The Vikings of Norway
Shipbuilder and nation-builder
Norway has a strong Viking culture, with Viking traditions, museums, tours, villages and other activities in numerous parts of the country.
What was high technology a thousand years ago? Maybe it was a fast Viking ship? These advanced ships connected European cultures and played a key role in the integration of Nordic tribes into the country.
The Vikings have left a lasting mark in Northern Europe, and exploring Viking historical sites during the holidays will turn your journey into an adventure.
Viking History and Culture
The Viking Age began with the attack on Lindisfarne Abbey in England in 793, the first battle known to the Vikings. In 1066, the death of King Harald Hadrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge marked the end of the Viking Age.
Raids, systematic plunder, colonization and trade brought the Vikings in all directions. At first only a few Viking navigators could survive the difficult voyages, but as the fleet grew, soon there were hundreds of so-called longships. They crossed the Baltic Sea, followed the rivers of Russia to the Black and Caspian Seas, and then to Byzantium and the Abbasids. They were also among the first Europeans to set foot in Greenland and North America. In fact, the Viking explorer Lef Eriksson came to the coast of the Americas around 1000 AD, 500 years before Christopher Columbus.
Viking colonization
The Vikings established many cities and colonies, including Dublin in Ireland and the Normandy region in France. For more than three centuries, Dublin was an important settlement for the Vikings. Between 879 and 920 AD, the Vikings colonized Iceland and made it a springboard for their invasion of Greenland. The remains of a Viking village in L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada, date back to about 1,000 years ago.
Who were vikings?
The Vikings were merchants, farmers and sea warriors from the Nordic countries during the Viking Age from 800 to 1050. They participated in expeditions and battles in western and eastern Europe, trading with people from other countries, settling in new countries, plundering and bringing home goods.
The main Viking kings of Norway
Blonde Harald (850–932)
The first monarch to rule most of Norway. According to legend, he refused to cut his hair before becoming the sole king of Norway.
Eric the Blood Axe (885–954)
He was King of Norway from 933 to 935. He is said to have been called the Blood Axe because of his early participation in Viking battles.
Haakon I (918–961)
He was King of Norway from the 1930s to 960. He used what he had learned in England to unify more territories than his brother Eric the Blood Axe had done during his reign.
Olaf I (963–1000)
He was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. As king, his main exploit was to convert most of his kingdom from Norse to Roman Catholicism.
Olaf II, also known as St. Olaf (993–1030)
He was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Before returning to Norway, he served as a warrior chief in England and France. Olaf saw his return as a call to unify Norway as a Christian kingdom. He was posthumously enfeoffed on 29 July 1030 at the Battle of Stycresta.
Magnus I (1024–1047)
He was King of Norway from 1035 to 1047. Atrocities decreased during his reign, and the Vikings were eager to re-establish the monarchy.
Harald Hadrada (1015–1066)
He was King of Norway from 1045 to 1066. In his first year on the throne, he co-ruled Norway with Magnus I. He was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge against England, which also marked the end of the Viking Age.
Viking Warriors
How could a people, who were sparsely populated and scattered, conquer large areas? The Norwegian Vikings were brave and warlike, believed in fate, and were natural adventurers. The team's ability to avoid losses is superb, both on land and in treacherous seafaring expeditions. Considering the total population of the Vikings, the death rate was sometimes very high, but this did not extinguish their desire for conquest and exploration for about 250 years.
Trader of peace and lover of mead
The Vikings are best known for their relentless plunder, and indeed. At the same time, many Vikings lived peaceful lives as traders or farmers, and many expeditions arose as a result of trade. Those who did not participate in the seafaring plunder supported their families by performing simple agricultural labor at home. Their daily lives are difficult and difficult, but not without fun. The most famous Viking drink is mead ("mjød" in Norwegian), a beer-like liquor that sweetens its taste with honey.
The end of the Viking Age
Explorers brought their culture to the European continent and also brought back foreign cultures, languages and knowledge. In the twelfth century, the Vikings were in decline due to domestic disputes and attacks from other European countries, so they learned to resist attacks by building fortifications.
Viking ships
Fastest? In good weather, the boat can reach speeds of 15 to 17 knots.
The high speed of Viking ships was the key to the viking warriors' unexpected and rapid attacks. Their seafaring inventions linked northern and southern Europe, which played an important role throughout the continent.
structure
The typical vessel architecture of the Vikings was called the longship, and this structure was also adopted by many other cultural countries, and its influence on the structure of ships reached for centuries. All in all, overlapping oak tree boards were nailed together and several layers of tarred wool and other animal furs were laid for protection.
The secret to the speedy navigation of long ships is the narrow hull stabilized by the keel. The boat is lightweight and easy to transport, can be fast in shallow waters and is easy to handle. This longboat bow is homomorphic and can travel in the opposite direction without making a U-turn. This property makes it ideal for use on the surface of the sea where icebergs and ice floes are hidden everywhere.
The entire hull of the longboat is almost full of oars, and the modified longboat also combines oar power and sail power.
use
Such ships were used for plunder and other battles, and could also be used for peaceful trade. The war on the European continent resulted in the death of many Vikings, and in 876, in a major storm on the south coast of England, as many as 4,000 Vikings were killed and 120 ships sank. When the magnates died, their remains were placed in a ship for burial, along with clothing, jewelry, and even their animals.
One of the most famous tombs in Scandinavia is the so-called Tomb of the Osseberg. In 834, Empress O'Roseburg was buried in this amazing vessel along with her precious heritage. The tomb contains a number of other female remains of unknown origin.
Museum of Viking Ships in Oslo
Here you can circle the world's best-preserved Viking vessels and smell the tar on the O'Sober, Koxtad and Du Vin.
Female power
What rights did women have in Viking history?
Women in Viking society are said to have a higher status than the rest of Europe. They usually all have the right to divorce, and if their partner dies, they can inherit and keep their inheritance. In some places, the law prohibits sexual harassment of women, and women can be honored as farm owners when their husbands are out for a long time. More and more people are now attracted to Viking culture, not only because the Vikings were indomitable warriors at sea, but also because of their way of life and the fact that they built a new and more modern society.