The Vikings raided and traded their way around a large part of the world from the 8th to the 11th centuries, leaving an enduring legend of terror and admiration mixed. For 300 years the Vikings spread out from their Scandinavian homelands, sweeping the world from Baghdad to North America.
They were an extraordinary group of people who were not only ferocious attackers and fearless warriors, but also shrewd traders, skilled explorers and navigators, superb shipbuilders and craftsmen, and pagans with a rich mythology and strong tradition of story-telling. Their name remains legend for the terrifying raids on the coasts of Britain, Ireland and Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries. Famed for their navigation ability and long ships, Vikings in a few hundred years colonized the coasts and rivers of Europe, the islands of Shetland, Orkney, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and for a short while also Newfoundland circa AD 1000, while still reaching as far south as North Africa, east into Russia and to Constantinople for raiding and trading.
The Vikings valued glory and valor above all things. A warrior's death meant a place in Valhalla. They formed large trading centers in their own lands and in other countries, where they practiced crafts like wood turning, jewelry making, blacksmithing and textile work. Their societies were loosely democratic, and Viking women often had power and status, running estates while the men were gone.
Viking voyages grew less frequent with the introduction of Christianity to Scandinavia in the late 10th and 11th century. The Vikings lost their pagan beliefs as they settled in Christian countries and as Christianity spread into the North. Their societies changed with the medieval world. The age of the Viking was over, but they made a mark never forgotten.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
What Made the Viking Culture Different?
The Vikings were a special breed, proud of their differences and often misunderstood. What made the Vikings different from the Anglo-Saxons was their failure to impose their culture on the people they conquered. They were content to rule and prosper, adopting the language and customs of the people they defeated. The different branches of Viking invaders — the Rus, the Normans, the Danes in England, the Norse in Scotland and Ireland — became, after two or three generations, indistinguishable from the folk they conquered. When Danish Vikings invaded and occupied large sections of England, the result was to cement the unity of the Anglo-Saxons against them.
The English accepted the Danelaw in northeastern England. They paid the price; however, over the next century the English gradually incorporated the Danes and merged with them.Their two cultures and languages were similar; hundreds of Old English words were so close to Old Norse that Danish versions supplanted the English ones. When the heathen Vikings converted to Christianity, there remained little to distinguish them from the English. By the time the Danish king Canute became king of England in 1017, the Danelaw and England had become a single culture.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
The English accepted the Danelaw in northeastern England. They paid the price; however, over the next century the English gradually incorporated the Danes and merged with them.Their two cultures and languages were similar; hundreds of Old English words were so close to Old Norse that Danish versions supplanted the English ones. When the heathen Vikings converted to Christianity, there remained little to distinguish them from the English. By the time the Danish king Canute became king of England in 1017, the Danelaw and England had become a single culture.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
Viking Battle Helmets: Why Did They Choose to Wear Horns?
In the late 19th century, the horned helmet was a feature of the iconic Viking identity and remains so today — and yet not one of the Viking helmets that have been found to have any horns! Folk stories in Sweden contributed to this popular image. It was notably a Swedish academic club for Norse literary studies that mixed the Viking age with earlier Bronze-Age ceremonial Scandinavian helmets that do have horns, to misconstrue the image.
The popular image of the Viking in a horned helmet was spurred too by the costume designs of Richard Wagner’s operas in the mid 1800s based on Teutonic (early Germanic) mythology.
Viking fairs are popular entertainment as well as informative demonstrations of traditions such as leather work, ceramics, weaving, jewelry and cooking. But Viking-themed festivals are anything but recent.
A popular festival on the Shetland Isles, with its spectacular fires and torch lit parades, and its connections to the pagan Viking Yule celebrations of the sun’s return after the winter solstice, was started after the Napoleonic wars. The celebrations became more elaborate over the 19th century. In the late 1800’s the element of disguise and the torchlight parade were introduced. In the 1880s the Viking longship burning appeared and from 1914 the squad of Vikings Jarls (earls) led the procession. Romantic ideas of Viking tradition remain a feature of the event, enjoyed by a 12,000-strong crowd today.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
The popular image of the Viking in a horned helmet was spurred too by the costume designs of Richard Wagner’s operas in the mid 1800s based on Teutonic (early Germanic) mythology.
Viking fairs are popular entertainment as well as informative demonstrations of traditions such as leather work, ceramics, weaving, jewelry and cooking. But Viking-themed festivals are anything but recent.
A popular festival on the Shetland Isles, with its spectacular fires and torch lit parades, and its connections to the pagan Viking Yule celebrations of the sun’s return after the winter solstice, was started after the Napoleonic wars. The celebrations became more elaborate over the 19th century. In the late 1800’s the element of disguise and the torchlight parade were introduced. In the 1880s the Viking longship burning appeared and from 1914 the squad of Vikings Jarls (earls) led the procession. Romantic ideas of Viking tradition remain a feature of the event, enjoyed by a 12,000-strong crowd today.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
More on The History of the Viking
Even though the Vikings left few accounts of themselves, the tales of their great feats, bloody conquests and heroic explorations has never died. These legends and images have been appropriated at different times and for different purposes. The heroic, pioneering, powerful and courageous Viking was used as an icon and represented a Norse identity. The image of the longboat and horned helmet were exploited both for commercial and political purposes.
