vikings Ondine Farlam

The Vikings

by Ondine Farlam

Amethyst class

Above: the Vikings were from Scandinavia, but voyaged as far as America, North Africa, southern Russia and possibly Iraq

WHO WERE THE VIKINGS?

The Vikings were people from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. They were known

as North or Norsemen, but became 'Vikings', or 'pirate raider' in Old Norse, once they travelled. They were farmers, fishermen, seafarers, adventurers and traders. The Vikings were at their most powerful between the AD790 and 1100.

The Vikings were great explorers. They were master shipbuilders, and this allowed them to travel easily. Viking longboats reached Britain, France, Spain, Italy and

North Africa. A few daring explorers voyaged across the Atlantic to Greenland, Iceland and even North America, over 500 years before Christopher Columbus!

Others journeyed overground to southern Russia, Turkey and maybe as far as Iraq.

Above: Viking explorers travelled great distances for their time in light, sturdy longboats. The Oseberg ship was found by archeologists in 1904. It had been buried in a funeral between AD800 and 900. It is now in a museum in Oslo, Norway

WHO WERE SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS VIKINGS?

Erik the Red

The son of a Viking who had been banished from Norway for murder, Erik was born in Iceland. He himself was banished from Iceland and journeyed west to a new land. It was mainly ice but he called it Greenland to encourage others to come.

Leif Eriksson

The son of Erik the Red, Leif Eriksson was also known as Leif the Lucky. He was the first European to set foot on American soil in 1001, almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus. He landed in what is now Newfoundland in Canada. He called it Vinland because he mistook berries there for grapes. He spent the winter there but did not stay. However, later Vikings are believed to have settled there.

Lagartha

Living around AD840-865, the Danish spearmaiden from what is now Norway first came to prominence when she joined a group of women who had been abused by a conquering king. They dressed as male warriors and joined the deposed Norwegian king's avenging grandson Ragner Lodbrok, whom she later married. However, after many adventures, Lagartha killed her husband and ruled Norway alone.

King Cnut

Cnut was the only man to be king of Denmark, Norway and England. He also ruled parts of Sweden. He ruled England from 1016 to 1035. According to 12th-century Henry of Huntington, Cnut believed he could sit in the sea without getting wet, having heard so from his flattering court. But setting his chair on the shore, the waves soaked him. After this, Cnut told his people that only God could rule, and was said never to wear a crown again. He is buried in Winchester Cathedral.

The warrior from grave BJ 581, Birka

New DNA evidence from a famous burial site in Sweden, has revealed a surprise. The grave comes complete with the warrior's two horses, sword, spear and shield. But the warrior is... a woman. The discovery has made history because although written records state some warriors were women, warriors are still usually thought to be only men, and this is the first physical evidence of female warriors.

Above: adventurers Erik the Red and his son Leif Eriksson; Lagartha the spearmaiden; King Cnut; an artist's impression of the Birka grave as it would have looked at the time of the warrior's burial

WHAT DID THE VIKINGS BELIEVE?

The Vikings believed in gods and goddesses, who fought the forces of evil and darkness alongside them. Their gods were like humans in the way that they had failings, and in fact the Vikings believed that they were doomed to failure in their battles against evil. Warriors wanted to die in battle so they would be taken by maiden Valkyries to Valhalla, a kind of Heaven, to continue the struggle and feast with the gods. Important people might be buried at sea in burning ships, or buried int he earth with their ships and possessions.

Odin was the king of the gods and ruled magic, poetry, knowledge and war. He had two ravens who told him all that was happening on Earth.

Frigg was Odin's kind and motherly wife, and goddess of marriage and motherhood. She had foreknowledge and wisdom, and carried a wooden box.

Balder was their gentle but dazzling son, and the sun god.

Thor, another son, had red hair and was a very popular god. He was the god of the skies, thunder and storms, and carried iron gloves, a magic belt and a hammer.

Sif was Thor's wife and the goddess of the harvest. She was proud of her long blonde hair.

Freya was the goddess of love and fertility, and wept golden tears when she was unhappy. She rode a chariot drawn by two wildcats. She had a twin brother, Frey, and their sacred animal was the boar.

Loki was Odin's adopted son. He was a mischievous god and a shapeshifter. People distrusted him. He caused the death of Balder.

Idunn was the goddess of youth and beauty. She provided the apples the gods needed to stay young and healthy.

The Vikings told many stories, known as sagas or Norse myths, about gods, giants, trolls and dragons. The sagas were full of magic, adventure, trickery and mischief. They describe people living in Midgard (Middle Earth) and gods and goddesses living in a sky world called Asgard. A beautiful rainbow bridge linked Midgard with Asgard.

Later Vikings, after being in western Europe, began to become Christian.

Above: Frigg, flanked by other goddesses; Odin on his golden throne; Freya in her chariot