Who are the Vikings and Varangians. Normans. Religion of the Vikings and their 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 imagine as savages in skins, leather armor, helmets with horns on it. But all this is fiction of directors and writers, in fact, the Vikings did not wear such headdresses, they were free farmers, they conquered neighboring territories, they 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, northern people; askemanns or ash people; madhus - pagan monsters. AT Kievan Rus the Vikings were called Varangians, in Ireland two names of the inhabitants of Scandinavia were common - finngalls (light strangers) and dubgalls (dark strangers), in Byzantium - varangs.

The term "Viking": versions

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

According to another version, the term appeared due 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 have come from the word vik, which among the Scandinavians meant a bay or bay, and the Vikings were those who hid whether they lived in the bay. There is also a version that speaks of m, that the Viking could mean wic / vicus, which denoted a trading point, a camp, fortified from different sides, a city.

According to the latest research by Swedish scientists, the name "Viking" could come from vikja - to turn and deviate. Vikings were, in this context, people who sailed away from home, left home, sea warriors and pirates who went on a campaign for prey. The term vikja was used to refer to a predatory campaign, so the people who participated in such events were Vikings. In the chronicles of Iceland, this word denoted seafarers who were rude, bloodthirsty, unbridled, robbed and attacked other ships.

The first Anglo-Saxon settlements in the British Isles

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

Capture of England and its settlement;
Settlement in the region of Western Europe;
The expulsion of the Romans from the occupied territories.

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

At the end of the 5th c. AD, Wessex was conquered. There is a legend that this was done by King Cerdic, who sailed to the islands in 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 by robbery and piracy, then they gradually began to move to a more sedentary way of life.

Already at the end of the 8th c. Seafaring 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 left by the Jutes, Angles and Saxons in the 6th century, began to be settled by the Danes, who came from Halland and Skåne (territories in southwestern Sweden). Two centuries later, they formed a kingdom, which in 800 turned into a large and powerful state of the Danes. The kingdom included Norway and Sweden. In order to protect themselves from the attacks of the Franks, a defensive rampart was built, which was called the 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 and conquer neighboring territories. This era lasted for about three hundred years.

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

At the disposal of the Normans were a lot of ships that were excellent for sailing on the seas and rivers;
The Vikings had the navigational knowledge that was necessary for trekking on the high seas;
The Danes and Norwegians mastered the tactics of surprise attacks 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, therefore they did not make trips to Scandinavia;
Viking opponents fought internecine wars all the time, which weakened their states politically and economically. All this facilitated the conquest and contributed to 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 sea coast of England. The Normans plundered islands and monasteries, bringing rich booty to Scandinavia.

All Viking attacks took place according to a planned and well-established pattern. Without any military operations from the sea, the ships of the Varangians approached the shores, then the soldiers landed on the coast and began to rob. 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 1920s. 9th c. In 825, they landed on the Frisian coast, and began to rob, kill, and seize new territories. Already in 836, London was captured by the Vikings for the first time. In 845, Hamburg fell to the Danes. The chronology of further Viking campaigns is as follows:

Mid 9th c. - the re-capture of London and Canterbury, the German settlement on the Xanten Rhine, after which it was the turn of Bonn and Cologne. The Scandinavians did not bypass France, capturing Aachen, Rouen and Parisg. 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 robberies was to pay off. 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 c. Charles the Third gave this territory as hereditary possession to a Norwegian, whose name was Rolland. The area where the Vikings lived began to be called Normandy;
In the 860s. Scotland and East Anglia were conquered, in which they created their own state of Denlo. It included part of Mercia, Essex, East Anglia, Northumbria. The country was destroyed by the Anglo-Saxons only at the end of the 870s;
In the 10th century campaigns became less frequent, as Denmark and Norway began to create their own centralized states with strong rulers. At the beginning of the 11th c. the Danes subjugated Norway;

Danes after the conquest of the Norwegians again began to attack England. The traces of their conquests were stones on which runes were applied. The first campaigns of the Normans at the end of the 10th century. - the beginning of the 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. Anglo-Saxon rulers began to carry out retaliatory offensives. By the middle of the 11th century. The Vikings were temporarily expelled from England. In 1066, England was conquered by the Vikings who lived in Normandy. Their leader, William the Conqueror, organized a crossing across the strait connecting the British Isles and continental Europe. On October 14, 1066, a major battle took place between the Vikings and the Angles at Hastings. The Normans finally conquered England, which made it possible to stop predatory attacks, begin the development of feudalism on the islands, and gain access to the throne and power in the kingdom.

