C.J. Adrien's Blog, page 27

What Started the Viking Age?

We know what we know about the Viking Age primarily from two sources: writings and archeological finds. The writings are all written by Christian sources – particularly, monks – who unfairly misrepresent the Vikings because they were the primary victims of the raids. Early in the Viking Age, the focus of the Scandinavian pirates in Western Europe remained fixed on coastal monasteries. Later, the Vikings would attack further inland, but the initial violence (A.D. 793-835) occurred peripherally. The Christians blamed themselves for angering their god. Historians have several hypotheses on what began the Viking Age. Most famous of the hypotheses lies in the climatic changes of the early middle ages which warmed the weather in all of Europe and caused a large population growth unusual for Scandinavia. Most historians draw on a combination of several hypotheses, each a part in the larger picture. While several factors contributed the initial raids, what event acted as the catalyst for centuries of attacks?

A little known series of events in the late 8th century involving the Franks and the Saxons may have sparked the Viking Age in the same way the assassination of Franz Ferdinand sparked World War I. The conditions for the Viking Age were all in place — warm weather, larger population, naval advances, technology advances, and a deep hatred for the Christians in the south. What event, then, caused the launch of thousands of ships westward? In 792 A.D. Emperor Charlemagne (yes, the one credited with inventing public schools) was just finishing his conquest of modern day Poland, as well as northern Germany up to the Danevirke, a barrier build along the southern border of Denmark to repel the germanic tribes. Charlemagne believed it was his duty to spread Christianity across the known world, and he did so through conquest. One of his more notorious exploits took place along the Danevirke in sight of the Danes who watched in horror as the Franks defeated the Saxons. The Franks took 3000 prisoners. Charlemagne ordered the Saxons be baptized in the nearby Elbe River where the Franks dunked the Saxons under water, recited their benedictions, and held them underwater until they drowned. A few Saxons undoubtedly escaped and explained their horrific tale to the Danes who kept in close contact with the Norwegians.

How does this event play into the Viking Age? At Lindisfarne in 793 A.D., the first raid on a monastery, the Vikings dragged many of the priests to the beach and drowned them under the waves. This act is viewed by many historians as symbolic of the raiders’ acknowledgement of the threat of warmongering Christianity on their lands. In essence, the first raid was a retaliation for the aggressive acts of the Franks. It is therefore appropriate to say, after so many years of misconception and misrepresentation, that the Vikings were in reality no more violent than their southern neighbors. It was an age of violence.

The Norse Gods Were Mortal

DID YOU KNOW that Norse Mythology is rather peculiar in the fact that their pantheon is mortal? Indeed, the gods of the Norse were not destined to live forever, unlike their Greek and Roman counterparts. In fact, the myths we draw from several sagas make reference to a war at the beginning of time between the Aesir – or gods- and the Vanir, an advanced race equally powerful to the Aesir. The war between the Aesir and Vanir was terribly bloody, and the fighting ended in a stalemate. Both sides recognized the futility of their efforts and met to discuss a peaceful settlement. To ensure lasting peace, the Vanir and Aesir agreed to an exchange of prisoners: two Vanir would join the Aesir, and two Aesir would join the Vanir. Many details on how these people were chosen follow, but the important aspect of this myth to remember is that the gods were mortal and dying in battle against a foe of equal strength. This idea permeated across the Scnadinavian world, and the Vikings recognized that although powerful, their gods were not invincible. The famous Ragnarok is another example of this insofar as all the gods of the Norse pantheon die in a cataclysmic battle with the forces of Jotunheim (land of the giants) and other forces of evil only to be survived by two gods whose purpose in life will be to repopulate the Norse pantheon. Interestingly, the Vanir are not mentioned in Ragnarok, and it is thus assumed that they have no stake or interest in the troubles of the Aesir. Therefore, it was also recognized that there existed realms outside the great ash Yggdrasil (pictured above) with problems of their own. In other words, the Vikings envisioned a boundless universe centuries before anyone else.

