What People Get Wrong (And Right) About The Vikings
There are many famous theories about Viking like they were bearded and suppressed everyone around them. But according to Janina Ramirez, this image of Viking is still questionable. Nobody knows about the violent nature of Vikings.
Vikings existed from the 9th century to the 11th. During this time, most parts of Aisa, Europe, and Africa were under the influence of Vikings culture. They had so much control that they could easily navigate the command of the whole world. Regardless of all this, they are still surrounded by myths. Below are some myths about Vikings that need to be unpicked.
Vikings wore horned helmets
Before digging deep into the myth, let’s get the concept clear here. There is no evidence that they ever wore a horned helmet. The wore helmets but they were not horned helmets but simple skullcaps which were used to protect the head. Wearing a horned helmet in war can damage you if the opponent attacks you with sword or ax. In the 19th century, the idea of wearing horned helmets was introduced in Vikings.
The actual reason why this myth was born was the fact that back in 1870, Carl Emil Doepler – a costume designer – designed horned helmets for the characters of Viking. After that many filmmakers followed this tradition and still they are using Emil’s idea.
The Vikings – A Defined Group
The word Viking was derived from the Icelandic “Viking-r” which means “a creek-dweller”. In Norway, there was a primary region known as “Viken ” and there is a possibility that they derived the word from the trading busy port.
After a few years, the word Viking was used as a synonym for “naval expeditions”. There are many writers who do not use the word Viking as a synonym for “group of people”. And many contemporary writers use it as an alternative for “Norse Men”.
The confusion surged when people started using Viking as a synonym for denoting the entire Scandinavian region.
Extremely Violent People
Vikings are famous for their raids on vulnerable monastic sites. These sites were the worst places to attack in Christian historical documents. However, there are shreds of evidence which show the Viking violence in Britain.
In many of the skeletons, the Viking weapons were found in their bones. In the museum of North Hertfordshire, a skeleton was found which had Viking weapon stuck in the neck. There were many Vikings who spent life peacefully but some of those won the reputation as “wolves of war”.
Another thing to notice here is that in the time period of Vikings, the atmosphere was violent and rightly so they suppressed people around them.
They Took What They Needed
According to the findings of Scandinavia, Vikings robbed the places where they reached. Coins from all over the world were also found buried in the homeland of Vikings. Dublin was the most extensive place on which Vikings established their superiority. With the passage of time, Dublin turned into a strong industrial city and the first Irish coin was also made there.
Vikings established many other cities other than Dublin and those cities include Saxon city and Iceland. Another classic example of Viking peace is Normandy where the violent settlement of Viking turned to a peaceful settlement. The Norman name was given to the people of Norman from “north-men” and King Charles III gave them the place of northern France. And soon Viking embraced the French language.
Vikings Were Godless Pagans
According to the history books, victors wrote the history but that wasn’t the case for Viking whom history was written by Christians. Many Christian documents describe them as godless and pagans. But this information has a contradiction with the information extracted from Scandinavian texts. Vikings did not practice at temples but they went to rivers for praying.
Priests were drawn from the heads of the families and they often involved in the religious ceremonies. All types of sacrifices were given by the Priests.
More in History Mystery
-
`
Best Old-School Nintendo Games of All Times, Because Nostalgia Exists
Thirty-five years ago, Japanese brand Nintendo released a console which came to be a household necessity for gaming families – hence,...
May 14, 2024 -
`
Another David Bowie Boxed Compilation Is Coming Out This Year
There are so many iconic musicians the world has seen over the past couple of decades. Some of them have unfortunately...
May 14, 2024 -
`
Greatest Retro Batman Video Games of All Times
Batman is arguably one of the most iconic characters of the DC Comics world, which may explain the significant number of...
May 14, 2024 -
`
Balloonfest 1986, a Publicity Stunt That Turned into Cleveland’s Horror Story
Balloons are generally nice to look at – they are like colorful floating balls that easily attract everyone’s attention. But believe...
May 12, 2024 -
`
Here Are a Few Things 7-Eleven Kept on a Down Low About the Slurpee
As everyone knows that July 11 is the birthday of 7-eleven store and you can get free Slurpee on this day....
May 12, 2024 -
`
Marilyn Monroe’s Iconic Dress Sold For $4.8 Million
Celebrities come and go, some of them come into the limelight but then the career in the industry doesn’t last forever...
May 12, 2024 -
`
Shocking Facts About Disney Channel’s Most Successful Shows in the 2000s
They say that things are no longer the same with the Disney Channel anymore, especially with the rise of online streaming...
May 12, 2024 -
`
From School Labs to Chalkboards, 90’s Experiences That Don’t Exist in Schools Anymore
For someone who attended high school in the 90s or the early 2000s, the idea of stepping into today’s modern day...
May 12, 2024 -
`
History Of Furby, The Ultimate Electronic Pet
Furby, every 90’s child favorite robotic toy. Whether it was a hamster or an owl we still don’t know, but what...
May 12, 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login