The Vikings- Just brutal conquerors?

Ever since the Netflix series "Vikings", Vikings have been all the rage. Viewers have been suffering along with Ragnar, Lagertha and Rollo for six seasons now. It makes you wonder: how much is true and how much is just made up?

The Vikings lived from 800 AD and came mainly from what is now Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They terrified the surrounding countries for more than 250 years. However, some men who called themselves Vikings also came from other areas, as DNA studies have shown. It is interesting to note that the Vikings lived exclusively by the sea. Genetically speaking, they differed from the inhabitants further inland.

There are a few clichés about the men from the north: They are said to have been tall, blond and blue-eyed. In fact, they were tall and stocky by the standards of the time. The rest, however, is a myth, as they had all kinds of hair and eye colors. They conversed in Old Norse, but there were also different regional dialects. They also used certain characters to leave messages to each other in conquered territories. For example, runes carved in stone have been found in Istanbul (Constantinople) and Orkney in Scotland.

Historians disagree on the origin of the term "Viking". The majority assume that it derives from the Old Norse "Vikingr". This can be translated as "to rob, to be on the prowl". A derivation from the Latin word "vicus" (traveling men) is also conceivable. It is therefore more a kind of job title than a folk name.

Genetically speaking, the Vikings were a motley crew.

According to a study of almost 450 Viking skeletons published in September 2020, the skeletons were descended from different peoples according to their DNA. "Nature" found that the genes found were partly Scandinavian and Sami (indigenous people of Scandinavia) or European/Scandinavian. Genetic markers from other tribes were also found. The specialist journal has thus dispelled a long-standing myth. Not everyone was blond, blue-eyed and of Scandinavian origin.

The Vikings only went on raids in summer and worked in traditional professions the rest of the year. They were farmers, craftsmen or traders. In addition to spices, honey and furs, they also offered slaves for sale. But why did the "traveling men" take on the dangers and hardships of a week-long sea voyage in the first place? It is assumed that they wanted a better life for their families. Scandinavia was overpopulated at the time. Some of the farmers, who were struggling to survive, were forced to emigrate to newly conquered territories. Through their raids, they were able to offer their families more wealth and at the same time create new living spaces for them.

Everyday life was governed by the code of honor.

The family was sacred to the Vikings. They lived together in clans and family groups and strictly adhered to a family code of honor. There was a certain hierarchy within the clan, which was extremely important. At the top was the leader, the "Jarl". The bravest and most powerful Jarl was elected as a kind of chieftain. He only held this position, however, until a challenger overthrew him.

The day in the life of a Viking also seemed to begin with a visit to the bathroom. According to excavations, personal hygiene was very important to them. They had primitive tweezers as well as razor blades and even combs made from animal bones have been found. According to historical reports, the Vikings also took a bath once a week. This was unusually frequent for the time.

Slaves played a decisive role in their society. They made up around 80 % of the population and were completely without rights. Considered the property of the Vikings, the unfree were mostly the spoils of raids. The servants, easily recognizable by their shaven heads, were commanded by the Viking women.

Marriages were understood quite pragmatically as alliances of convenience. Only economic and financial reasons played a role in these arrangements. Although the man clearly had the say, divorces still took place back then. Upper-class women had the right to separate if their husbands failed to fulfill their duties. This was primarily to provide for the family, but divorce could also occur if the husband did not treat his wife well.

Even though the Vikings were known for raiding other countries, they valued law and order at home. The "Thing" was held regularly in the open air. Important decisions were made at a public meeting of free men. Laws were passed, political matters were discussed and justice was administered. Minor disputes were largely settled within the family, and fines were imposed for moderately serious crimes. The worst that could be imposed was banishment. It could be imposed for a certain period of time, but also for life. This punishment was tantamount to exclusion from society. The convict was left to fend for himself. Such a Viking was virtually unable to survive.

Vikings worshipped many gods.

Religion was an important element of their lives and gave them stability. They worshipped many different gods, who were supposed to support them in the most diverse situations in life. One of the most important was Odin, who was regarded as the god of war and wisdom, but also as the supreme god. Thor, the god of thunder and protector of humans and other gods, was also held in high esteem. For the warlike Vikings, Freya, goddess of war and love, was of course also of great importance.

