Who are the Vikings and Varangians. Normans. Viking religion and moral principles

For fitting and assembly work 14.07.2020

For fitting and assembly work

Films and fiction have shaped the image of the Vikings, which people represent as savages in skin, leather armor, helmets with horns on it. But all this is the invention of directors and writers, in fact, the Vikings did not wear such hats, they were free farmers, they conquered neighboring territories, built wooden drakkars.

The Vikings lived on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and already at the end of the 8th century. began to attack neighboring England and France. Residents of other parts of Europe, who first encountered the Danes and Norwegians, called them Normans, that is, the northern people; askemanns or ash people; madhus - pagan monsters. IN Kievan Rus Vikings were called Varangians, in Ireland two names of the inhabitants of Scandinavia were common - Finngalls (light foreigners) and Dubgalls (dark foreigners), in Byzantium - Varangs.

Viking term: versions

There is no unequivocal opinion among linguists and historians as to why the Vikings were called with this particular word. According to one of the versions, the verb wiking in Scandinavia meant "to go to the sea to get wealth and fame."

According to another version, the term appeared thanks to the province (region) of Vik, which is located in Norway. It is located near Oslo. In medieval sources, the inhabitants of the area were not called Vikings, but vestfaldingi or vikverjar.

The term Viking could also come from the word Vick, which among the Scandinavians meant a bay or a bay, and the Vikings were those who were hiding in the bay. There is also a version saying that the Viking could mean wic / vicus, which meant a trading post, a camp, fortified from different sides, a city.

According to the latest studies by Swedish scientists, the name "viking" may have come from vikja - to turn and deviate. Vikings were, in this context, people who floated away from home, left home, sea warriors and pirates who went on a hike for prey. The term vikja was used to describe a predatory expedition, so the people who participated in such events were Vikings. In the chronicles of Iceland, this word was used to designate navigators who were rude, bloodthirsty, unbridled, robbed and attacked other ships.

The first settlements of the Anglo-Saxons in the British Isles

At the beginning of the 4th century. AD Germanic tribes, represented by Utes, Angles and Saxons, and living at the mouth of the Elbe River, began to make their first aggressive campaigns. The objectives of the military campaigns were:

Capture of England and its settlement;
Resettlement in the Western Europe region;
Displacement of the Romans from the occupied territories.

Most of all, the Germans caused problems to the Roman garrisons in the British Isles, forcing the latter to defend themselves. In 407, the Romans and the fleet are withdrawn from England to defend Italy. As a result, the settlements of the Saxons, Jutes and Angles began to increase in size and strengthen.

At the end of the 5th century. AD, the conquest of Wessex took place. There is a legend that King Kerdik did it, who sailed to the islands on a flotilla of five ships. After that, the Angles and Saxons began to quickly move deep into the British Isles, displacing the Romans and Celts from there. The consequence of this was the gradual conquest of the colony, the process was finally completed by the 6th century. In the occupied territories, the Angles and Saxons created small kingdoms.

The Celts, who adopted Christianity from the Romans, began to move to the mountainous regions of Wales, and then began to move to mainland Europe. For example, one of the settlements of the Celts on the continent was called Britain, gradually turning into Brittany.

England changed the Vikings and the way they lived. If at the time of arrival and then for several decades, the Anglo-Saxon tribes lived, engaging in robbery and piracy, then they began to gradually move to a more sedentary way of life.

Already at the end of the 8th century. sailing was not the main occupation of the Vikings. Its place was taken by agriculture, which was the basis for the development of the society of the descendants of the former northern peoples.

Campaigns and conquests

The coast of the North Sea, which was abandoned by the Jutes, Angles and Saxons in the 6th century, began to be populated by Danes who came from Halland and Skane (territories in southwestern Sweden). Two centuries later, they formed a kingdom, which in 800 turned into a large and powerful Danish state. The kingdom included Norway and Sweden. In order to defend against the attacks of the Franks, a defensive rampart was built, which was called Danevirke. The country at that time was ruled by King Gottrick, who was in power until 810. After his death, the kingdom ceased to exist, as a result of which the Danes and the Norwegians began to engage in predatory campaigns, to conquer neighboring territories. This era lasted for about three hundred years.

