The History of Vikings and How They Went Extinct
We have all heard about the mighty Vikings in our lifetime. We may know them for their brutality, anger, fighting, etc., but they were not just some brainless animals who would raid villages and kill and loot people. The history of Vikings goes so far; we only know much about them. The main reason for Vikings to set foot in England was the search for fertile lands and more resources. Today, we will learn how they came to England and made settlements where they were able to live peacefully with the locals.
Fierce Warriors in Horned Helmets?
Vikings were fierce, wild warriors with horned helmets; they raided and pillaged their way across Europe. There’s more to the story.
The reality was that Vikings were defined as Scandinavian seafarers from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark: they had advanced ships, highly skilled navigation, and were farmers, traders, and explorers.
Horned helmets? Totally a myth, although some sorts of helmets with horns have been found but they are mostly for religious purposes. Of course, they raided, but they also traded, settled, and mixed with other cultures and left a lasting footprint on European history.
With today’s writing, we will get into who the Vikings really were, not just the stereotypes, but it will take us right into their rise, their flourishing, and their downfall. You’ll come away by the end knowing that the real story of the Vikings is far more complex and interesting than you may have been led to believe.
Who Were the Vikings?
They were people of Scandinavia, mostly Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Famous for their adventurous spirit, they all lived in fairly tight-knit communities.
These people farmed, traded, crafted, and we can say that is the mainstay of their daily lives. Vikings were not just a bunch of mean fighters. As well as being skilled artisans and traders, they built a large, independent society.
At least it was a world with a strong influence of Norse mythology – with Odin and Thor being revered as gods. This influence shaped a hierarchical society based on family and community, which organized Viking society.
They were also known for their sea voyages and for building highly advanced longships that could navigate open seas and shallow rivers, enabling them to trade or raid as far as the British Isles and beyond. Unique to Viking exploration and cultural strength, they left a mark on history the best way they could.
Why Did the Vikings Become Known as Raiders?
For a few practical reasons, the Vikings became known as raiders. Back in Scandinavia, they had a growing population with only so much land on which to farm, and they needed more resources to support them in their communities.
Without farming, they couldn’t make enough, so they sought out a better life all around the globe. Vikings sought wealth and resources as they moved from monastery to monastery and small village to small village, many of them poorly defended.
And it worked well for them in the timing department, too. All of Europe was politically unsettled amongst various kingdoms, always entangled in conflict with one another.
Vikings found this chaos helped the Vikings to strike quickly and get away. Their quick seafaring skills allowed them to navigate both oceans and rivers at speed, making raids as efficient as possible. To some extent, they will also be remembered for their raids, but those raids were as much a matter of survival and opportunity as they were conquest. It was a skill the Vikings had – a knack for adapting to different environments – and this helped them produce such a lasting legacy.
Expansion and Settlement Beyond Scandinavia
Some of the raids were not just quick raids and pullbacks. The Vikings settled down in many places and developed communities that strengthened long-lasting bonds with local cultures through exchange.
While they brought their own customs with them, they accommodated themselves to the manners and habits of the folk with which they came in contact. A number of languages, arts, and governance were inculcated by Viking settlements.
As settlers, but not more than raiders, the Vikings are remembered for an array of daring raids, but they also left a rich legacy in their wake. In England, the Vikings didn’t just slip in easily.
They carved out territories, such as the Danelaw in the east, where their laws and customs applied. The result was a fascinating assemblage of Norse and Anglo-Saxon traditions – applied to everything from local place names to agricultural practices. In Ireland, too, the Vikings made their impact; Irish towns such as Dublin, which began as a Viking trading hub before becoming a central part of Irish life, were established by them.
The Peak of Viking Influence
The Vikings themselves left a great mark on Europe’s economy and culture at their peak. In addition to being fierce raiders, they were well-known traders, who connected Scandinavia to such far out places as Byzantium and the Middle East.
Amber, finely crafted jewellery, fats such as walrus hides and Vender furs became increasingly popular components in Viking goods which found their way into European markets and tastes.
In addition, Viking rulers built great power bases outside of Scandinavia. In England, they ruled over the Danelaw, an area where Norse law and customs prevailed, and in France (as Viking chieftain Rollo founded what was to become Normandy).
Vikings ruled these territories and then developed their own morphism of the Norse tradition. Vikings would eventually start to assimilate into the societies in which they settled. Partly through intermarriage with the locals, they became Christians, and increasingly lost their pagan roots. This integration enabled Viking settlers to become more familiar neighbors rather than religious invaders.
Why Did the Viking Era Come to an End?
The Viking Age finally came to an end when there were changes in politics and the social dynamic in Europe. The Vikings were not able to conduct successful raids as the European kingdoms became stronger and started building defensive structures like fortified towns and castles.
The Vikings and their kingdoms similarly began to reestablish themselves and push the Vikings back.
Furthermore, a good number of the Vikings converted to Christianity, which assisted in their integration within European society and its ideals. Such a transformation did not only alter their religions but also fostered better relations among especially the Christians.
European society, too, underwent an economic transition. There was enhanced trade, which reduced the likelihood of attacks, and thus, Norse society turned to agriculture and commerce. Thus, many Vikings changed from being warriors to tradesmen and farmers. Lastly, even those based in Scandinavia had internal problems, which weakened Viking power. Their resources were consumed in conflicts and wars, creating divisions among the Vikings, thus they could not maintain the same dominance as before the divisions. In a nutshell, all these transformations marked the end of the Viking Era.
What Happened to the Vikings And Did They Really Go Extinct?
Vikings themselves did not “die out”, but if you rewind the clock 100 years, they would have assimilated into those very civilizations that they used to pillage and then deploy out. They picked up local traditions as they moved from place to place to other parts of Europe, started to marry locals, and became part of the broader society.
Eventually, they passed out of use and were considered merely parts of the societies in which they had integrated themselves. Nowadays, such sea travelers are associated with Scandinavians. From then on, Scandinavian culture has lasted the Nordic pantheon, language roots, and, to some extent, also some Viking symbols.
The tale of the Vikings has only expanded while the Viking way of life was forgotten. Books, films, and TV series have praised Viking bravery as explorers and ferocious warriors. However, the time of longboats and raids is history, but the myth and the Vikings themselves have not disappeared, and what they stand for continues to be of interest to all of mankind, as their own story is told to future generations.
The Final Evolution of Vikings
The Vikings’ journey is a good story of change. They had come from fierce raiders that were feared throughout all of Europe and they evolved from that into settlers, and eventually part of the very societies that they once attacked. They traded their life as a warrior for that of a farmer, a tradesman, even a governor, settling nicely into European cultures over time.
This integration did not only change the Vikings but also settled the lands that they would influence. Traces of Viking culture are still visible today in English language roots and place names throughout Europe and in popular symbols and myths enjoyed by modern culture. Maybe the Vikings aren’t gone after all. In a way, their spirit lives on…when we explore new frontiers, seek new challenges, and put our foot right up to that explosion…isn’t it keeping a bit of that Viking spirit?