The Vikings believed in life after death. There were various places where a soul could end up. Valhalla and Helheim were two of them. Dying in battle was the most prestigious way to die. It was the only way to secure a place in the popular Valhalla. They were convinced that a feast would be held there every night and that they would fight alongside Odin and other gods in the final battle of all: Ragnarök, the end of the world.

The souls of those who died of "straw death" (old age, illness) went to Helheim. It was a dark realm of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel. However, it is not the same as the Christian concept of hell. It is not a place of punishment, but simply life after death. Nevertheless, there was definitely a place in Helheim that stood for darkness and horror and was intended for bad people: Naströnd. Anyone who landed here first had to walk through a cave filled with ice-cold poison and then the dragon Nidhögg ate the bones of those banished there.

The realm of the dead could only be reached by a river journey, so the ship was an important element in any Viking funeral. This could be a real ship that was buried with its captain. For a less important deceased person, it was customary to place stones in the shape of a ship on the burial site. These were symbolic of a galley. There were also cremations, which symbolized the purification of the soul and its transformation. The body was burnt at the stake and the ashes buried in special places.

One of the secrets to the success of their attacks was the Northmen's ships. They were famous for their narrow longships, with which they could easily sail right up to the beaches. Thanks to the surprise effect, they were able to make good prey. The ships, which were decorated with snake or dragon heads, had a shallow draft of around 1.5 meters. This meant that the Vikings could simply sail into the rivers after crossing the Atlantic. In good weather conditions, they could cover a distance of around 30 kilometers a day. If the weather gods were not so kind, the 60 or so men on the ship took the helm. Sometimes an inland waterway simply ended. In this case, the boat could also be shouldered by the crew and carried to the next arm of water.

How it all began.

The raid on a monastery in England is often regarded as the beginning of the Viking era. According to historical records in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles, the monastery of St. Cuthbert on the island of Lindisfarne was attacked by men from the north on June 8, 793. The attack was swift and brutal: "They killed some of the brethren, dragged some in fetters, drove many away, naked and heaped with abuse, some drowned them in the sea", according to the records. * The monastery was destroyed in the attack and the shrines stolen.

However, it must also be said that not all Vikings were out for battles and conquests. Some of them were skilled traders. They traded goods such as honey, animal skins and weapons for precious metals, as well as spices and armor. These traders gave the conquering Vikings tips on countries and regions that were worth raiding. Thanks to this information, the Vikings first began their raids in Great Britain, northern France and the Baltic states. They quickly expanded their area of activity to the south (Spain, Portugal, North Africa). German cities such as Cologne and Bonn also suffered regular attacks. The "Northmen", as they were known, wanted to capture coins (gold, silver) as well as valuables such as figurines. During the raids, they often also took prisoners. They either released them for ransom or sold them as slaves.

A different kind of family outing.

Not all attacks were crowned with success. We have an interesting discovery to thank for a raid that went wrong in Estonia. Scientists have analyzed the genes of the group that was killed. Surprisingly, the Viking commando was not a motley collection of people. Quite the opposite: they were all members of one family. This means that, in this case at least, people from all over Scandinavia did not come together for an attack, but were simply a clan that went on a raid together.

Some regions were also peacefully developed by the Vikings, such as Greenland. Erik Thorvaldsson (Erik the Red) discovered the land in 982 after being exiled from Iceland for murder. After mapping the region for three years, he returned to his homeland at the end of his sentence. In Iceland, he used his knowledge and the term "grassland" for the cold region to encourage his compatriots to emigrate there. Years later, Erik's son Leif Eriksson was allegedly the first European to set foot on the North American continent.

The men from the north may have been brutal and sometimes unpredictable, but if they knew when to change tactics. If they realized that they would face determined resistance during a raid, they preferred to concentrate on trading. This cleverly arranged peaceful takeover is known as a raid trade. It took longer, but they achieved their goal. However, the Vikings also caused deaths in the countries they took over peacefully. Through their many journeys, they spread pathogens worldwide. DNA analyses have shown smallpox pathogens in the bones of Vikings. What is surprising is that, according to the genetic data, this was a different strain of smallpox than that found in today's smallpox pathogens.

