Some believe that the Varangians are just Russian designation Vikings. In fact, there are many significant differences between the Varangians and the Vikings.

Origin of names

The concepts of “Viking” and “Varangian” have completely different origins. Most historians believe that "Viking" originates from the word "vík", which is translated from Old Norse as "cove" or "fjord". However, there are other versions. Thus, Doctor of Historical Sciences T. Jackson claims that the name “Viking” comes from the Latin “vicus” - a small settlement of artisans and traders. This word was used back in the Roman Empire. Such settlements were often located on the territory of military camps. The Swedish scientist F. Askerberg stated that the basis for the noun “Viking” was the verb “vikja” - to leave, turn. According to his hypothesis, the Vikings are people who left their native places in order to earn a living. Askerberg’s fellow countryman, researcher B. Daggfeldt, suggested that the word “Viking” has much in common with the Old Scandinavian phrase “vika sjóvar,” which meant “the interval between the changes of oarsmen.” Therefore, in the original version, the term “víking” most likely referred to long journeys across the sea, involving frequent changes of rowers.

The version about the origin of the term “Varangian” was one of the first to be expressed by Sigismund von Herberstein, the Austrian ambassador, historian and writer. He suggested that the name “Varangians” is associated with the city of Vagria, where the Vandals lived. The expression “Varyags” came from the name of the inhabitants of this city “Vagrs”. Much later, the Russian historian S. Gedeonov considered that the word “warang”, meaning sword and discovered by him in Pototsky’s Baltic-Slavic dictionary, is perfectly suited to the role of the primary source of the term. Many historians associate “Varangian” with the ancient Germanic “wara” - oath, vow, oath. And the linguist M. Vasmer considered the Scandinavian concept “váringr” - loyalty, responsibility - to be the progenitor of the “Varangian”.

Miscellaneous activities

The concepts of “Viking” and “Norman”, according to historians, should not be identified, since the Normans are a nationality, while the Vikings are rather just a way of life. In particular, Irish researchers F. Byrne and T. Powell speak about this. Byrne, in his book A New Look at the History of Viking Age Ireland, argues that the only term that can be equated with the term “Viking” is the term “pirate”. Because robberies were the main source of income for the Vikings. The Vikings were not sedentary and did not follow laws.

The Varangians were a unique social layer of society. These were warriors for hire who guarded the borders of Byzantium from the attacks of the same Vikings. The eldest daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, Anna, wrote about the Varangians in her work entitled “Alexiad”. The princess argued that the Varangians understood their service in protecting the state and its head as an honorable duty transmitted by inheritance.

Also called Varangians were peaceful merchants who transported goods along the route called at that time “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” This route ran through water from the Baltic Sea to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Moreover, the Baltic Sea then had a different name - the Varyazh Sea. And, according to the Soviet historian A. Kuzmin, absolutely all inhabitants of the sea coast were previously called Varangians.

Different religions

The Vikings, who no doubt considered themselves warriors, but not pirates, worshiped the god Odin, like all Scandinavians. Odin's eternal companions were ravens - birds that were not favored in Rus' because of their tendency to eat carrion. In addition, since ancient times, Russians considered ravens to be symbols of all kinds of dark forces. But it was the raven that was depicted on the flag that adorned the ship of the famous Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok.

The sacred bird for the Varangians was the falcon, which honestly hunted for live prey. The falcon was the bird of Perun himself - the pagan Slavic god, in whom the Varangians believed. Since ancient times, the falcon has been revered as an image of courage, dignity and honor.

Normans

Fierce people from the sea

In the 10th century, the Frankish empire, created Charlemagne , one of the wisest rulers of medieval Europe. In his will, he divided a huge unified state between his sons. But there was no agreement among them. Bloody internecine wars began between Charles's descendants for possession of the throne.
The northern peoples hastened to take advantage of the weakness of European rulers. They invaded German and Frankish lands, captured cities, and plundered peasant villages. More successful than others in robbery Normans who lived on the Scandinavian Peninsula and Denmark. Their history goes back to ancient times. Together with other barbarian tribes, they devastated the lands of the Roman Empire and its African colonies.

