded to establish a Norman principality on Sicily, known as the Norman kingdom of Sicily. Normans from Sicily also took part in another great racial war, that of the Crusades against the Muslims in the Middle East.[/size]

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NORTH AMERICA - VIKINGS LAND 500 YEARS BEFORE COLUMBUS

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[size="2"]Other settlements established by Viking bands included outposts on the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland and Faroe islands. In 861 AD, a Viking discovered Iceland and soon the island was settled by other bands of Vikings. Around 950 AD, one of these Icelandic settlers, Eric the Red, sailed to Greenland, where another short lived Viking outpost was established.[/size]

[size="2"]In the year 986 AD, another Viking, Bjarni Herjulfsson, sailing from Norway to Greenland, missed his destination and by accident sighted the North American coast. He did not land, instead returning on his path, he told others in Greenland of his discovery. The son of Eric the Red, Leif, then took an expedition to the new land, landing on present day Newfoundland and living there just under one year before returning to Greenland.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: [/size] [size="2"]A fine representation of Erik the Red's expedition discovering Greenland.[/size]

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VINLAND

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[size="2"]A few years later, another Greenland Viking, Thorfinn Karlsefni, launched a major expedition to the new land. Using three ships and 160 men and women, he set out to establish a Viking colony in North America. They built a settlement in Newfoundland (the remains of which were excavated in 1962) and in 1004, Thorfinn's wife Gudrid bore him a son named Snorri. Leif called the North American land Vinland, or Wineland, because of the grapes he found there.  However, the American natives, called Skraelings, constantly subjected Thorfinn's settlement to attacks, and overwhelmed by numbers, the Vikings were forced to abandon their settlement after three years.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: Archeological evidence of a Viking settlement (the Way Station) at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland. Left: This copper alloy ring headed pin of Norse design was found at the L'Anse Meadows site. Pins such as these were used to close the outer garments of both men and women. Right: A wooden ship repair piece found at the L'Anse Meadow site. Identical pieces have been found in excavations of Viking founded Dublin in Ireland.

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[size="2"]THE HEAVENER RUNESTONES - VIKINGS IN OKLAHOMA CIRCA 900 AD

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[size="2"]Precisely how far the Vikings penetrated into the mainland of North America is revealed by the existence of four runestones inscribed with symbols from the Viking language which can be found in the present day state of Oklahoma, USA.[/size]

[size="2"]The largest of the runestones is known as the Heavener Runestone. It is a sandstone slab, 12 feet high, ten feet wide, and 16 inches thick. It was first noticed in the modern era by bear hunters before 1874. This stone is carved with 8 letters from the oldest Viking language, the 24 rune Futhark, used from 300 until 800 AD, in Scandinavia.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: [/size] [size="2"]Evidence of just how far the Vikings progressed into North America. A close-up of the runes on the Heavener Runestone, present day Oklahoma, USA. The runes are circa 900 AD.

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[size="2"]In the immediate area, three other runestones have also been found: and at a small hill at of Cavanal Mountain, 14 miles away, another smaller inscription of eight runes is to be found.[/size]

[size="2"]In 1986, the runes on the largest stone were deciphered as meaning G-L-O-M-E-D-A-L, meaning Glome's Valley, a land claim. The other runestones also refer to Glome, saying "Magic or protection to Gloie (his nickname)". One of the smaller runestones appears to have been a gravestone. The other two runestones do not have enough runes for a translation, but the four stones were placed in a straight line, miles apart.[/size]

[size="2"]In order to enter Oklahoma, Vikings would probably have rounded the tip of Florida into the Gulf of Mexico, found the Mississippi River, and sailed into its tributaries, the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers, around 750 AD. This date is indicated by the grammar used on the Runestones.

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[size="2"]MINNESOTA VIKINGS - ILL FATED EXPEDITION IN 1362

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[size="2"]In November 1898, a further runestone was discovered near Kensington in the present day state of Minnesota. When deciphered, these runes revealed the story of an ill-fated Viking expedition to the area which occurred in 1362.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: Still the source of much controversy, the Kensington Runestone, recounting the saga of an ill fated Viking expedition to present day Minnesota in 1362.