Among the main reasons that contributed to the Viking conquest campaigns, it is worth noting such as:

The Normans had a great many ships at their disposal, which were excellent for sailing the seas and rivers;
The Vikings possessed the navigational knowledge they needed to navigate the high seas;
Danes and Norwegians possessed the tactics of a surprise attack on opponents from the sea, as well as moving ships and troops along the rivers. The inhabitants of the British Isles and continental Europe did not have such knowledge and skills, so they did not make trips to Scandinavia;
Opponents of the Vikings waged civil wars all the time, which weakened their states politically and economically. All this facilitated the conquest and contributed to the conduct of successful military campaigns against the Angles, Saxons and Franks.

Viking campaigns began at the end of the 8th century, when the first groups of Norwegians began to penetrate the coast of England. The Normans plundered islands and monasteries, bringing rich booty to Scandinavia.

All attacks of the Vikings took place according to a planned and well-developed scheme. Without any hostilities from the sea, the Varangian ships approached the shores, then the soldiers landed on the coast and began to plunder. Everything happened very quickly, after themselves the Vikings left fires, killed. The ships allowed them to leave England, so the inhabitants of the British Isles could not pursue them.

The Scandinavians used the same scheme for campaigns in England in the 20s. 9 c. In 825, they landed on the Frisian coast, and began to plunder, kill, and seize new territories. Already in 836, the Vikings first captured London. In 845, Hamburg fell under the onslaught of the Danes. The chronology of further Viking campaigns is as follows:

Mid 9th century - the recapture of London and Canterbury, a German settlement on the Rhine Xanten, after which it was the turn of Bonn and Cologne. The Scandinavians did not ignore France, capturing Aachen, Rouen and Paris. The capture of London and Paris happened many times, so the rulers of the kingdoms decided that the only way to save the cities from plunder was to buy them out. As a result of one of them, the Vikings simply lifted the siege of Paris and settled in the northeastern regions of France. At the beginning of the 10th century. this territory was donated by Charles III to the hereditary possession of the Norwegian, whose name was Rolland. The Viking area became known as Normandy;
In the 860s. Scotland and East Anglia were conquered, in which they created their own state of Denlaw. It included part of Mercia, Essex, East Anglia, Northumbria. The country was destroyed by the Anglo-Saxons only in the late 870s;
In the 10th century. campaigns became less frequent, as in Denmark and Norway their own centralized states with strong rulers began to be created. At the beginning of the 11th century. the Danes subdued Norway;

After the conquest of the Norwegians, the Danes began to attack England again. The stones on which the runes were applied became the traces of their conquests. The first campaigns of the Normans at the end of the 10th century. - early 11th century were unsuccessful, most of the soldiers were destroyed. The situation began to change only by 1016, when the Vikings subjugated England. Only by the beginning of the 1040s. the Anglo-Saxon rulers began to conduct retaliatory offensives. By the middle of the 11th century. the Vikings were temporarily driven out of England. In 1066 England was conquered by the Vikings who lived in Normandy. Their leader, William the Conqueror, organized a ferry across the strait connecting the British Isles and continental Europe. On October 14, 1066, a major battle between the Vikings and the Angles took place at Hastings. The Normans finally conquered England, which made it possible to stop predatory attacks, to begin the development of feudalism on the islands, to gain access to the throne and power in the kingdom.

Conquest of Greenland and Iceland

The hikes were organized to the Mediterranean Sea. The navigational art of the Vikings allowed them to reach Byzantium, which happened in 895. The Normans sailed to the shores of America, Iceland and Greenland.

The first Norwegians landed in the Hebrides in 620. Two hundred years later, they settled in the Faroe Islands, Orkney and Shetland. In 820, the Vikings founded their own state in Ireland, which existed near present-day Dublin. The Kingdom of the Normans in Ireland lasted until 1170.

In the early 860s. the Swede Gardar Svafarsson, whose name was kept by the chronicles, brought his wife's inheritance from the Hebrides to his native Scandinavia. On the way, his ship was carried to the northern coast of Iceland. There the Swede and his team spent the winter getting to know the peculiarities of this island territory. Iceland has been actively conquered by the Norwegians since the early 870s, when King Harald the Fair-haired came to power. Not everyone liked his rule, so the Norwegians began to develop Iceland. Until 930, from 20 thousand to 30 thousand inhabitants of the kingdom moved here. In Iceland, the Vikings were mainly engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and fishing. Household items, seeds, pets were transported from Scandinavia.