The harsh nature of the north strengthened the character of the Normans, turning them into tireless workers and at the same time into merciless warriors. They were called differently. In England they were known as Askemans (that is, people sailing on boats made of ash). IN Byzantine Empire and in Rus' they were called Varangians . The Spaniards, who more than once experienced the full power of these peoples, came up with the nickname “Madhus” - pagan monsters. The name "Normans" (northern people) was coined by the Franks.

Now we often call the Normans Vikings . What does this word mean? The Swedish scientist F. Askeberg was one of the first to try to decipher it. It turned out that The Normans called the sea voyage "Viking". The purpose of such a voyage was to rob coastal cities. The warriors returned home rich, and on the shore they were greeted as heroes. Over time, fortune hunters were also called Vikings.
The dense forests that covered the Scandinavian Peninsula were a home for the Normans. But they also felt great in the sea. The Normans set off on sharp-nosed ships from narrow winding bays - fjords V southern countries, where rich booty awaited them.

Poet of the Franks Helmold Nigel described the Normans this way: “The peoples of the north are alive, agile and brave to the point of excess, their glory has penetrated even to the most distant countries. Living near the sea, they look for food on fragile ships.”
The Vikings went on campaigns in the spring or summer, as soon as the ice melted from the fjords. Ancient sagas say that “in winter they lived at home with their fathers,” doing housework and making new plans.

All European states were afraid of the Vikings, and many new kingdoms were founded by the Normans themselves. The rulers of Europe were glad to invite into their service brave and merciless warriors, which the Vikings were considered to be. The Normans are accustomed to relying only on themselves, and even at random. Even the royal crowns that were offered to them in exchange for peace were often rejected.

The Normans believed in omnipotent gods who personified various forces of nature. But their supreme deity was Odin. According to historians, Odin (or Wodan) really existed and was a Scythian by origin. One day, together with part of his people, he left the country of Asgard and went north through Sarmatia, along the way he united with the Germanic tribes and conquered Scandinavia. Subsequently, the Normans deified their first leader.

According to their beliefs, Odin patronized brave warriors. Behind the heroes who died on the battlefield were his messengers, who escorted the souls of those killed to the wonderful heavenly land of Volhall. There, the brave enjoyed the afterlife. The Valkyrie maidens served them and placated them with sweet wine, which was served in the skulls of defeated enemies. The fate of the cowardly and cowardly was different. After death they went to the kingdom of Nastrud, where in the Palace of Yearning, at the table of Hunger, they were met by the goddess Gela.
Odin's entourage consisted of twelve gods and goddesses, among whom was Thor, the son of Odin. He did not part with a huge hammer, swinging which caused thunder and lightning. Thor protected the possessions of the Scandinavian gods from evil giants and monsters.
Niord was a sea god. When he was angry, he sent storms to the sailors, and when he was kind, he gave the fishermen a good catch. The sea goddess Ran carried the dead Normans to Volhall. She had nine daughters - waves - Apparently, that’s why sailors call the biggest wave the ninth wave.

The Normans revered their gods and brought them rich gifts. Once every nine years, a sacrificial bonfire was held on the island of Zealand, in the fire of which people and animals died. Such cruelty in those days could be explained simply - the gods wished it so.
They were afraid of the Normans. And there was a reason for it. Not a single army could resist their desperate pressure. The basis of the Vikings' victories was their clear discipline. Ordinary warriors - campers- completely obeyed their superiors. They even had a kind of honor codec. During the battle, they did not have the right to flee or end the battle of their own free will. If the Viking was wounded, he still had to fight.

The most courageous fighters became berserkers - this word translated from Old Norse means “bearskin.” Enemies considered berserkers werewolves. In the heat of battle, they took off their outer clothing and fell into a state of rage. Roaring, they pounced on the enemy and only death could stop them.
The Normans grew bread, but the northern land did not bear fruit well, and there was not enough food for everyone. At one time in Scandinavia there was even a law according to which it was necessary to kill frail old people and children born with abnormalities. Then morals softened, and it was decided by lot to choose people who were destined to leave their homeland and wander in search of a better land.

Perhaps that is why the Vikings, who were forced to plow the cold waters of the northern seas at a young age, did not experience fear of the ocean. It became a second home for them. While the southern peoples - the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans - sailed their ships only along the coast, the Vikings dared to sail far into the open sea.

