The Vikings correspond to the Scandinavian population from the 13th to the 11th century BC. They were traders, raiders, and explorers who caused a hell of a mess in European lands. They were indeed fans of the wealth possessed by weak kingdoms.
Today, the vikings have left us a legacy far better than mere plundering; we find names, customs, unique cultures, and know-how that marked the medieval era. In addition to this, they allowed us to discover a magnificent universe, that of Norse mythology.
Much of what we know today about the Viking timeline is based on Icelandic sagas. Many people wrote stories hundreds of years after the events. Keep in mind that in some cases, the dates are not precise, and that is why it is one of the most important criticisms of the stories about the Vikings.
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THE TIMELINE OF VIKING HISTORY
8th century
- The first raid. The Norwegian Vikings sailed to the Isle of Portland in Dorset, and after being mistaken for traders, they attacked the village. The first documented attack was the attack on the Isle of Portland.
- The battles for the British Isles begin. Viking activity in the British Isles took place during the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries. The first targets were monasteries on small islands that were unprotected.
- The Nordic adventurers sack the Anglo-Celtic monastery of Lindisfarne. The name Lindisfarne is linked to the Viking raid in 793. It seems unlikely that it was the first, but these are the earliest documented written sources in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the famous Doomsday Stone. Alfred the Great was the king of the Anglo-Saxons.
9th century
- The Younger Futhark replaces the old Futhark. Artisans and owners found inscriptions on coins, brooches, weapons, and other Iron Age objects. About 260 of the roughly 350 known inscriptions of the old Futhark are found in Scandinavia. At the beginning of the famous Viking Age in the 700s, the Futhark changed form. The alphabet, which included 16 runes, was now used and was called the Younger Futhark.
- Beginning of Nordic raids on Ireland. The Normans attacked Ireland in 802, leaving disaster among the Céli Dé brothers and burning the abbey. A king Niall Glúndub, also known as the most powerful king of Ireland, decided to stop the Vikings, but only a few Irish attacks against the Vikings succeeded. The Irish Vikings devoted much effort to establishing the Nordic kingdom.
- The first colony in the Faroe Islands. Grímur Kamban was the first to settle in the Faroe Islands around 825.
- The beginning of the Rurik dynasty. The Rurik dynasty began in 862. Rurik came with his brothers and a large entourage, and he became the prince of Novgorod. Many historians have said that Rurik was from Scandinavia or Jutland and that he occupied Ladoga. Rurik is one of the founders of an important formation known as Kievan Rus, the first incarnation of modern Russia.
- The chronology of the Fairhair dynasty. The Fairhair dynasty was a family of kings founded by Harald I, King of Norway. Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway, united the kingdoms of Norway into one kingdom in 885. He was one of the most famous Scandinavian Viking leaders. He controlled the west coast of Norway but did not have as much authority in other parts of Norway.
10th century
- Duchy in Normandy. The Vikings began their raids on the Seine in 820. Over the next nine decades, they made many raids in the region and even established tiny colonies on the lower Seine. After King Charles III and one of the Viking leaders, Rollo, signed the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte in 911, the Duchy of Normandy was created. Dutch derives its name from the Normans, its inhabitants.
- The chronology of Sonatorrek. Sonatorrek is a poem that appears in Egil's saga and has 25 stanzas. The Icelandic saga centered on the life of Egill Skallagrimsson.
- Colony in the East. When Erik was exiled from Iceland in 980, he decided to explore the west coast. He named the country Greenland because he believed a good name would attract other settlers. He was the father of Leif Erikson, the first European man to reach North America.
11th century
- 1016: King of England. Canute became king of Denmark, Norway, and England in 1016. Canute was 40 years old when he died in 1035. He was also known as Canute the Great, king of Denmark, Norway, England, and Sweden. Details of Canute's youth remain unclear as no written documents exist.
- 1030: The spread of Christianity. The Battle of Stiklestad is one of the most critical battles in the history of Norway. It is believed to have taken place in July 1030 in central Norway. The Battle of Stiklestad was the battle where Viking King Olav Haraldsson was killed. Olav Haraldsson was born in Norway in 995 when Christianity was invading Scandinavia. When he was younger, he participated in Viking expeditions in many regions such as Great Britain and northern France. Olav was baptized into Christianity in 1014. His religious code of 1024 is considered the first national legislation of Norway. In Sweden, there is an exceptionally high number of churches dedicated to Olav.
- 1066: The end of the Viking era in England. The Battle of Stamford Bridge between King Harald Hardrada and King Harold of England took place in 1066. The fight was so violent and brutal that many people lost their lives. The Battle of Stamford Bridge is traditionally considered the end of the Viking era in England.
12th century
- 1171: The end of the Viking era in Ireland. With the help of Pope Adrian IV, King Henry seizes Ireland with his great fleet. The Irish welcomed King Henry because he had the protection that the Irish kings needed at that time.
13th century
- 1240: The end of the Rurik dynasty. The Mongol horde, led by Batu Khan, attacked Kiev. After the attack on Kiev, the Russian princes were forced to request a patent from the Mongol khan to rule as grand princes. The Mongol invasion seemed to be the end of the Rurik dynasty.
- 1263: The Battle of Largs. The Battle of Largs was a small battle between the Scottish and Norwegian kingdoms. The battle was a complete mess as neither army achieved its main objective.
THE GREATEST VIKINGS
Ragnar Lodbrok, the most famous Viking
The most important chief and the most famous Viking warrior was Ragnar Lodbrok. He led many attacks in France and England. Ragnar was born near Kattegat and gained a reputation for being a strong and intelligent boy. Ragnar Lothbrok ruled in the 9th century as a king and Viking warrior known for his fantastic warrior skills, his tragic death, his sons Halfdan, Ivar the Boneless, and Hubba. Hubba attacked East Anglia in 865.