Information about when the Vikings began to conquer Greenland, and when they discovered America, came from numerous Icelandic sagas of the 13-14 centuries.

According to historical data and documents, at the beginning of the 980s. Eirik, a resident of Iceland, swam away from his home after being charged with murder. During the voyage, he reached the shores of Greenland, founding the settlement of Brattalid. Information about this island began to reach the Norwegians gradually, who several times explored the coast of Greenland, discovering the Labrador Peninsula. During one of the voyages, the Vikings discovered an area that they called Vinland, i.e. Country of Grapes. This name was given to the new territory due to the fact that a lot of wild grapes and maize grew here, salmon was found in the rivers. Fish were distributed in reservoirs at 41 latitude, and grapes at the 42nd parallel. Scientists have established that the city of Boston is now located in this place. But the Vikings could not conquer America-Vinland, because, having opened it once, they did not write down the exact coordinates of its location. Therefore, they simply did not manage to swim to her again.

But the Vikings mastered Greenland very actively. There were almost 300 Scandinavian courtyards here. It was difficult to increase the number of settlements because there was not enough forest. It was brought from Labrador, but the voyages to the peninsula were full of dangers due to the rather dry climate. Therefore, building materials were brought from Europe, which was expensive. The ships did not always reach Greenland. By the 14th century. Viking settlements on the island ceased to exist. Archaeologists find the remains of Viking ships, forests from Europe, burials of the nobility, which suggests that the Vikings actively settled in this territory.

Viking influence on European history

The Scandinavians undertook trips to other parts of continental Europe, for example, to Eastern Europe. The most famous conquests are the conquest of Kiev and its surrounding territories, the founding of the Rurik dynasty. In addition, the merits of the Vikings in Europe include:

Taught the conquered peoples new traditions of shipbuilding;
The opening of trade routes previously unknown to Europeans;
Contributed to the development of military affairs, woodworking;
Contributed to the establishment of shipping and navigation;
The navigation of the Vikings was one of the most perfect in the world at that time, therefore, medieval states used the knowledge and achievements of the Vikings in science, technology, geography;
The Vikings founded many cities in Europe.

In addition, virtually all royal dynasties in medieval states were founded by immigrants from Scandinavia.

What do we know about the Vikings? In the minds of most people, these are powerful warriors who lived somewhere in the north. They made fierce raids, traveled the seas, wore horned helmets and heavy weapons. But what does official history say about the Vikings?

Many historical documents, chronicles and archaeological finds have been preserved that can tell about the Vikings in sufficient detail.

First of all, you need to understand that Viking is a self-name, that is, a word that the ancient Scandinavians themselves called themselves. More precisely, those people who abandoned their habitable places and set off on distant voyages in search of new habitats.

The Vikings were seafarers who came from the tribes that inhabited modern Scandinavia. The Vikings made their travels and conquests in the 8-11 centuries. This was the period when the tribal structure was decomposing in Northern Europe and early feudal relations were formed.

Other peoples called the Vikings differently. In Europe they were called Normans (literally - "Northern people" ), and the Russians called them varangians... Thus, in the Russian tradition, the Viking and the Varangian are about the same.

How and why did the Vikings appear?

The Vikings left their native lands and embarked on risky campaigns not from a good life. The tribal system was shaking, the power of the nascent nobility was strengthening, and many free people simply did not have enough resources to exist.

The Scandinavians have lived by the sea since ancient times, had excellent sailing skills and were able to. It is not surprising that the most active and courageous people began to unite and start traveling. It is known that the Vikings sailed not only in the North and Baltic Seas: they went out to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.

Viking character

According to the testimony of contemporaries, the Vikings were distinguished by their belligerence, cruelty, and decisiveness. They traded in raids on the coastal lands of other peoples, piracy, the capture of entire regions. At the same time, the Normans very quickly mixed with the enslaved peoples, mastered their language and way of life.

