Essay about The Vikings - 3552 Words

The Vikings The word Viking in the Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language says that the word Viking means the following. â€Å"Vi†¢king 1. any of the Scandinavian pirates who plunder the coasts of Europe from the 8th to 10th centuries. 2. a sea-roving bandit: pirate. 3. a Scandinavian. 4. U.S. Aerospace. One of a series of space probes that obtained scientific information about Mars.† (1) The Vikings lived about one thousand years ago in the lands that we now call Iceland, Lapland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. To most people the Vikings were raiders that got in their longboats and sailed somewhere and then went from town to town killing and pillaging. This is not completely true, because the Vikings were also†¦show more content†¦Still other Vikings worked as merchants, traveling far and wide to trade their goods. Some were even specialized craftsmen such as silversmiths, blacksmiths, and woodcarvers. But the most famous of all the skilled Viking workers was the master shipbuilders and excellent sailors. Viking Lifestyle The growing population of Vikings in towns such as Birka in Sweden, Ribe and Hedeby in Denmark, and Kaupang in Norway prospered for the trading that took place along this string of cities. The trading flourished even though Danish and the Norwegian Vikings were raiding all the cities over in Europe. The Scandinavian towns were built on major waterways that were easy to reach by ship which in turn made trading much easier. The Viking houses were built on or near a water source for obvious reasons and also had access to their ships much faster being so close to the water. When there was no water source nearby they would dig wells and reinforce them with stones or wood that was sealed with a pitch. There were no sewers in Viking towns, but instead each house had a garbage heap. The larger towns produced their own goods such as pottery, products made out of iron, ships, glassworks, and leather products. Towards the end of the Viking age, as power became more concentrated, the Viking towns became large prosperous cities. The biggest city of the Viking time was Hedeby; itShow MoreRelatedVikings1677 Words   |  7 PagesVikings Close your eyes for a moment. Now imagine that you’re an English monk going about your eclectic duties, when a noise suddenly grabs your attention. You look towards the beach and you see a boat, massive in size and awe-inspiring in appearance, sitting right there on the beach where there was only sand a moment before. Then armed warriors pour off the boat, five at first, then ten, then fifteen, then twenty. To you, they’re giants, a good 4 inches in height greater than you; heavilyRead More vikings Essay976 Words   |  4 Pages Vikings In Control They were fierce, heartless Barbarians who Seized and looted many European lands from the 800’s to 1000’s. They made their sneaky attacks at the crack of dawn killing anyone who came axe length away. Including innocent babies defenseless children of all ages, and helpless women. ( The Celebration Program) During their time, these people never called themselves â€Å"Vikings.† This name isn’t even meant to be the name or a group, but an activity. The base word vik was simplyRead MoreThe Vikings And The Viking Age1569 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vikings were Norse seafarers, who mainly spoke the Old Norse language. They raided and traded from their Northern European homelands across wide areas of northern, central and eastern Europe, during the 9th to 11th century. The Vikings originated from Scandinavia, and the beginning of the Vikings expansion often originates from the raid of the Lindisfarne Monetary on 8 June 793. The Vikings were the first Westerners to sail to Iceland, Greenland, and over to the New World. However, the storyRead MoreViking Funeral Essay975 Words   |  4 PagesA Viking funeral is unlike any funeral that the modern individual is used too. According to Ibn Fadlan, author of â€Å"Ibn Fadlan’s Account of Viking in Early Russia,† an article that narrates a Viking funeral from an outside perspective, that shows how ritualistic and sacred a Viking funeral is. Fadlan presents this account by explaining the descriptive process of the funeral of a Viking from an outside perspective. This paper will be a brief summary and opinion on the funeral of a Viking. Vikings comeRead MoreThe Origins Of The Viking Age1174 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the most interesting times in medieval history is the era known as the Viking Age. When these fierce sea-borne raiders rummaged and plundered European sea ports of their valuables and treasures. These Scandinavian inhabitants were known to most of the world as a barbaric group, when in reality, there style of attacking had more skill than the world had seen. They struck fear and intimidation into their victims and made the whole European seaboard quake in angst for their arrival. Not onlyRead MoreThe Age of the Vikings Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesWhen someone mentions the word ‘Viking’, the image that comes to mind is usually not pleasant. Often pictured as bloodthirsty barbarians in horned helmets, the Vikings are one of the most unfairly stereotyped ethnic groups. Although a large part of the Viking lifestyle involved invading and pillaging, they also had a rich culture that includ ed unique gods and goddesses and fascinating traditions. Although often overlooked, the Vikings were some of the most amazing and accomplished people ever toRead MoreViking History and Culture2231 Words   |  9 Pages Viking Culture Viking history and culture have been depicted in many movies, television series, and stories. Vikings are commonly known as barbarians that raid villages and intimidate others with huge ships with dragon heads, and horned helmets. This information is based on facts, but has been distorted and exaggerated over many years and tales. Viking history spans from the years 780 until 1100, which is the time span of the Viking raids. Not every Scandinavian was a Viking; Vikings wereRead MoreThe Origins Of The Viking2866 Words   |  12 PagesThe term Viking commonly relinquishes thoughts of ship-born warriors and pillagers known as the Norsemen, or men from the north, who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late 8th to 11th century. The terminology of the Viking has also been denoted by historians as entire populations of Viking Age Scandinavia and their settlements. Although the Norse men are infamous for their pillaging and plunderingRead MoreEssay on There is More to Vikings than Violence992 Words   |  4 PagesHistory typically describes the Vikings as the fiercest, most brutal of all the barbarian groups that invaded Europe. Historians agree that the Vikings were fierce, but was there more to them than that. The word Viking has been used to identify people who lived in Sweden, Norway and Denmark in early medieval times. In the language Old Norse, Viking means pirate. Sometimes they were known as Northmen or Danes. The Vikings shared a similar heritage as the Saxons, a group of people who hadRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of The Vikings906 Words   |  4 Pages The strengths of the Vikings surely was the most significant factor in enabling them to be successful in terms of their strategies and tactics. Their strategies for example included the ‘Great Army’ which consisted of small forces therefore allowing them to use the element of surprise to their advantage and so raid completely undetected. They first gathered in East Anglia (866/7) and were skillfully able to live of this land by taking horses and supplies from the locals. The success of these Great