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[size="2"]A translation of the runestone makes fascinating reading: [on the front of the stone][/size]

[size="2"]"8 Goths and 22 Norwegians on discovery voyage from Vinland over (the) west we had camp by 2 skerries one days journey north from this stone we were and fishe(ed) one day after we came home found 10 men red with blood and dead A(ve) V(irgo) M(aria) preserve from evil"[/size]

[size="2"][on the side of the stone][/size]

[size="2"]"have 10 men by the seas to see after our ship(s) 14 day-journeys from this island year 1362."[/size]

[size="2"]The stone has been the source of a fair amount of controversy. During the late 1940s, it was overwhelmingly considered authentic and was displayed in the halls of the Smithsonian Institution. The fate of the intrepid Vikings remains unknown.[/size]

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THE NEWPORT TOWER

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[size="2"]In Touro Park, Newport, Rhode Island, a stone tower, called the Newport Tower, may be the oldest fully existing Norse building in North America, probably built in the 12th Century.[/size]

[size="2"]It has been claimed that the tower - most often referred to as Governor Arnold's Mill - was built by Governor Arnold around the year it is mentioned in his will - 1677. However, the shape of the structure is most unsuited to that of a mill. [/size]

[size="2"]The top of the building is obviously meant to be used as a lookout tower over the bay; and the inside as an early church, complete with a place for an altar and a fireplace (all of which are incompatible with the inside of a mill). The structure's design closely resembles other early Norse style churches which can be found in Europe.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: The Newport Tower, Rhode Island, USA. Often thought to have been built as a mill around 1670, compelling evidence - including a runic inscription inside the tower and the style and design (most unsuited to that of a mill) indicates that it is the oldest intact Viking structure on the North American continent.

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[size="2"]The first mention of the existence of the tower comes in the account of the Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazano, who, while in the service of the French, was the first 16th Century European to enter New York Bay in 1524. Verrazano noted the tower on his map of the area, calling it a "Norman villa" because of its obvious Norse design and construction.[/size]

[size="2"]The most compelling evidence of the Norse construction of Newport Tower is however the existence of a Runic inscription on one of the walls, which has been translated to read HINKIRS or Henrikus - a Norse name.[/size]

[size="2"]The explorer Verrazano also noted that the natives with whom he came into contact around the Newport area were "polite, cultured and of fair complexion". Bernardo Carli, one of Verrazano's men, wrote "This is the most beautiful and the most civilized people that we have found in our navigation. They excel us in size, are of a bronze color, some inclined to whiteness." These physical characteristics are all clear evidence of Norse ancestry.[/size]

[size="2"]Numerous American Indian words are also of clear Norse origin. Mallery compiled a huge list of Iroquois words with Norse origins in his book mentioned above. Others which are of interest are:
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[size="2"]- In New England, the Indian name of the port of Halifax was "Chebuct" - in Norse a 'Sjobukt" is a sea bay.[/size]

[size="2"]- In Martha's Vineyard a pond called "Mennemsha" lies between Gay's Head and Chilmark. In Norse the word "Mellemsjo" means in-between pond, or body of water.[/size]

[size="2"]- Near Pemaquid, Maine, a tribal branch of the Abnaki was called "Norridgewok": "Norrewg's Folk", or the people of Norway.[/size]

[size="2"]- A hill in New Jersey was called "Espating" by the Indians; "Asp", the Norse name for the Asp tree, has come into English unchanged; while the Norse word for a meeting place, a "ting" is the clear origin of the rest of the word Espating.

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[size="2"]VIKING SETTLEMENT ENDS IN GREENLAND

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[size="2"]The encroaching ice of Greenland eventually proved too much even for the hardy Vikings, and the last survivors died in 1740 AD during the interglacial freeze of the 18th Century. Today the inhabitants of Iceland, because of the geographic isolation, are the most pure descendants of the Vikings in the world, speaking a virtually identical language and having the distinction of being the last European nation to recognize Christianity as a legitimate religion, well into the 1100s.