Initially, the Vikings were pagans, they worshiped ancient common Germanic deities. But gradually, many of them adopted Christianity and assimilated in the conquered territories. The Christian religion, the establishment of tough feudal relations, as well as a favorable economic situation contributed to the fact that the violent disposition of the Vikings was gradually pacified, and in the 11th century the Norman conquests ceased.

Viking conquest

The Vikings made their raids throughout Northern Europe, but also visited other, more remote regions. The two largest Norman conquests are known: England and France.

In the 10th century, the Normans conquered Northern France, which is still called Normandy to this day. As for the British Isles, Viking attacks have occurred here in waves for several centuries. At the beginning of the 11th century, the king of Normandy, William the Conqueror, reigned on the English throne.

In their campaigns of conquest, the Vikings reached Ireland and Sicily. Fully colonized Iceland, left their traces on the American continent.

Varangian trace in Russian history

Relations between the Slavs and Vikings were more peaceful. There were periods when the ancient Russians fought against the Scandinavians, at other times alliances were concluded. The ancient Novgorodians invited the Vikings as military mercenaries, providing them with land for residence and a special status. Numerous Scandinavian burials are found on the territory of our country, indicating that the Vikings lived among the Slavs, but until some time did not assimilate with them.

Many historians are adherents of the "Norman theory", according to which the Vikings were the founders of princely power and the state itself in Ancient Rus.

Viking culture

An amazing fact: harsh-minded, unpretentious in everyday life, accustomed to difficult conditions, the Vikings created a unique cultural tradition.

We are talking about skaldic poetry and ancient sagas, which in many ways became a source of information about the Normans.

The mystery of the disappearance of the Vikings

The history of the campaigns of these early medieval sailors fits into the period from the VIII to the XI century. The Vikings were nomadic tribes that inhabited the lands that today are Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

There is a version that these sea robbers, who were called not only Vikings, but also Normans, and in Russia - Varangians, tried to inhabit the largest island on Earth - Greenland. Although after several centuries, almost nothing remained of the Viking civilization.

"People from the Fjord"

Historians believe that the warlike tribes of the Normans were distinguished not only by the fact that they annoyed the population of medieval Europe with their countless attacks. The Vikings are among the pioneers who explored the North Atlantic and founded Normandy. It was they who, according to some sources, first set foot on the lands of modern America.

Nevertheless, always and everywhere, these nomadic invaders were perceived as pirates or "people from the fjords." Robber - this is how the word "vikingar" is translated from Old Norse.

Captivated by the Green Land

At the beginning of the first millennium of the new era, the most advanced of the Scandinavians, Erik the Red (Eirik Thorvaldsson), to the west of Iceland, new uninhabited lands were discovered. The tough Norwegian guys at first did not perceive Greenland as a territory where you could create an independent state. Nevertheless, their separate civilization existed there for several centuries, until the 16th century. And then there was practically no trace of the Scandinavian colony. Europeans, who arrived on this island at the end of the 16th century, found only dilapidated buildings.

Why Greenland is empty

There is a version that the Vikings mixed with the Eskimos, and therefore disappeared as an entos. However, Icelandic geneticist Gisli Palsson, who compared the DNA of the Inuit of Greenland and Canada, claims that there are no European haplogroups there. Other scientists have not found a similar relationship.

Historian Jared Diamond believes that the mixing of races through inter-ethnic marriages is most likely not the reason for the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland, since neither they nor the Eskimos felt a special need to find spouses "on the side". No evidence of mass extermination of the Scandinavians as a result of clashes with the Eskimos in Greenland was also found. This is confirmed by modern archaeologists.

Historian Thomas McGovern is sure that the Greenlanders at some point simply could not stand the harsh climatic conditions that developed on the island. But the American biologist and anthropologist Jared Diamond is convinced that the Viking civilization disappeared due to the fact that they were deprived of many benefits of life (for example, iron and other resources) and did not have the opportunity to establish water communications with other countries, since the sea routes heaps of icebergs were impassable.

The Vikings did not develop either cattle breeding or arable farming in Greenland; this fact was also clarified during archaeological excavations.