In 870 the Normans discovered an island which they called Iceland ("ice country")." The first Vikings who set foot on the unknown land were surprised to find that it was already populated by people from Ireland who preached Christian faith. A long and bloody struggle for possession of the island began, in which the Normans gained the upper hand.

And there have been absolutely amazing cases. Danish King Halfdan gave the throne to his brother Harald, and he himself boarded a ship and went to sea to pirate. The Norwegian king Kohl, instead of his usual pastime - hunting and feasting, was engaged in sea robbery in his spare time, but Prince Olav from the same Norway was sent to the ocean by his parents so that their son could eliminate competitors to the royal throne.

In the 1st twentieth centuries, the Vikings visited all corners of Europe and even islands of Greenland and Newfoundland. They also reached unusually warm seas for them - the Mediterranean and Black.

The devastating campaigns of the Normans European countries originate in the 8th century. In 753, a Viking flotilla appeared off Ireland. All coastal villages were plundered. The most enterprising Norman kings (leaders) were already looking south. But there was a fierce struggle between the Christian and Muslim worlds - the Arabs invaded Spain.
Later, the empire of Charlemagne arose in the vastness of the European plains. King Gottfried united Sweden, Denmark and Norway into one Norman Kingdom. To protect his lands from the invasion of the Franks, he ordered to build in the south Jutland peninsula a huge earthen rampart 3 meters high and 20 meters wide.
In 810, Godfrey died without being able to complete the unification of the Norman lands. Many kings decided to try their luck alone, organizing bandit raids on the cities of Europe. Along the rivers they even reached the lands of the Gauls.

Traveling from one country to another has become a dangerous undertaking. Christian Germany sent missionaries to pagan Denmark only after securing their own consent. In 831 the Normans captured Bishop Rangstar, and the poor fellow had to return home without property, clothes and horses. A year later they killed Presbyter Ragembert, which was heading to the city of Schleswig.

This is interesting!

The Normans were not afraid of the sea. They attacked not only the merchant ships of other states, but also the ships of their fellow Vikings. The stronger one won the battle. Therefore, the Normans did not dare to go to sea alone; usually they were flotillas consisting of several ships.
The Viking conquests were possible because they had some of the most advanced ships of the time. In fact, they resembled modern boats, only large sizes. They had no decks, and the hull was strengthened by transverse bulkheads - frames. The Vikings decorated the bows of their ships with fierce dragons (then the ship was called a longship) or the heads of snakes (augers).

Vikings in the Mediterranean

At the beginning of 857, 62 Norman drakara for the first time passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and launched a devastating raid across the Mediterranean, reaching all the way to Constantinople. But this time they did not plunder the city and turned back. On the way home, the Vikings thoroughly cleaned Venice, Florence, Pisa and other Italian cities. It was rumored that the Byzantine emperor simply bought off the Vikings, sending them against his eternal enemy - Venetian Republic.

Indeed, it was at this time Venetian Doge Pietro Trandenicobegan the construction of a huge fleet for the campaign against Constantinople. The sudden appearance of the Vikings upset all his plans.
After Pisa and Florence, the Normans turned their ships, crowned with terrible dragon heads, towards the small city of Lucca, which was located in mouth of the Magra River. The city already knew about the approach of the formidable Normans. Everyone who could hold a weapon in their hands lined up on the walls. But what is it? Instead of a horde of invaders, a strange procession is moving towards the gate - ahead is a tall red-haired Viking with his head uncovered, and with him only a few people.

Approaching the walls, the Normans stopped. An interpreter stepped forward and said that the leader of the detachment was Danish King Hasting- does not want to harm the townspeople. He heard that there is a bishop in the city and wants to convert to Christianity in order to repent for his sins. They believed the Vikings - the gates opened before them. Hasting was converted to Christianity in the city cathedral, after which he and his people left Lucca.

Local residents breathed a sigh of relief that the danger had passed. Night has come. The townspeople slept peacefully in their homes. Suddenly, heart-rending screams cut through the silence. The guards at the gate perked up - a large detachment of Vikings was approaching the city with torches. Four men on a stretcher carried their leader.
The Normans shouted that King Hasting ate an oyster, was poisoned and died. Before his death, he wished to be buried in the Cathedral of Lucca. The bishop could not refuse the last request of the newly converted Christian. Imagine the amazement of those gathered when, in the midst of the funeral service, Hasting jumped up from the stretcher and shouted “Beat them!” rushed into the crowd. The Vikings took out their hidden weapons and the massacre began. By dawn, Lucca was sacked and burned.