The Norsemen were not only active on land. They also fought fierce battles in the sea. They fought over important trade routes in order to reach distant areas quickly and effectively. One of the most famous battles on the high seas was the Battle of Svolder. It took place in September 1000 in the southern Baltic Sea. The fleet of the Norwegian King Tryggvason fought against the Danish King Forkbeard, the Swedish ruler Skötkonung and the renegade Norwegian Jarl Hakonsson. The Norwegian ships were lured into an ambush and defeated. Some historians assume that Tryggvason did not survive. After this defeat, Norway no longer played a role in this sea region.

A new source of income: ransom extortion

Once important sea routes were under the control of the Vikings, they were able to expand their raids on land. Reginherus (Reginheri) opened up a new source of income for them: extortion. He was the leader of the raid on Paris in 845. The Vikings had to put up a lot of resistance: among other things, they were doused with hot wax and pitch from two high towers. Nevertheless, the army of several hundred men succeeded in capturing the French city. The ruler at the time, King Charles the Bald, was forced to pay a ransom. It is said that he handed over two and a half tons of silver to the Vikings. After this payment, there were repeated raids, which were then ended by the payment of protection money. Incidentally, the character "Ragnar-Lothbrok" in the Vikings series is based on Reginherus.

However, the Vikings were by no means only known for raiding. They were also explorers. According to legend, a Viking named Bjarni Herjólfsson was the first European to land in America by mistake around 985. Due to a storm, he strayed from the original route to Greenland. Instead, he discovered what is now Canada, but immediately returned without taking a closer look at the country. About twenty years later, Leif Erikson ("The Lucky One") allegedly followed his route. He explored and named Helluland (Baffin Island), Markland (Labrador) and Vinland (Newfoundland).

The Viking Rollo had staying power - and it paid off.

After a successful battle, some of the men from the north remained in the conquered lands and settled there, as the example of Rollo shows. The Danish-born Viking was on a raiding expedition in the second half of the ninth century. Although Rollo besieged the city of Paris for months, he did not manage to conquer it. However, his efforts were not in vain: he received "Danegeld", a term used to describe ransom payments (money for Danes). With 350 kilograms of silver more on board, Rollo heads for home. In 911, after further plundering in France, the Frankish King Charles III offers him a peace treaty. The Vikings were given the county of Rouen, which lies around one hundred kilometers from Paris on the lower reaches of the Seine. By handing over what would later become French Normandy, Charles "the Simple-minded" not only put an end to the raids, but also protected the coast from further plundering by other Vikings. So he was not that simple-minded. Part of the agreement with King Charles III also stipulated that Rollo and his followers had to convert to Christianity. This is how the Viking Rollo eventually became the Christian Robert.

As more and more of the Norse men converted to Christianity, preferring to start a family and pursue a regular job, the era of the feared Vikings came to an end. Just as we do not know exactly when the Vikings began, it is also impossible to date their decline precisely.

1066 - The beginning of the end.

However, the year 1066 plays a major role here: the Viking and King of Norway Harald Hardrada (Harald the Hard) dies in a battle in England. Together with him, Tostig Godwinson (Earl of the small kingdom of Northumbria and brother of the English King Harold II) also dies in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The men fought against the English King Harold II and were crushed. Of the original fleet of 300 Viking ships, just 24 returned to Norway.

Just three days later, the Duke of the Normans, William I, invaded England and conquered the country. This is how "William the Bastard" eventually became "William the Conqueror". With William I's victory, the Normans were now the rulers of England. As they were the successors to the Vikings (thanks to Rollo), the Norsemen finally achieved their goal of gaining control of England. After the victory, the Viking raids became fewer and eventually ceased. This can be considered the end of the Viking era.

This era will probably always fascinate people. And even if you haven't seen a single episode of Vikings ... almost everyone knows the name of a Viking. With his blue, probably dead tooth, he is a household name: Harald Bluetooth (911 - 987). The King of the Danes was the first Viking to be baptized and he gave his name to the wireless technology Bluetooth. So the Vikings are still indirectly a part of our lives today. Even away from television.

*Although the documents refer to an attack in January, historians agree that this must have been a clerical error.

Fancy more Vikings? HERE is an article about the Up Helly Aa Festival in Lerwick, Scotland.