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[size="2"]POLITICAL UNITY - FAILED[/size]

[size="2"]In Scandinavia itself, several Viking leaders tried to establish some form of unity, most notably Harald Fairhair who beat the Viking chieftains of western Norway in 872; and Harald Bluetooth who in 965, after being baptized as a Christian, tried to convert the Danes to Christianity. Both these attempts at unity failed, and Harald Bluetooth, despite being a legitimate descendent of a leading Viking chief, was exiled.


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[size="2"]THE SAGA OF HARALD HARDRAADA - HOW A VIKING RULED ENGLAND

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[size="2"]It was from this struggle for unity amongst the Vikings that one of the most colorful characters in Viking history was to emerge: Harald Hardraada.[/size]

[size="2"]Harald's tale begins with the attempts by a great grandson of Harald Fairhair, one Olaf Tryggvason, being baptized as a Christian as part of a settlement arranged with the English, whom Olaf's Vikings had been subjecting to a particularly pulverizing series of raids. Olaf however not only was acknowledged as leader of the Vikings in northern England, but he also managed to quell enough dissent in Norway to become that country's first king around 995 AD.[/size]

[size="2"]As a result of this, the throne of King of Norway was then linked to the leadership of at least half of England: when Harald Hardraada (the "hard ruler") finally ascended to the throne, this sparked off one of the final battles between the Vikings and the English.[/size]

[size="2"]Harald was the half brother of King Olaf the Stout, a king of Norway who was chased out of his country while trying to violently convert his countrymen to Christianity. Olaf fled to the Viking settlements in Russia, which had become Christianized, and raised an army to stage a comeback in Norway. Olaf returned to Norway in 1030, with his 15 year old half brother, Harald, at his side. Together they fought their pagan countrymen but were defeated. Olaf was killed (he was later made a saint by the Christian Church and is to this day patron saint of Norway) and Harald severely wounded.[/size]

[size="2"]The young Harald fled back to Russia, stopping in Kiev to enlist in the army of King Yaroslav, winning great prestige as a soldier. From there he went to Constantinople where he enlisted in the emperor's Varangian guard, an elite army unit made up exclusively of Vikings and Rus recruited from the Norse settlements in Christian Russia. For a decade Harald fought for the Eastern Roman Empire, winning not only great fame but also great wealth.[/size]

[size="2"]In 1044, he went back to Kiev and married the daughter of King Yaroslav. By 1047, he had worked his way back to Norway where he claimed the Norwegian throne, his royal family tie combined with his by now legendary exploits being enough to silence opposition to his becoming king.[/size]

[size="2"]During the next nineteen years, Harald continued trying to Christianize his countrymen, earning for himself the name of "hard ruler".[/size]

[size="2"]Harald's last great exploit came in 1066. Upon the death of the Anglo-Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, Harald claimed the English crown for himself on the basis of the shared sovereignty of Norway and northern England. However, another claimant to the English throne also put in his bid - William, Duke of Normandy, ironically the descendant of Vikings just like Harald himself.[/size]

[size="2"]Harald first formed an alliance with Earl Tostig, the disaffected brother of the English king who had succeeded Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson. Then Harald sailed for England and seized the town of York as a base for his operations against Harold Godwinson. The Viking and English armies clashed at the battle of Stamford Bridge, where Harald was killed.[/size]

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[size="2"]Above: [/size] [size="2"]Norman cavalrymen from the Bayuex Tapestry, celebrating the Norman invasion of England, 1066. The Norsemen all still wore the traditional Viking dress, and Harold Hardraada would have been similarly clad in his adventures across the known world.

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[size="2"]The damage he inflicted upon Harold Godwinson's army was however such that it was unable to ward off the invasion by William of Normandy at Hastings a few days later. Harold Godwinson was killed and William became William the Conqueror - a Norman Viking descendant became king of England.[/size]

[size="2"]The death of Harald Hardraada at Stamford Bridge marked the final disappearance of the true adventurer Scandinavian spirit: after him there would be no more Vikings and their raids.

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[xan-i]

Extremely interesting reading, Sariel.

My mother's name is derived from the old Norse (Brenda) and her father's name was William.