The Normans penetrated into the Mediterranean Sea not only through the Strait of Gibraltar, which they called Nervlsund - the Norwegian pass, but also through the system of European rivers - Seine, Rhone, Loire. The Vikings felt like masters of the Mediterranean Sea. King Rodgeir the Mighty, having conquered Apuleia, Calabria and many islands along the way, landed in Sicily and seized power there. The Holy Roman Emperor, in gratitude for helping the Crusaders, crowned him in 1130 as the first king of Sicily and Apuleia under the name Roger II. This state lasted until 1302.
However, for some reason the Normans did not like the warm waters of the Mediterranean; they came here less and less. Perhaps the failure of the 860 campaign remained in their memory. That summer, a fleet of Norman ships descended the Dnieper and besieged Constantinople. Along with the Vikings, the Dnieper tribes took part in the attack. Despite the fact that the Byzantine Emperor Michael III was not in the city, the army of the Eastern Roman Empire easily dealt with the uninvited guests.

This is interesting!

The Vikings built longships from strong wood: linden, ash or oak. These ships sailed with oars, but often had a mast with a sail. The Normans had achieved a lot in the art of navigation - they could already maneuver, catching the right wind, and even walk against the wind.
The size of the ships ranged from very small to huge - 40-60 meters. In the heroic sagas nothing is said about this, only the number of benches for rowers is indicated. King Hakon the Good made a ship with 20 benches the norm. IN "Sage of Sverrir" It also talks about large ships - with 30 benches. There were supposedly 60 benches on the ship of Knut the Mighty.
One person operated the oar, but when the ship needed to increase speed, for example, in the event of a chase, two or four Vikings sat at the oar. The Normans did not single out rowers - during the battle, the rowers became warriors.

The exploits of Harald the Severe

In 1028, the Danes defeated the combined Swedish and Norwegian troops. Norwegian King Olav Haraldson the Saintfled to Rus' Grand Duke of Kyiv Yaroslav the Wise who recently married the Swedish Princess Ingigerd. Olaf later tried to regain his throne, but died in battle.
His younger brother Harald the Harsh ended up in Rus'. Yaroslav liked him and was appointed governor. In 1038 Yaroslav sent him to Constantinople to the court Emperor Michael IV and Empress Zoe. In those years, the Byzantines often hired Norman warriors - the Varangians - into their squad. The Empress liked the young Viking and he was accepted into the service.

So Harald became a Byzantine military leader. In the fall, he went out to the Aegean Sea with a large flotilla to fight pirates. He was accompanied by a Byzantine Admiral Georgy Maniak.
Harald and George argued a lot. No one wanted to recognize the primacy of the other. In addition, they had completely different opinions about methods of fighting. It ended with their fleets splitting up and acting independently.
Harald the Severe went to the Land of the Saracens in search of glory , as the northern coast of Africa was then called. The Arabs did not have a strong fleet here, so the Vikings (at least, so say the Scandinavian sagas) captured and plundered 80 cities.

After this, the flotilla headed for Sicily. Here, in Strait of Messina Since ancient times, local pirates have been making their trade, who were known as desperate guys who were not afraid to engage in open battle even with a strong enemy. But, having heard about the approach of the Vikings, the Messinian gentlemen of luck considered it best to get away out to sea.
For several years, Harald reigned supreme in the Mediterranean Sea. The Vikings' next target was Palestine. All the cities on their way surrendered without a fight. Jerusalem bowed at the feet of the victors.

Returning to Constantinople, Harald learned that power in Norway had passed into the hands of his nephew. He began to beg the empress to let him go home. But Zoya insisted that she needed the Varangian here. George Maniak reported to the new emperor Michael V Calafat that the Varangian Harald deceitfully appropriated all the loot for himself, and now walks around the capital and boasts of his “exploits.”
The denunciation did its job - Mikhail ordered the Norman to be thrown into prison. Harald and his two warriors were placed in a stone well. The Vikings were rained on and tormented by hunger, they lost hope of salvation.

