Why might there be revisions or re-interpretations of the Viking's reputations?
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"Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race. … Behold, the church of St. Cuthbert, spattered with the blood of the priests of God, despoiled of all its ornaments; a place more venerable than all in Britain is given as a prey to pagan peoples.”
This passage was written by Alucuin of York, a religious scholar, in the 18th century, describing a Viking raid in a letter he wrote to Ethelred, king of Northumbria. The quote above is one of hundreds of accounts which claim that the Vikings were barbaric people. As a result, as far as most people know they were ruthless raiders. However, due to archeological evidence, historians have discovered that there is more to the Viking's famous violent behavior.
This passage was written by Alucuin of York, a religious scholar, in the 18th century, describing a Viking raid in a letter he wrote to Ethelred, king of Northumbria. The quote above is one of hundreds of accounts which claim that the Vikings were barbaric people. As a result, as far as most people know they were ruthless raiders. However, due to archeological evidence, historians have discovered that there is more to the Viking's famous violent behavior.
Biased Historical Evidence
Churchmen would write about their encounters with the Vikings as in the quote above. These documents have molded our view of the Vikings as barbaric people when in reality many of these accounts exaggerated the violence of these people. Often times, the churchmen were equally as barbaric. The records are very one sided and give us a distorted view of the Vikings. New archeological findings have shown that the Vikings belonged to the upper class and were mainly sea warriors but also were farmers, ship builders, traders, and innovators. In addition the discoveries show that their violent raids were about survival and finding food rather than conquest, and were sparked by land shortage. As a result, although it is true that the Vikings were violent raiders, they only did it for survival. Their behavior may seem barbaric to us now but it is relative a it is what they had to do. Moreover, our new interpretation of the Vikings is a group of intellectuals who were not afraid to explore and fight for their survival.
Archeological Evidence Proving Viking Intellect
Above: Viking jewelry displaying their love for meticulous craftsmanship.
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Below: Roskilde 6, the worlds largest known Viking ship and largest of its time. It demonstrates their innovation in construction and ship building. Left: Viking chess pieces made of ivory, a material found far from Scandinavia. It shows their love for adventure and discovery of new land. |
What have the Vikings left behind for historians to find?
The artifacts left by the Vikings truly have shaped everything we know about them. They left behind many surprising objects which have further augmented our view of the Vikings as more than just warriors. The slideshow below displays some of the thousands of things the Vikings left behind which historians have excavated. The artifacts range from jewelry with intricate designs to ironing boards. They prove that the Vikings were very intelligent meticulous people and were avid traders, as many of the materials used came from different countries. Take a look at what the Vikings left behind for us to find:
What is the Viking's lasting legacy?
Although there are several, the most significant legacy the Vikings left was our modern day English language. In the 8th century Britian faced invasions from the Vikings. By the 9th century the Vikings controlled nearly all of the eastern half of England known as an area called Danelaw. With their strong power over England, it is no surprise that they influenced modern English. They spoke a language called Old Norse who's qualities are reflected in many words we say today.
Some Words Originating From Old Norse
Words beginning with 'th'
thrall thrust they there then |
Words beginning with 'sk'
skirt sky skill skull ski |
Place names ending in '-by'
Grimsby Rugby Wetherby Barnby |
The Vikings also affected our modern day French language. They left their mark in some French suffixes such as -tot and -lond believed to have originated from the Viking words toft (farm) and lund (wood).