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“Vikings” Episode 5 Honors Viking Age Women

The questions I believe will be on everyone’s mind after the last episode of the History Channel’s Vikings will surely revolve around the role of women in Viking Age Scandinavian society. What we know about women in the Viking Age comes from two sources: written sources and archeological finds. The History Channel has proposed that women actively participated in the warrior culture of the day. While this idea is rooted in some prominent theoretical historical models, there exists no concrete evidence to show that this was the case.

First, we should examine the archeological evidence for the prominence of a woman’s role in Scandinavian society. Prior to doing so, it should be stated that the Vikings had two distinct classes of people; there were those who were slaves and those who were free. This distinction plays an important part in understanding how women lived in the Viking Age. Slaves, of course, had few privileges, and so for the purposes of this analysis we shall only examine free women. Archeologically, the most intriguing find to date resides in a museum in Norway. Discovered in the early 20th century, the Osberg ship contained a wealth of physical objects which have contributed greatly to our understanding of Viking Age society. Within the ship were the remains of a prominent female figure, currently thought to perhaps even be the mother of Halfdan the Black, grandfather of the first king of Norway. With her body archeologists found a vast array of possessions, including four decapitated horses and a slave, all of which would have once belonged to the honored person in the burial*. No weapons or shields were found near the body, although a few objects resembling daggers and small axes were discovered. Nothing in the burial pointed to the woman being a warrior. This is important because from the male perspective only free men had the privilege to fight. It therefore can also be assumed that the same would have been true of women if the privilege of fighting was theirs. Yet, free women tended to choose not to. No warrior woman has ever been given the honor of a proper burial that we have found.

Written sources of course include Snorri Sturlsson, Adam of Bremmen, and Bernard the Chronicler. According to Snorri, women in Viking Age Scandinavia played tremendously important roles in society. Women in the household had defined roles in knitting and cooking, but also in managing thralls (slaves) and running the farm. If her husband left for war or raiding, the woman took the role of defender of the land and would have taken up arms to defend that land if attacked. Upon a warrior’s death, his land and belongings went to his wife who had no real obligation to remarry, and therefore could, if she so pleased, take over her late husband’s role as the head of household which ostensibly would have included fighting. If a warrior and his wife died without a male heir, the land and property passed to the eldest child regardless of gender. More interestingly, the marriage ceremonies of the Vikings set the precedent for this system. In marriage, the man and woman exchanged dowries (yes, the same as we know of today). At the conclusion of the ceremony, the woman received both dowries to protect them, and all the lands of the man passed to the defender, the wife. Free women would likely have prepared themselves to fight to defend their homes.

Women did not, however, travel on raids or fight in large scale wars that we know of for there exists no evidence, literary or archeological, to prove it; although it should be noted that we cannot disprove that women may have fought in battle with the men and therefore History Channel is not wrong to include women in the fighting (in fact, it’s awesome of them do have done so). I appreciate the History Channel’s inclusion of the fact that women held a higher place in pagan society than in Christian society. This we do know was true. Women in Christendom were considered the property of their husbands. King Ecbert made mention of this at the beginning of episode five. It has been unpopular in the past to acknowledge this historical fact simply because the Christian world has not particularly enjoyed admitting to its faults. After the christianization of Scandinavia, women lost their prominent places in society and became subservient to men. Thus, the true Viking Age had ended.

*Wondering why the ship wasn’t burned? See the article “Did the Vikings Burn Their Ships?” at cjadrien.com

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History Channel Vikings Episode 205 Prediction

While there are many things to look forward to in Vikings episode five of the second season, I most look forward to the story of Athelstan in Wessex, as well as the fate of Horik and his encampment. Athelstan will face many trials, especially considering he will be found out as a traitor to his faith. Historically, Christians were ruthless. Charlemagne, emperor of the Franks, felt a strong conviction to spread Christianity across Europe. He did so through military conquest. If enemy prisoners were taken by Charlemagne’s troops, they were forcibly baptized in the nearest river, then held underwater until they drowned. If this is any indication of the nature of the Christian church in the time period used as the setting for Vikings, then Athelstan’s suffering has barely begun. I am curious to see what the History Channel makes of this lesser known and lesser understood cultural trait of early Christianity. My prediction for Athelstan is that Ecbert will find use in him for his linguistic skills. Athelstan will be spared for his ability to translate, despite the bishop’s advice to Ecbert to have him executed.