Scientists believe that the Vikings and their descendants simply gradually left the island, since the habitat there for permanent residence became unacceptable for them. They settled throughout Scandinavia, thus forming entire states. Some modern historians express the opinion that today's Russia would not have existed if the Vikings had not taken part in the fate of Russia in due time. But this is nothing more than a version. http://russian7.ru/post/zagadka-ischeznoveniya-vikingov/

The calling of the Vikings. V.M. Vasnetsov

How Varangians differ from Vikings

Some believe that the Varangians are just a Russian designation for the Vikings. In fact, there are many significant differences between the Vikings and the Vikings.

Origin of names

The concepts "Viking" and "Varangian" have completely different origins. Most historians believe that "viking" originates from the word "vík", which is translated from Old Norse as "bay" or "fjord". However, there are other versions as well. So Doctor of Historical Sciences T. Jackson claims that the name "Viking" comes from the Latin "vicus" - a small settlement of artisans and merchants. This word was used in the Roman Empire. Such settlements were often located on the territory of military camps. The Swedish scientist F. Askerberg stated that the verb “vikja” - to leave, to turn, served as the basis for the noun “viking”. According to his hypothesis, the Vikings are people who left their native places in order to find a means of subsistence. Askerberg's compatriot researcher B. Daggfeldt suggested that the word "viking" has much in common with the Old Norse phrase "vika sjóvar", which meant "a segment between the change of rowers". Therefore, in the original version, the term "víking" was most likely referred to as a long journey across the sea, involving a frequent change of rowers.

The version of the origin of the term "Varangian" was one of the first to be expressed by Sigismund von Herberstein, the Austrian ambassador, historian and writer. He suggested that the name "Varangians" is associated with the city of Vagriya, where Vandals lived. From the name of the inhabitants of this city "Vagrov" the expression "Varangians" originated. Much later, the Russian historian S. Gedeonov considered that the word "warang", meaning a sword and discovered by him in Potocki's Baltic-Slavic dictionary, is the best fit for the role of the primary source of the term. Many historians associate "Varangian" with the ancient Germanic "wara" - an oath, vow, oath. And the linguist M. Fasmer considered the Scandinavian concept of “váringr” - loyalty, responsibility - to be the progenitor of the “Varangian”.

Various activities

The concepts of "Viking" and "Norman", according to historians, should not be identified, since the Normans are a nationality, while the Vikings are rather just a way of life. In particular, the Irish researchers F. Byrne and T. Powell speak about this. Byrne, in his book A New Look at the History of Viking Age Ireland, argues that only the term “pirate” can be equated with the term “Viking”. Because it was robberies that were the main source of income for the Vikings. The Vikings were not very settled and did not follow the laws.

The Varangians were a kind of social stratum of society. A sort of soldier for hire who guarded the borders of Byzantium from the raids of the same Vikings. The eldest daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Komnenos, Anna wrote about the Varangians in her work entitled "Alexiada". The princess argued that the Vikings understand their service to protect the state and its head as an inherited honorable duty.

Peaceful merchants were also called Varangians who transported goods along the route called at that time "from the Varangians to the Greeks." This route ran by water from the Baltic Sea to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Moreover, the Baltic Sea then bore a different name - Varangian. And, according to the Soviet historian A. Kuzmin, absolutely all inhabitants of the sea coast were called Varangians.

Different religions

The Vikings, who no doubt considered themselves warriors, but not pirates, worshiped the god Odin, like all Scandinavians. Odin's eternal companions were crows - birds, which were not favored in Russia because of their tendency to devouring, they fell. In addition, since ancient times, Russians have considered ravens to be symbols of all kinds of dark forces. But it was the raven that was depicted on the flag that adorned the ship of the famous Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok.

A sacred bird for the Vikings was a falcon, which honestly hunted for live prey. The falcon was a bird of Perun himself - a pagan Slavic god, in whom the Varangians believed. Since ancient times, the falcon has been revered as an image of courage, dignity and honor.

How did the legend of the Vikings come about, as they were called in different countries?

Vikings, who at the end of the 8th to the 11th centuries attacked from the sea, mainly rampaged in England and France, they were known to their contemporaries under various names.