Conquest of Greenland and Iceland

Campaigns were organized in the Mediterranean Sea. The navigational skill 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 Norsemen 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 modern Dublin. The Norman kingdom in Ireland lasted until 1170.

In the early 860s. Swede Gardar Svafarsson, whose name is preserved in the chronicles, brought to his native Scandinavia the inheritance of his wife from the Hebrides. On the way, his ship was carried to the northern coast of Iceland. There, the Swede and his team spent the winter, getting acquainted with the peculiarities of this island territory. Iceland was actively conquered by the Norwegians from the beginning of the 870s, when King Harald the Fair-Haired came to power. Not everyone liked his reign, so the Norwegians began to explore 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 13th-14th centuries.

According to historical data and documents, in the early 980s. Eirik, a resident of Iceland, sailed away from home because he was accused of 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 the area, which they called Vinland, i.e. Grape Country. 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 was distributed in reservoirs along the 41st latitude, and grapes along 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 discovered it once, they did not record the exact coordinates of its location. Therefore, they simply could not swim to it 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 sailing to the peninsula was full of dangers due to the rather dry climate. Therefore, building materials were brought from Europe, which was expensive. Vessels 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, burial places of the nobility, which indicates that the Vikings actively settled in this territory.

The influence of the Vikings on the history of Europe

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

They 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 development of shipping and navigation;
Viking navigation was one of the most advanced in the world at that time, so medieval states used the knowledge and achievements of the Vikings in science, technology, geography;
The Vikings founded many cities in Europe.

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

What do we know about Vikings? In the minds of most people, these are mighty warriors who lived somewhere in the north. They made brutal 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, the word that the ancient Scandinavians themselves called themselves. More precisely, those people who abandoned their habitable places and went on long voyages in search of new lands of habitation.

The Vikings were sailors, people from the tribes that inhabited modern Scandinavia. The Vikings made their travels and conquests in the 8th-11th centuries. This was a period when the decomposition of the tribal way of life took place in Northern Europe and early feudal relations were formed.

Other peoples called the Vikings in different ways. 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 thing.

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 shattered, the power of the emerging nobility increased, and many free people simply did not have enough resources to exist.

Since ancient times, the Scandinavians lived by the sea, had excellent sailing skills, knew how. It is not surprising that the most active and courageous people began to unite and embark on travels. It is known that the Vikings sailed not only in the North and Baltic Seas: they went to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.

Viking character

According to contemporaries, the Vikings were distinguished by militancy, cruelty, and determination. They hunted by raids on the coastal lands of other peoples, piracy, and 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, worshiped the ancient pan-Germanic deities. But gradually many of them adopted Christianity and assimilated in the conquered territories. The Christian religion, the establishment of rigid feudal relations, as well as a favorable economic situation contributed to the fact that the violent temper of the Vikings was gradually pacified, and in the 11th century the Norman conquests ceased.

viking conquests

The Vikings made their raids throughout Northern Europe, but also visited other, more remote regions. Two major 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 here occurred in waves over 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. Completely colonized Iceland, left their traces on the American continent.

Varangian trace in Russian history

Relations between the Slavs and the Vikings developed more peacefully. There were periods when the ancient Russians fought with the Scandinavians, at other times alliances were concluded. The ancient Novgorodians invited the Vikings as military mercenaries, providing them with land to live in 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 they 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 Russia.

viking culture

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

It's about 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 8th to the 11th 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 settle in the largest island on Earth - Greenland. Although a few centuries later there was almost nothing left of the Viking civilization.

"People from the Fjord"

Historians believe that the warlike tribes of the Normans differed not only in that they annoyed the population of medieval Europe with their countless attacks. The Vikings are considered among the pioneers who mastered 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." Rogue - this is how the word "vikingar" is translated from Old Norse.

Captivated by the "Green Land"

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

Why is Greenland deserted?