Fortunately, one of the Varangians had a bride - a court lady. Having learned that her lover was in prison, she made her way to the tower at night and lowered the rope down. Harald ordered the squad to prepare for an urgent departure, and he rushed to the palace. Having deceived the guards, Harald entered Michael's chambers. Quickly running to the bed, the Viking gouged out the emperor's eyes.
-It would be too easy to kill you! - said Harald.
When he joined his squad, they were already being chased. The Viking ships were guarded, so the Normans captured two Byzantine galleys.

The ships approached Golden Horn Bay, near the exit to the Black Sea. But a massive iron chain appeared in front of them. One end of it was firmly fixed to the Galata Tower, the other was attached to a winch on the opposite bank of the Bosphorus. Wooden floats held the chain on the surface.
The decision was made instantly. Harald ordered everyone to move to the stern. Nose
the galleys rose up. The ship drove onto the chain, and the Vikings quickly ran to the bow of the ship. Harald's galley tipped over and slid into the water. But the second ship got stuck and broke in half. People ended up at sea, some were rescued, others drowned.

Harald the Severe reached the Slavic settlements on the Dnieper. Rusichi helped him swim to Novgorod, where he was at that time Yaroslav . The Slavic prince sheltered his favorite Varangian and married him to his daughter Elizabeth.
Harald spent the winter in Novgorod, and then went through Ladoga to Sweden and Norway. There, in 1048, he founded the city of Oslo. Harald the Severe died on September 26, 1066 in Britain, in the battle of Stamford Bridge, in the fight for the English crown.

This is interesting!

The Norman lands were divided into counties. By order of the king, each county had to field a certain number of the best warriors and ships. If this could not be done, the county could pay off by paying money.
As soon as the Normans noticed an unfamiliar ship, the sails on the longships were immediately removed, and the decks were covered with gray skins, matching the color of the sea.
Shields were hung on the sides of the ship, which hindered the enemy during boarding. Before the battle, the ships lined up in one line and were tightly tied with ropes, just as they did in Ancient Greece. This “link” helped not to disturb the formation during waves and wind.
As soon as the ships approached, they threw grappling hooks, first of all trying to knock off the dragon's head on the nose. The archers showered the enemy ship with a hail of arrows. Then hand-to-hand combat ensued. This is how the story goes "Sverrir's Saga" about such a fight: “The battle took place on the bows of the ships, and only those who stood there could cut with swords, while those who were behind them in the middle part of the ship fought with spears. Those standing even further away were throwing darts and spears. Others threw stones and harpoons, and those standing behind the mast fired arrows.”

Keys to the Gates of Paris

The Vikings first began to disturb the Frankish empire during the lifetime of Charlemagne. The Normans carried out lightning-fast predatory raids on Frankish garrisons in Friesland. They burned local villages, looted churches, imposed heavy tribute on the population and quickly disappeared.
Charlemagne's heirs divided the Frankish empire. Louis I the Piousruled Western France Charles - Eastern France, and Lothair - Northern Italy. There was no agreement between the brothers; on the contrary, they were at enmity with each other. Deacon Flor of Lyon wrote "Complaint about the division of the empire". He wrote bitterly: “The Frankish nation shone in the eyes of the whole world. But now, having fallen into decline, this great power immediately lost both its splendor and the name of the empire; instead of the sovereign there are small rulers, instead of the state - just one piece. The common good has ceased to exist, everyone is busy with their own interests: they think about anything, they have forgotten only God.”

The internecine struggle between the sons of Charlemagne served as a signal for the Norman invasion of the French state.
In 841, the Vikings climbed up the Seine all the way to Paris. Two years later they captured and burned the trading city of Nantes. Passing south, they captured the islet of Noirmoutier at the mouth of the Laura, which was an important stronghold. From here it was possible to launch raids on both France and Spain. In the summer of the following year, the Normans made a victorious campaign against Spain. Taking A Coruña along the way, the Vikings reached the coast of Africa and plundered Nokour town near Tangier. Soon it fell Seville is the capital of the Spanish province of Andalusia. Concerned Sultan of the Spanish Caliphate Abdar Rahman II immediately began peace negotiations with the Norman kings.