The French called them "Normans" - translated as northern people. In the XI century in England the Vikings were called "Ashmans" - translated as people floating on an ash tree. Ash was used as the upper skin of ships. In Ireland, the Vikings were called "Finn Galles" - translated as the light of foreigners (if they were Norwegians) and "Oak Galles" - dark wanderers (if they were Danes), in Byzantium - "Varanga", and in Russia they were called "Varangians"

Viking legend. Where did the word Viking come from?

On this moment they are most often called vikings. The term is probably related to the verb viking, which previously meant "to go to sea to acquire wealth and fame."

The origin of the word "Viking" (vi'kingr) is still unclear. Scientists have long associated this term with the word Viken, near the Oslo Fjord.

But in all medieval sources, the inhabitants of Vik are not called "Vikings".

Some believe that the word "Viking" is derived from the word "vi", Viking is the one who hides in the bay.

But in this case, it can be applied to peaceful merchants. Then they tried to combine the word "Viking" with the old English "Vik" (from the Latin "Vicus"), which means a trading post, a city, a fortified camp.

Currently, the most acceptable hypothesis is considered the hypothesis of the Swedish scientist F. Askeberg, who believes that the term Viking comes from the verb "vikya" - "turn", "deviation".

Viking, in his modern interpretation, is a person who sailed from home, left his homeland, that is, a sea warrior, a pirate.

It is interesting that in ancient sources this word is often referred to as pirate, plundering expeditions. Please note that in the eyes of Scandinavians, the word "Viking" has a negative connotation.

In the Icelandic sagas of the 13th century, the Vikings are called people who participate in robberies and rampant piracy and are presented as bloodthirsty.

Viking legend. So where did these Vikings come from?

Initially, it was believed that the Vikings crossed the seas, came from the Northern country. These brave and cruel people - pagans were called "Norman", that is, the northern people. Who embarked on long hikes in search of new lands, were engaged in robbery or robbery.

Today we know that the unknown northern country is Scandinavia, the lands that are in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

There, on the coast of the sea in harsh natural conditions, far from each other, there was a village of fishermen, hunters, farmers and pastoralists who lived in exhausting conditions and fought for their existence.

The heads of these families had unlimited power over women, children and slaves. Weakness there was considered a shame, cowardice and a crime. In appearance these young people were well-mannered. But they did not spare either their own or other people's lives. It was considered for the mercy of the gods to die in open battle, and it was a shame to die an old age.

Viking legend. What prompted the Viking Normans to go to sea?

Perhaps the climatic weather, with its rocky mountains, the poverty of the soil, the lack of arable land that failed to feed these people? Or were the Vikings so temptingly attracted by the riches of the churches and monasteries that were overseas? Or were they simply attracted by a thirst for adventure? We can only guess about it.

In the northern countries at all times there was little fertile land suitable for cultivation. The harsh climate did not contribute to obtaining high yields, mainly grain crops such as barley, oats were sown there, from which tortillas were baked and porridge was cooked.

The sea that splashed on their doorstep was far more generous than the land beneath their feet. When lean years came, the Vikings fed cattle with fish, which helped these animals survive until next spring and new grass.

Their food was fish, which was eaten every day in abundance. Scandinavians love the sea very much. Their art of shipbuilding at that time reached great perfection.

And so it happened for several years the harvest was poor, the fish went away from their native shores, and their houses were destroyed by enemies or fires - people built ships and went to sea in search of better life... These people called themselves Vikings.

Thus, the Vikings became the first ancient northern travelers.

The concepts "Viking" and "Varyag" have completely different origins. Most historians believe that "viking" originates from the word "vík", which is translated from Old Norse as "bay" or "fjord". However, there are other versions as well. So Doctor of Historical Sciences T. Jackson claims that the name "Viking" comes from the Latin "vicus" - a small settlement of artisans and merchants. This word was used in the Roman Empire. Such settlements were often located on the territory of military camps. The Swedish scientist F. Askerberg stated that the verb “vikja” - to leave, to turn, served as the basis for the noun “viking”. According to his hypothesis, the Vikings are people who left their native places in order to find a means of subsistence. Askerberg's compatriot researcher B. Daggfeldt suggested that the word "viking" has much in common with the Old Norse phrase "vika sjóvar", which meant "a segment between the change of rowers". Therefore, in the original version, the term "víking" was most likely referred to as a long journey across the sea, involving a frequent change of rowers.