Ragnar’s reunion with his previous wife and eldest son is following a predictable pattern of storytelling. This does not mean that it will lack excitement, but it certainly makes for easy predicting. Jarl Borg will likely receive news of Ragnar’s reinforcements and take immediate action. Rollo will slowly regain his brother’s trust. Siggy will be torn between Lagertha and Aslaug for her loyalty. Ragnar will be too focused on his revenge to deal with his lady problems, and he has his son to get to know in the mean time. Of course, these are all predictions, but I do envision a much greater role for Siggy, especially considering her involvement with Rollo who will, in my opinion, continue to rise again as a prominent character.

Rollo will be popular to audiences because he is fallible. He makes mistakes, like all of us. He is often vulnerable, like all of us. Yet, when faced with hardship, he rises to the occasion and does whatever it takes to get through, as well as earn his place back among the others, which is something we all can appreciate and admire. Thus, my final prediction is that Rollo will be the most noticeable Viking in the next episode.

We must not forget Bjorn, but his character is not yet well developed. Bjorn’s rise to stardom will have to wait a few episodes. However, we can look forward to more of Bjorn and to learn more about him in the next episode.

I will see you all TONIGHT night at 10/9 Central. only on History Channel!

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Did the Vikings Really Burn Ships During a Funeral?

While a burning ship certainly has a flare for the dramatic, the actual practice of ship burning may have never existed. Most of what we know about the funeral practices of the Vikings comes from archeological digs: thus a burning ship in open water is a rather improbable piece of evidence to be found. Concerning the true and well understood funeral practices of the Norse, we do know that they often buried ships. Archeologists have removed from the ground several fine specimens including the Gokstad and Osberg ships (the most famous of them all). Where then did the idea of ship burning originate?

First we must look at the evidence we have to examine. None of the Christian Chroniclers have ever mentioned burning ships, nor did they spend any measurable time examining the funeral practices of their heathen counterparts. Luckily, Christian Chroniclers are not the only written sources on Norse culture. Ibn Fadlan, an arabic chronicler of the 9th century, travelled north through modern Turkey and into the lands known as the Land of the Hazaars (distant relatives of the huns). There he encountered a different culture he had not anticipated to find. Through trade and the facile accessibility provided by the designs of their ships, Swedish Vikings known as the Rus had navigated across Eastern Europe as far as the Black Sea. Ibn Fadlan spent a reasonable amount of time living among the Rus and wrote meticulous notes on their cultural practices. In these notes, Ibn Fadlan wrote of the burning of ships during the funeral of a king. It is from his accounts that historians decided that this must have been a common practice among all Vikings. Unfortunately, there are too many questions left unanswered such as: why is this the only account? Why are all the other burials in Scandinavia of buried ships? Could the Rus have improvised the burning ship for lack of access to their normal practices? Burning a ship leaves no evidence behind, and thus it cannot be disproven just as it cannot be definitively proven. Perhaps evidence will come to light in the near future; perhaps it will be found by you.

Study History.

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History Channel’s Vikings Episode Four Rich With History

Episode four of History Channel’s Vikings promised to deliver story-wise, but it also delivered history-wise. While every viewer can enjoy the emersion into 9th century Europe, the trained eye has many details to appreciate, and it takes multiple viewings to catch them all. Due to the wealth of historically accurate details, the show keeps seasoned scholars hooked — watching closely for specific elements they have only read about brought to life. For those viewers who wish to explore the historical Vikings after the show, the following list of details worth exploring should help kick start your research and understanding of the show’s elements in which the producers of Vikings put a tremendous amount of research and effort to recreate.

