VIKINGS
by Boiko Katherina
Who were the Vikings?
Vikings were seafaring people originally from
Scandinavia (Denmark and Norway across the North
Sea). But then gradually occupying the north and east
of England, as well as parts of Scotland and Ireland.
They also traveled as far as the Mediterranean, North
Africa, the Middle East, Greenland and North America.
The term "Viking" also commonly includes the
inhabitants of the Scandinavian homelands as a whole.
Expert sailors and navigators of their characteristic longshipe, Vikings
established Norse settlements and governments in the British Isles, the Faroe
Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Normandy, and the Baltic coast, as well as
along the Dnieper and Volga trade routes across Eastern Europe where they
were also known as Varangians.
Vikings
Expansion
Economic:
Not enough fertile land in Scandinavia for
the growing population.
Search for new sources of wealth through
trade, plunder and tribute.
Political:
Internal conflicts and power struggles forced
the search for new territories.
The weakening of neighboring states, such
as the Frankish Empire, made it easier to
raid.
Technical:
The development of shipbuilding (long ships),
which were fast and mobile, made it
possible to sail long distances.
Reasons for the expansion of the Vikings:
VIKING AGE
The Viking Age in Scandinavian history is
taken to have been the period from the
earliest recorded raids by Norsemen in 793
until the Norman conquest of Englsnd in 1066.
Vikings used the Norwegian Sea and Baltic
Sea for sea routes to the south.
Geographically, the Viking Age covered
Scandinavian lands (modern Denmark,
Norway and Sweden), as well as territories
under North Germanic dominance, mainly
the Danelaw, including Scandinavian York,
the administrative centre of the remains of
the Kingdom of Northumbria, parts of Mercia,
and East Anglia.
The End of the Viking Age
Decline Factors
Rise of centralized kingdoms in Europe.
Conversion to Christianity.
Economic changes reduced reliance on raiding.
Legacy
Integration into European society.
Contributions to art, language, and navigation.
Culture (literature and language)
Primary Sources:
Most primary sources are contemporary texts from outside Scandinavia, often written by those
negatively affected by Viking activities.
Scandinavians mostly used runic inscriptions, which were brief and formulaic.
Written documentation in Scandinavia appeared after the 11th century, often in Latin and Old Norse.
Later Writings:
In the 12th-14th centuries, Icelandic sagas recorded Viking traditions, but their literal accuracy is
questionable.
These sagas offer insight into Viking ethics, self-images, and genealogies.
Indirect Sources:
Old Norse place names and words in areas once settled by Vikings reveal their settlements and
cultural significance (e.g., Egilsay, Ormskirk, Vinland).
Modern-day languages (e.g., English, Norn) reflect Viking linguistic influence, especially in the
Northern Isles.
Linguistic Influence:
Viking influence is evident in Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese,
Icelandic).
Culture (Burial sites)
There are numerous burial sites associated with Vikings throughout Europe and their sphere of
influence. The burial practices of the Vikings were quite varied, from dug graves in the ground, to
tumuli (A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves), sometimes including
so-called ship burials (A ship burial or boat grave is a buriall in which a ship or boat is used either as
the tomb for the dead and the grave goods, or as a part of the grave goods itself).
According to written sources, most of the funerals took place at sea. Funerals involved either burial or
cremation, depending on local customs. In the area that is now Sweden, cremations were
predominant; in Denmark burial was more common; and in Norway both were common. Viking
barrows are one of the primary sources of evidence for circumstances in the Viking Age. The items
buried with the dead give some indication as to what was considered important to possess in the
afterlife. It is unknown what mortuary services were given to dead children by the Vikings. Some of
the most important burial sites for understanding the Vikings
Culture
THANK YOU
Presented by
Boiko Katherine
