Northern Warriors

When we hear word Vikings, first thing that comes to mind is barbarian warriors with terrifying looks. But where are they actually from? Why are they called Vikings? The etymology of the word Viking is uncertain. There are many theories on what it means and how was it created. The Old Norse word víkingr usually meant “pirate” or “raider.” There are few approaches that we can undertake to try look closer on this word. According to Wikipedia: The essential three elements of the word "Viking" are: the original meaning, derivation or etymology (its medieval usage) and its current modern-day usage. According to some authors, these three elements are often confused in popular and scholarly discussions. Also, the etymology of the word has been much debated by academics, with many origin theories being proposed. (...) One theory suggests that the word's origin is from the Old English wicing and the Old Frisian wizing that are almost 300 years older, and probably derive from wic, related to the Latin vicus "village, habitation". Another less popular theory is that víking came from the feminine vík, meaning "creek, inlet, small bay". (...) Another etymology that gained support in the early 21st century derives Viking from the same root as Old Norse vika, f. 'sea mile', originally meaning 'the distance between two shifts of rowers'. (...) In the Middle Ages viking came to mean Scandinavian pirate or raider.

We know that the Vikings originated from the area that became modern-day Norway, Sweden and Denmark. But could we actually call the a race? As a matter of fact, they were not a “race” linked by ties of common ancestry or patriotism, and could not be defined by any particular sense of “Viking-ness.” There is also the case of their helmets. They did not wear helmets with horns. At least not according to the depictions.

Vikings were not only curious but they also were in need of new, more fertile lands for farming. That might have been the main reason for Vikings later settlement in North America, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and several parts of the Europe. But how did their world point of view impacted the world?

Thanks to the Vikings, the world was able to significantly improve shipbuilding and navigation. Their longboats were faster, lighter, more flexible and more easily maneuverable than other ships of the time. How did they look like? They had sleek wooden vessels with shallow hulls and rows of oars along the side. But boats is a one thing and navigation is another. Without their skill of navigation both during the day and night helped them to sail long distances. How did they manage to do this? They relied on simple but sophisticated tools. I was called a sun compass. It utilized calcite crystals known as “sunstones” to identify the position of the sun even after sunset or on overcast days. There is more.

They were usually viewed as unkempt barbarians but it could not be further from the truth. Vikings actually bathed more frequently than other Europeans of the day, preferably in a hot spring. Bristled combs, often made from the antlers of red deer or other animals they killed, are one of the objects most commonly found in Viking graves.

There were also extremaly creative. Aside from archaeological evidence, information about Viking life comes from a somewhat dubious but endlessly entertaining source. The Icelandic sagas, written by unknown authors in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, chronicle life in the Viking Age around the year A.D. 1000, when the ancient Norsemen abandoned their pagan gods and converted to Christianity. Victorian-era scholars accepted the sagas, with their graphic depictions of the deeds of both powerful rulers and ordinary people, as fact. Today, most historians agree they are an unreliable (yet still valuable) source of information about the Vikings, even though it contained huge dose of mythology and fantasy. In any case, we can thank the Vikings and their exploits for providing one of the earliest forms of our favorite guilty pleasure: the soap opera.