First, the apparent dismay of Aslaug to stay in a “filthy” farmstead may appear out of place, but the Scandinavians of the 9th century were in reality cleaner than their European neighbors. Almost all sources indicate that the Vikings were among the cleanliest of all Europeans during the Early Middle Ages. In the summer, bathing could be preformed in lakes or streams, or within the bath-houses found on every large farm (these would be much like the Finnish sauna, though tub bathing was also used), while in winter the heated bath-house would be the primary location for bathing. In Iceland where natural hot springs are common, the heated water was incorporated into the bath-house. It wasn’t until the spread of Christianity that the Scandinavians abandoned their extensive grooming practices. Christians thought regular bathing to be odd, and that self-grooming was a sign of vanity. Thus, Aslaug had every reason to feel uneasy about a lack of cleanliness.

The mystical shaman who prophesied Jarl Borg’s eagle is, however, out of place (but do not worry, he is actually a strikingly good detail). Men were recruited either as slaves or free warriors. Foresight and magic were seen as the domain of women. Women, it was believed, had an innate capacity to do magic. While ceremonies regarding religious observance in pagan Scandinavia were the duty of the Jarl, king, or head man, other observances fell upon the rare but important Angel of Death. These were women devoted to the dark arts of magic and who communed directly with the gods. Even more rarely, men took up the dark arts; these men, however, had to be out of place in society. Vikings had little tolerance for birth defects and disposed of the children with any physical deformities. Every so often, one of these children might have been spared, and the deformities seen as a sign or act from the gods. Therefore, the shaman in Vikings is a wonderful addition to the historical perspective insofar as his physical deformities would have set him apart and sent him on a path where he would have taken up the dark arts as a man and earned a respected place in the community.

Ecbert in the show, or more commonly known in history as Egbert, displays character traits close to his true historical counterpart. Egbert had ambitions to conquer the whole of England. In fact, during his conquests he managed to earn the title of High King of Britain for a short time until his rivals the Mercians successfully undermined his authority. He was an ambitious man, and a skilled tactician. What is impressive is that he was real, and the series is doing a wonderful job of bringing him to life. Not only is the character rich with personality and interesting, but the palace he lives in is true to history. Egbert lives in an old roman villa — slightly rebuilt but generally worn by time. The archways are low, the windows are small (Roman walls could not support large windows), and the vestiges of a lost time remain. While most viewers may not consider the bath to be an important detail it, in fact, is. Today tourists in England can visit the still standing Roman baths in the town of Bath (the ‘a’ is pronounced as an ‘aw’). It is no surprise that these baths would have been used by the Saxons. In fact, there is evidence that the Moors continued to use the Roman bathhouses left in Spain; therefore it is accurate and important to see Egbert making full use of those facilities.

Rollo, Ragnar’s brother, alluded to the political organization of the Scandinavian countryside upon his return to the farmstead where Ragnar’s family had fled. He mentioned nearby farms with available warriors who agreed to fight with him. This detail truly impressed me. Scandinavia in the early 9th century had just emerged from the Scandinavian Iron Age. Society was scattered into pockets where farming and hunting were most abundant. In these pockets the people built farms, but free men were still expected to fight. In the time period of the show Vikings’s setting, most people would have lived on isolated farms controlled by a ‘head man’, jarl, or even a king. Farms would ally, forming loose confederations. In the early 9th century, these confederations became known as petty kingdoms, all of whom were locked in intermittent warfare. This lack of cohesiveness is what caused the Vikings to raid early on rather than conquer other areas in the first half of the 9th century. It was not until more astute warlords in the 840’s and 850’s emerged to unify the smaller kingdoms under one ruler that larger armies and invasion forces began to grab land all over Europe. Rollo’s visit to individual farms in the show is evidence that the show’s creators were mindful of this early political organization.