The Dark Age highlights those who battled to shape the future, from the warlords whose armies threatened to case the demise of European society, like Alaric, Charles the Hammer, and Clovis; to the men and women who valiantly tended the flames of justice, knowledge, and innovation including Charlemagne, St. Including the Viking’s champions
To the present day the appeal of Vikings is undiminished. They are everywhere in our popular culture — in film, television, advertising, sports, fashion and toys.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages , visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
The History of Viking Longboats
The famed longboats of the Vikings were so successful as an instrument of raiding and plundering that the Vikings were able to develop a market for a variety of stolen goods. Viking longboats entered the wide water ways, working ever southward, deep into unknown lands. The Vikings would land, and allow Norse warriors to pillage and plunder large parts of Europe. Knowing that after they sailed off, no other vessels were fast or agile enough to catch ever catch them.
Replica boats and voyages are popular undertakings by Viking enthusiasts. One of the first of its kind was a replica of the well-preserved Gokstad ship, which was built and sailed in 1893. It supposedly reached the Newfoundland coast in 27 days and carried on to was is now Chicago where it challenged the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America. Which at the time was being celebrated there at the great World Exposition. The acclaimed performance of the vessel stirred debate about the first European discovery of the Americas. What was the real truth?
For more information on Viking accessories, battle helmets or dark ages history, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
Replica boats and voyages are popular undertakings by Viking enthusiasts. One of the first of its kind was a replica of the well-preserved Gokstad ship, which was built and sailed in 1893. It supposedly reached the Newfoundland coast in 27 days and carried on to was is now Chicago where it challenged the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America. Which at the time was being celebrated there at the great World Exposition. The acclaimed performance of the vessel stirred debate about the first European discovery of the Americas. What was the real truth?
For more information on Viking accessories, battle helmets or dark ages history, visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
An Introduction to The Viking History
Even though the Vikings left few accounts of themselves, the tales of their great feats, bloody conquests and heroic explorations has never died. These legends and images have been appropriated at different times and for different purposes.
The unification of Norway heralded the age of the Viking conquests. The year 800 is the traditional starting point for the age of the Vikings, and the age of the Viking ran from 800-1050 A.D. It has been debated by the scholars, what gave the Vikings such a good self-confidence that they had no problem to adapt to different styles of warfare or other fighting-styles that they met on their travels.
To the present day the appeal of Vikings is undiminished. They are everywhere in our popular culture — in music, film, television, advertising, sports, fashion and toys. And living history groups revive Viking culture by practicing their crafts and skills.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages , visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
The unification of Norway heralded the age of the Viking conquests. The year 800 is the traditional starting point for the age of the Vikings, and the age of the Viking ran from 800-1050 A.D. It has been debated by the scholars, what gave the Vikings such a good self-confidence that they had no problem to adapt to different styles of warfare or other fighting-styles that they met on their travels.
To the present day the appeal of Vikings is undiminished. They are everywhere in our popular culture — in music, film, television, advertising, sports, fashion and toys. And living history groups revive Viking culture by practicing their crafts and skills.
For more information on how you can get a hold of popular Viking collectibles, learn more about Viking History or The Dark Ages , visit The Historical Weapons Store.com
Greek Armor and Greek War
The solid bronze, Corinthian style helmet that the average hoplite wore weighed approximately five pounds and covered the head and parts of the face and neck. Because it was not insulated, many men grew beards or long hair, as the Spartans did, in order to provide shock absorbent padding. The solid metal headpieces also provided no ventilation, often times leading to dehydration. The difficulty of wearing the hoplite helmet also gives evidence to the man to dependence found among the phalanx ranks. The burdensome covering allowed for little range of vision and muffled much of the sounds around a man, including any orders from a commander. The isolation in wearing the helmet led to a battle experience largely based on the perception of pressure each man felt from those around him. The hoplite found body protection in his breastplate, a solid bronze, bell-shaped corset weighing thirty to forty pounds.
As with the helmet, ventilation was nonexistent, leading to immediate discomfort and a drenching of sweat. Greaves, thin bronze sheets, were employed to protect the lower legs. The weapon of choice in the head on battles of antiquity was a six to eight foot long spear. The wooden shaft was made of ash or cornel wood, the head of iron, and the butt pike of bronze. Upon the collision with the enemy, the spear would often times break, thus the necessity of having a butt end available. However, this arrangement also endangered those hoplites in the rear ranks, for misdirection or accidental backward thrusts of the spear often led to the injury or death of one's fellow soldier. In the case that the spear was lost or too damaged to use, a short sword was used during hand to hand combat.
This note just scratches the surface of history about the world of Greek Warfare. For more information about Roman and Greek war accessories, interesting history articles and museum replica collectibles, visit The Historical Weapons Store or www. HistoricReplicas.com
As with the helmet, ventilation was nonexistent, leading to immediate discomfort and a drenching of sweat. Greaves, thin bronze sheets, were employed to protect the lower legs. The weapon of choice in the head on battles of antiquity was a six to eight foot long spear. The wooden shaft was made of ash or cornel wood, the head of iron, and the butt pike of bronze. Upon the collision with the enemy, the spear would often times break, thus the necessity of having a butt end available. However, this arrangement also endangered those hoplites in the rear ranks, for misdirection or accidental backward thrusts of the spear often led to the injury or death of one's fellow soldier. In the case that the spear was lost or too damaged to use, a short sword was used during hand to hand combat.
This note just scratches the surface of history about the world of Greek Warfare. For more information about Roman and Greek war accessories, interesting history articles and museum replica collectibles, visit The Historical Weapons Store or www. HistoricReplicas.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)