What is the word associated with us The viking? In the mass imagination, first of all, the image of the uncouth savage arises, the embodiment of barbarism and bloody conquests carried out by northerners in helmets with horns. But how do our ideas correspond to real historical data obtained during archaeological excavations?
It turns out that for a century a lot of myths have been hovering around the Vikings for a long time, having nothing to do with reality, and originating from late medieval fiction.
But, who were the Vikings really - uncouth bloodthirsty barbarians or a developed people who in many areas surpassed their southern neighbors?
We present you the 10 most interesting facts about the Vikings that will surprise you.
10. Were not warriors in helmets with horns
Although this picture is often repeated in pop culture, it has nothing to do with historical data or archaeological research. Vikings most often wore woolen or leather hats as headgear, and iron helmets in battle that did not have elements resembling horns.
The emergence of the horned Viking myth dates back to the 19th century in Wagner’s opera, as well as in the erroneous dating of some of the discovered “horned” helmets that came from earlier periods.
9. The Vikings were not barbarians living solely from raids
The Vikings were not only warriors, but a nation of farmers, merchants, and artisans.. Most of them led a calm sedentary lifestyle, and those who organized teams at that time did not only to rob and rape, but also in order to conquer new territories, settle in more quiet places, carry out trade contacts, or finally satisfy curiosity.
8. Were not so bloodthirsty
Most Viking legends come from the mouths of frightened Christians. Indeed, invaders from the north are accustomed to not leaving anyone alive during raids. But one must take into account the historical background and the fact that all of Europe in those days was bleeding. Each of the then rulers fought with neighbors, and in this regard, the Vikings were part of the general trend..
7. Tall long-haired and bearded
At the turn of the first and second millennium, the peoples of the North were actually relatively tall.. The average height of people living in the northern lands of Europe, anthropologists estimate about 171 cm in men and 158 cm in women.
Well-groomed beards and equally well-groomed hairstyles reigned in the matter of hairstyles. This is confirmed by archaeological research, as well as written sources (for example, Old English).
Regarding the color of the hair, it must be recognized that while the ancient inhabitants of present-day Sweden were mostly fair-haired, Vikings from Norway or Denmark, as a rule, had black or red hair. If we add to this the fact that slaves returned from expeditions to different parts of Europe with the Vikings, then there is no way to confirm the theory of the hegemony of blondes in the Viking era.
6. Vikings constantly fought with their neighbors - this is a myth
For the later years of the Viking era, such a statement is completely unfair. Vikings on the shores of the Baltic founded settlements and trading cities, were experts in export and import. They perfectly mastered several branches of crafts. With someone who is only terrorizing and robbing, can you develop a business? Of course not.
The Vikings, of course, cannot be denied business talent. They could make money selling fine jewelry from their jewelry workshops.
5. The Vikings were not exclusively Scandinavian
Viking settlements limited to the lands of Scandinavia until their intensive migration to other territories began - Russia, Western Europe, through Iceland to Greenland, or then Byzantium.
Between the 9th and 13th centuries, the Vikings traded with the entire then-world. They were also often mercenaries of local rulers.
4. The Vikings were tidier than is commonly believed
Objects found during excavations at the Viking archaeological sites suggest that they were not so dirty barbarians.
The Vikings compared to other Europeans, perhaps at one time were considered even incredibly clean.. On the one hand, this is confirmed by numerous finds of personal hygiene items, such as combs, tweezers or razors. On the other hand, written sources prove this - it is enough to mention the XIII-th century letters.
In addition, it should be noted that some modern language scholars display the word in Old Scandinavian languages "Saturday" from the term “washday“.
And that would mean that in the Viking community a large wash was done once a week. And although this did not impress, for example, the Arab ambassador Ibn Fadlan, who called the Vikings “the dirtiest beings of Allah“, It could impress the ladies in European yards, who by no means had a passion for cleanliness.
3. The name Viking came up with Western Europeans
The Vikings - this is the name that people gave the ghostly and terrible northern warriors who attacked their villages. However, the Vikings were not a single people or ethnic group. The name "Vikings" is a melting pot for various peoples from the north, who unexpectedly appeared on the European continent from the 9th century.
At that time, people in Central Europe did not care who exactly attacked them. For them, the “barbarians” who traveled far across the sea were indiscriminately just “Vikings”.
2. Were faithful to their wives
Another false Viking myth has recently been refuted by researchers. In fact, the warriors from the north were not lascivious bumpkins, raping everything that moves. The study is about the fact that Vikings went on sea voyages with their spouses. This completely debunks the myth of their rampant voluptuousness.
A similar discovery was made by Norwegian biologists led by Erica Hagelberg of the University of Oslo. In order to establish the truth, scientists compared the genetic material extracted from the surviving Viking remains of the VIII-XI centuries with the DNA of the inhabitants of modern Europe. The results of the study conclusively prove that the northerners went with their wives on their sea voyages.
1. Good artisans
It should also be noted the high achievements of the Vikings in art. Numerous artifacts indicate that Vikings were considered one of the most skilled painters and artisans in Europe in the Middle Ages..
Northern warriors not only robbed and engaged in military campaigns, but also developed elegant crafts. And it should be noted that they have achieved great success in this matter. Finely executed graceful ornaments, distinguished by their originality and uniqueness, are not inferior in quality to the famous oriental patterns.
Currently, we can confidently say that the craft achievements of the Vikings put them on a par with the best masters of the Middle Ages of Western Europe, which considered itself to be more developed and enlightened.
In addition, it is necessary to mention the highest skill of the Viking shipbuilders for their time, who built the best and most durable sea vessels (drakkars and knorras), which allowed the Scandinavian sailors to become powerful masters of the seas.