Ragnar was a Dane. The Danes were a tribe living in southern Scandinavia. The first written evidence of the Danes' existence dates back to the 6th century. During this age, the word "Dane" became synonymous with Vikings who attacked and invaded places.
Erik the Red, the most feared Viking
It can be said that Erik the Red was the most feared Viking. He left Norway when he was a child. After leaving his homeland, he moved to Iceland with his father. After some time, Erik was forced to leave Iceland. After this event, he began to explore the land to the west.
Erik earned his nickname because of his hair and beard, but it also reflected his violent character. He was a great warrior. Erik explored the west and north of the country for two years, leaving his mark on the place names he visited. He convinced many people that Greenland was an excellent opportunity for them. In 985, he left Iceland with a large fleet of 25 ships to conquer Greenland. Erik the Red managed to move 500 men and women, domestic animals, and all other equipment to Greenland to create a new colony in this region. Many ships were not suited for such a difficult journey, so they had to turn back or were lost at sea due to bad weather conditions. However, 14 ships arrived in Greenland. They established the eastern colony and the western colony as two colonies, with many small settlements in between.
Cnut the Great, the great Viking king
Cnut the Great left a significant mark in the history of England and Scandinavia, but his battles and warrior skills have remained underestimated and barely studied.
He led his kingdom to stability after years of battles. Denmark, Norway, and perhaps many regions of Sweden came under King Cnut's control.
He died in 1035, so his son, King Harold Harefoot, inherited the kingdom. Harthacnut, Cnut's other son, ascended the throne, but his death in 1042 marked the end of Danish rule in England. His impact remains a mystery to most Danes due to the lack of written evidence and to many people who do not know that England was part of the North Sea empire controlled by King Cnut.
Harald Hardrada, the last Viking chief
Harald Sigurdsson was born in 1015. As a teenager, he participated in the Battle of Stiklestad, which took place in 1030. Harald Hardrada joined the army with his brother, Olaf II, overthrown by Cnut the Great. At the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, Olaf was killed and Harald was wounded but managed to save his life.
It is interesting to mention that one of Harald’s invasions helped William, Duke of Normandy, known as William the Conqueror. If Harold’s forces had not been so weakened by the many battles they fought, they would have been prepared to win the Battle of Hastings. Harald Hardrada is known as the last great Nordic king.
VIKING CUSTOMS
Their dependence on agriculture
To preface, the Vikings were mostly farmers, since the topography and ecology of Scandinavia allowed them to surround themselves with barley, oats, rye, wheat, cereals as one of the oldest ingredients of a healthy and simple strategist’s meal. Crops are most likely to survive in 90% of the soils on the entire planet; all that mattered was that the soil was not sandy, dry, or poisoned. Besides crops, pig, sheep, chicken, and goat farming came after plowing as a main activity. They also had stables with horses, being their number two means of transport alongside the super-thin and fast boats they had built at that time.
In the Scandinavian quarters, wooden houses (wood) were their simplest and fastest way to make shelter against harsh seasons. However, some Scandinavian regions lacked wood, so since it was rare, as a substitute material, they used turf (grass/earth) and stone. Obviously, since Scandinavia is located on the northern surfaces of Europe, opening onto the Baltic and North Sea to the south, the Norwegian Sea to the west, and the Barents Sea to the north, fishing was also a lucrative activity aimed at keeping men’s strong stomachs full.
Whaling also existed at the time. That is why whales are now an endangered species! Due to the short-term freshness of freshwater fish, the merchants who traveled across the Scandinavian Peninsula during the Vikings' bloodthirsty stay, those who carried salt as a trade commodity, were ultimately appreciated. Salt was highly valued because it was used to preserve meat, mainly fish after a large catch each time they cast their nets. Usually, it was used during bitter and freezing winters when hunting was impossible without risking being buried by snow and dying of cold.
Their houses
Houses and shops were made of wood as I said earlier. They rarely made them from stone or another material, usually using thatch and reeds for roofing. The houses were rectangular and long in shape, and this was mostly the middle class. The poorest inhabitants had only one room with a hearth in the center as a heating agent and instead of chimneys, there were only openings to let out smoke. No silicon was used as a gradient, meaning no windows and no interior was dark and dull. Besides the hearth, being one of the lighting components, there were also oil lamps and candles.
Their clothing
The equipment that women made was mainly made of linen or wool fabric. During harsh seasons, animal skins kept the Vikings warm from breezes and biting cold. Men wore pants like leggings and on top, they had shirts or tunics, mostly long-sleeved to protect them from all weather conditions. Women knitted long dresses for themselves and had aprons to keep their dresses clean from household chores. Winters forced men and women to wear coats that were fastened with a clasp. Speaking of clothing, here are ours. We created unique logos featuring Nordic symbols, and we made clothes out of them!
Their food
Regarding their diet, as previously mentioned, animal farms produced meat, that is beef, pork, chicken, then there were herrings, fish, seals, whales, and during winter, they salted the remains of the animals they hunted down so that it remained edible and preserved from rotting over the months.
As for drinks, they drank mead made from water yeast and honey on top. Beer was also one of the alcoholic beverages that women brewed on farms, and of course wine, for those who were wealthier than others. They drank from wooden bowls and dishes and from spoons made of horn or iron. As the legend says, they sometimes drank from horns. Out of curiosity, did you know they didn't use spoons, they scooped their food with knives! They are brutal in every way you perceive them! Even during their days off combat.
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