There is a version that the Vikings mixed with the Eskimos, and therefore disappeared as entos. However, the 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 interethnic marriages is most likely not the reason for the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland, since neither they nor the Eskimos experienced a particular need to find spouses "on the side." No evidence of the 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 at some point the Greenlanders simply could not stand the harsh climatic conditions that prevailed 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 sea routes due to iceberg piles 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, because 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 exist if the Varangians had not participated in the fate of Russia at one time. But this is nothing more than a version. http://russian7.ru/post/zagadka-ischeznoveniya-vikingov/

The calling of the Varangians. V. M. Vasnetsov

How are Varangians different 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 of "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. So the 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 even in the Roman Empire. Such settlements were often located on the territory of military camps. The Swedish scientist F. Askerberg stated that the basis for the noun "Viking" was the verb "vikja" - to leave, turn. According to his hypothesis, the Vikings are people who left their native places in order to earn a livelihood. Askerberg's compatriot researcher B. Daggfeldt suggested that the word "Viking" has much in common with the Old Norse phrase "vika sjóvar", meaning "the interval between the change of rowers." Therefore, in the original version, the term “víking” most likely referred to a long journey by sea, involving a frequent change of rowers.

The version about 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 "Varangian" is associated with the city of Vagria, where the Vandals lived. From the name of the inhabitants of this city "Vagrov" came the expression "Varangians". Much later, the Russian historian S. Gedeonov considered that the word “warang”, which means a sword and which he discovered in the Baltic-Slavic Pototsky dictionary, is the best fit for the role of the primary source of the term. Many historians associate the "Varangian" with the ancient German "wara" - an oath, a vow, an oath. And the linguist M. Vasmer considered the Scandinavian concept of "váringr" - fidelity, responsibility, to be the progenitor of the "Varangian".

Miscellaneous 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 also 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 robberies were the main source of income for the Vikings. The Vikings were not sedentary and did not comply with the laws.

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

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

Different religions

The Vikings, no doubt considering themselves warriors, but not pirates, worshiped the god Odin, like all Scandinavians. Odin's eternal companions were ravens - birds that were not favored in Russia because of their tendency to devour carrion. In addition, since ancient times, Russians have considered ravens as 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 Varangians was a falcon, which honestly hunted for live prey. The falcon was the bird of Perun himself - the pagan Slavic god, in whom the Vikings 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, what were they called in different countries?

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

The French called them "Normans" - translated as northern people. In the 11th century in England, the Vikings were called "Ashmans" - translated as people floating on an ash tree. Ash was used as the top plating of ships. In Ireland, the Vikings were called "Finn Galles" - translated as the light of foreigners (if they were Norwegians) and "Oak Gales" - 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 the this moment they are most commonly referred to as 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 Vik (Viken), next to the Oslo Fjord.

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

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

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

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

Viking, in its modern interpretation - a person who sailed from home, left his homeland, i.e., a sea warrior, a pirate.

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

In the Icelandic sagas of the 13th century, the Vikings are called people involved in robbery and rampant piracy and represent them as bloodthirsty.

Viking legend. So where did these Vikings come from?

Initially, it was believed that the Vikings crossed the seas, they came from the North Country. These brave and cruel people - pagans were called "Norman", i.e., northern people. Who embarked on long campaigns in search of new lands, engaged in robbery or robbery.

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

There, on the coast of the sea in harsh natural conditions, far from each other were villages of fishermen, hunters, farmers and herders who lived in exhausting conditions and fought for their existence.

The head 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 educated. But they spared neither their own nor the lives of others. It was considered for the mercy of the gods to die in open battle, and it was considered a disgrace to die an senile death.

Viking legend. What prompted the Norman Vikings to go to sea?

Perhaps the climatic weather conditions, with its rocky mountains, the poverty of the soil, the lack of arable land, which was not able to feed these people? Or were the riches of churches and monasteries that were located across the sea so temptingly attracted the Vikings? Or were they simply attracted to 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 was not conducive to obtaining high yields, mainly cereals were sown there, such as barley, oats, from which cakes were baked and porridge was cooked.

The sea that lapped at their doorstep was far more bountiful than the ground beneath their feet. When the lean years came, the Vikings fed their livestock with fish, which helped these animals survive until the next spring and new grass.

Their food was fish, which they ate every day in abundance. Scandinavians are very fond of the sea. Their art of shipbuilding at that time reached great perfection.

And so it happened that several years were lean, 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 a better life. These people called themselves Vikings.