Lastly, the detail that continues to impress is Ragnar’s innate curiosity. He explored Ecbert’s palace, asked questions, and even admitted to the king of Wessex that he is a curious man. This is consistent with the idea that the Scandinavians valued learning as reflected in their mythology by Odin. Ragnar expressed interest in the farming practices of the area and wished to visit and explore. Archeological finds have shown that during the Viking Age, Scandinavian farms experienced a sudden, rapid increase in technology.

If you have not seen the show, look for it on History Channel’s website. It is worth every minute. If you are an avid viewer, hopefully the above information will give you greater insight into the historical side of the show, and thus a deeper appreciation for the work the creators of Vikings have done. As a fan of the historical Vikings, and a fan of the show, I look forward to next week’s episode with the impatience of Thor.

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Where Does the Word “Viking” Come From?

The word “Viking” was introduced into Modern English during the 18th century at which point it acquired a romanticized significance. Most notable in the exaggeration of the Viking myth was Richard Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries”, a 19th century play devoted to the ideal of the honorable barbarian. It is this same mise-en-scène that saw the creation of the Viking horns: they were a wardrobe prop, nothing more (and certainly not historically accurate). Etymologists frequently trace the word “Viking” to medieval writers referring to “one who set about to raid and pillage”. The word ” Viking” in the sense in which it is commonly used is derived from the Old Norse, “víkingr”, signifying a sea-rover or pirate. But we must not forget that Scandinavians were not all savage pillagers and rapists. They had a thriving society in the north, which was created out of scarcity. We tend to remember the bad apples of history, but in reality the Scandinavians of the latter portion of the first millenia were no more savage or violent than their germanic cousins in the south and west (Saxons, Angles, Franks, Burgundians, etc…).

Émission “Vikings” de History Channel Fait Succès Chez les Audiences Américaines; et c’est bon pour l’Europe.

Nous connaissons bien en France l’histoire des invasions Normandes sur les côtes Françaises au début du Moyen Age. Mais aux États-Unis, les Vikings sont très peu connus car rien de substantif n’existe dans les curriculums des écoles pour enseigner les faits historiques qui émergent de cette période importante de l’histoire de l’Europe. Pour envisager ce déficit académique, il suffi regarder les statistiques publié par le Pew Research Center: trois quarts des élèves Américains ne peuvent trouver la France sur une carte! Ce fait est une travestie pour les écoles Américaines, mais pas surprenant.

Curieusement, il existe une chaine télévisée avec comme concentration l’histoire. Cette chaine nommé “History Channel” tente à éduquer le publique adulte, mais est en déclin d’audience depuis quelques temps. L’année dernière, en revanche, la chaine a diffusé une nouvelle série qui, au temps, reçu de grandes critiques de ses audiences dédiés à la chaine. La série intégra de la fiction historique pour attirer un plus grand publique. Orienté sur les Vikings, aujourd’hui l’émission attire l’une des plus grandes audiences des émissions Américaines, et aussi du monde anglophone.

Le résultat de cet expérimentation est que le publique Américain s’intéresse pour la première foi aux Vikings, et plus généralement à l’histoire hors des États-Unis. En évidence nous avons une multitude de publications a travers les réseaux sociaux dédiés a l’émission “Vikings” qui jadis n’avait aucun intérêt pour le sujet. Je suis fier e cette petite chaine télévisée car elle sont plus grand succès réside dans sa capacité d’intéresser les jeunes et les adultes à l’histoire. Chaque jour je suis inondé avec des questions historiques qui, il y a moins d’un an, n’aurait jamais fait surface sur mon blog. L’éducation parvenant de l’émission est non seulement bonne pour les Américains, mais aussi pour l’Europe, car l’Amérique est toujours le pays qui envoi le plus de touristes au monde. Si vous avez la chance, regardez “Vikings”, disponible sur internet, et bientôt (j’espère) en VF en France.