VIKINGS: FURY OF THE NORTH

Transcription

1 VIKINGS: FURY OF THE NORTH THMEN Everywhere the Christians are victims of massacres, burnings and plunderings. The Vikings conquer all in their path, and no one resists them. Oh God deliver us, deliver us from the fury of the Northmen Anonymous Christian monk German tribes had settled into kingdoms. Pope had Christianized them and they were becoming civilized Holy Roman Empire and England. Learning, art, trade and money was returning. (Use map) s A.D. a new European invader from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia Norway, Sweden and Finland to cause havoc. Called the Danes, the Norse, the Northmen. We shall call them the Vikings. Knowledge Fall Rome 476 A.D. Viking invasions Charlemagne Time. Suddenly the Vikings burst on the scene and they are seemingly everywhere. Burning churches and villages, looting and pillaging and no one can stop them or even find them. They melt into thin air and disappear. Why suddenly were they everywhere? 1) A German people that hadn t migrated earlier. Overcrowded and needed new lands! 2) Restless chieftains and warriors eager for battle and Valhalla Christian Europe held easy pickings convents, monasteries and churches all undefended. Ha, ha, ha!

2 Why were the Vikings so successful? 1) Physical size over six foot and massively powerful 2) Hit and run tactics They rarely fought battles. Got out before armies arrive. 3) The Viking long ships dragon ships extremely flexible handle rough seas shallow draught go anywhere lightweight moves across land Viking life in Scandinavia Land not well suited for farming. Poor, rocky soil and cold climate so instead turned to the sea. Coastline jagged with innumerable natural bays and harbors. Fjords: narrow bays formed by glaciers. Calm waters for ships. They would raid all spring and summer and return home fall and winter. Lived in clans and were not united. They lived in small villages and log houses. Twenty to thirty per household and often bloody feuds to defend their honor Jarls: Viking rulers and military chieftains. Inherited or elected to the position. The Althing: yearly gathering to decide local matters, try criminals, and decide on raidings. Democracy Women participate, only men vote

3 Men bought women for wives. If she doesn t please him he can sell her. Women can own property and get their own divorce petitioning the thing. No schools girls learn household skills - boys train to be warriors and memorize tales of heroic warriors. - Sagas: epic stories of heroes and gods One takes twelve days to recite Dotter or son added to father s name to make last names Runic alphabet: the Viking alphabet. Chiseled into rock or painted. Warrior life: Vikings believed that if they died in battle Valkyries: warrior maidens carry warrior souls to Valhalla. Chain mail: series of interlocking metal ringed armor becomes common. Romans had it too. Berserkers: gift of Odin. Invincible battle rage. Really, really nuts. Famous story about he Viking who got his hand chopped off. Used the squirting blood from his arm to blind his enemies and fight on. Greatest Viking insult Beardless: greatest insult that could only be avenged with a death.

4 Viking burial Important chieftains sometimes buried with their longships with their possessions to take to the afterlife. Some chieftains have all their possession loaded onto a ship, pushed out to sea and then it s lit on fire. Viking accomplishments 1) Vikings found kingdom of Russia 2) Eric the Red lands in Greenland 3) Lief Ericson lands in North America brief settlements 4) Normandy France Franks French give northern coast of France to Vikings if they ll agree to cease raiding them Normandy 5) After Alfred the Great s passing in England they conquer England. 6) Attacked and raided Baghdad capital of Arab Empire. 7) Sent Europe reeling back into the Dark Ages

5 Norse Mythology Land populated by dark elves and light elves, dwarfs, demons and Frost Giants. It is the basis for fantasy novels including Lord of the Rings. Odin or Wotan one-eyed chief god. Father of battle and wisdom. Two ravens, thought and memory, tell him all. Gave up eye for wisdom and once hung nine days and died in a tree for more. One of the ways of worshipping Odin was to sacrifice men in trees. Wields a ring of power Draupnir and rides an eight-legged horse. (Wotansday) Wednesday. Frigga wife of Odin. Fertility goddess spring and children. (Frigga s day) Friday Thor Odin s son. God of thunder. Wields a magic hammer Mjollner. Bitter enemy of the Frost Giants. Two goats draw chariot across sky Tooth-grinder and Tooth-gnasher. (Thor s day) Thursday. Loki god of fire and a trickster. Eventually turns evil. Will eventually lead an army of evil to destroy the world. Tyr son of Odin. Feeder of the Fenris Wolf and sky god. (Tyr s day) Tuesday. Baldur Son of Odin. God of light and joy. Killed by Loki. Hel daughter of Loki. Face and body of a woman, legs of a corpse. Ruled those dead who had not died in battle. Christians add an L. Yggdrasil cosmic tree that is the backbone of the universe. It limbs held up everything in creation. Tree Odin died on. Asgard home of the gods. Valhalla hall of the heroic dead who had died in battle. They will fight for the gods in the end time. Midgard land of mortals Frost Giants enemies of the gods and people. Live at the edges of Midgard. Rainbow Bridge magical roadway between Asgard and Midgard.

6 World Serpent child of Loki. Encircles the entire ocean. One day will kill Thor. Fenris Wolf child of Loki. Destined to devour Odin. Valkyries Odin s shield maidens. Rode on horseback above the battlefield to carry away the heroic dead to Valhalla. Ragnarok doom of the Norse gods. When Loki shall lead the forces of evil to destroy the gods, and all shall perish. Around 1000 A.D. the raids stop. Why? Once more Christianity conquered another barbarian invader.

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