In April 858, the Normans captured Abbot Louis, grandson of Charlemagne. To redeem him, the French had to collect a huge ransom: 688 pounds in gold and 3,250 pounds in silver.
In 841, the Norman army led by King Osker invaded the Frankish land. They climbed up the Seine, capturing Rouen, Jumièges and Fontenelle.
I was even luckier hero of the Norse sagas Ragnar Lodbrog. In 845, his fleet of 120 ships approached the walls of Paris. Seeing the warlike Normans, the townspeople hastened to take refuge in the surrounding forests and swamps. King Charles the Bald was at that time in Saint-Denis with a small army. He did not dare to oppose the Vikings, and they plundered the city for several days. The treasuries of the monasteries of Saint Genevieve and Saint-Germain-des-Prés were devastated, Clovis tomb.

Frightened, Charles the Bald offered the Vikings 7,000 silver livres as ransom. The leaders of the Norman army graciously accepted this gift, especially since a pestilence began among the Vikings.
Charles received the Normans in Saint-Denis. The kings swore to the king that they would never again harm him or his land, and went home. But they quickly forgot about the oath and along the way they robbed and burned cities and villages.

Arriving at the court Danish King Gorrick, Ragnar Lodbrog began to boast of his booty. He reported that he had subjugated the state of the Franks to his power. Ragnar's stories inspired young Vikings who were eager to go to foreign lands to try their luck and return in a halo of glory.

In France, they tried to protect themselves from attacks by the Normans: they erected defensive structures, fortified monasteries, and built low bridges across rivers so as not to
let the Viking ships pass. But the economic situation of the French was very difficult. There was a crop failure in the country, and mass famine began.
Later the pirates made their base Oassel island on the Seine, from where they raided Paris and other French cities. Charles the Bald tried to call upon the Danish Normans to fight the pirates, promising to pay them 3,000 livres for the service. But, as it turned out, it was impossible to collect the required amount, even if all the monasteries and abbeys were levied. The Normans were tired of waiting for the king to pay them money, and in 861 they set out on a new campaign against French lands. Here they met Oassel pirates who had just sacked Paris. The leaders of both groups agreed to divide the spoils as winter was approaching.

Meanwhile, Charles paid the promised amount to the Normans. His army cut off the pirates' path to return to base. Negotiations began, the pirates returned all their loot and vowed to leave the country. One of their leaders, Weland, decided to convert to Christianity. This was quite in the spirit of the times - the Normans very often accepted the new faith and with the same ease became pagans again.

1st Duke of Normandy

The most significant campaign against Paris was undertaken in the fall of 885. It was headed by a Norwegian King Rollon. He had a gigantic growth and in his homeland was nicknamed Walker, because not a single horse could bear him. In his youth, Rollo was deprived of his inheritance and condemned to constant wandering in foreign lands. He joined the pirates who set out to plunder the English coast. Alfred the Great , seeing that the young Viking was brave and courageous, made him a leader and gave him the island of Walchern as his fiefdom. His subsequent exploits included the devastation of Friesland and the Scheldt coastal plain.

Rollo appealed to the northern kings to march on Paris. The meeting of the Norman armies took place in Rouen. French King Charles the Fatwith all his desire, he could not organize a proper rebuff to the enemy - he waged wars with his vassals in Italy and Germany.

On November 25, the Normans took the castle of Pontoise and were on the outskirts of Paris. Historians claimed that the Vikings had more than 700 ships and an army of at least 30 thousand warriors. Monk Abbo of Saint-Germain Abbey wrote: “There were so many of their ships that for two miles down the river there was no water visible.”
The Normans hoped to take the Frankish capital without a fight, as had happened more than once in the past. To their amazement, the city managed to prepare for defense. The Seine was blocked by two bridges, presenting an insurmountable obstacle for Viking ships. Above each bridge, protecting it, towered high tower. The French fortified themselves on the Isle of Cité and were determined to fight to the end.

King Siegfried commanded the vanguard of the Normans. He entered into negotiations with Bishop Gozlin and demanded that the dam be removed so that Viking ships could pass up the Seine. Gozlin reasonably answered the Norman that he was called upon to defend the city by all means and could not fulfill his request.
At sunrise the assault on Paris began. Norman scouts noticed that the construction of the tower of the large bridge was not yet completed. The main blow was directed at her. The fierce battle continued for two days. The townspeople, priests and soldiers fought bravely; Bishop Gozlin was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield. Miracles of courage were demonstrated Count Ed of Paris and the bishop's nephew Abbot Eble.

The first onslaught was repulsed, the Normans retreated. They set up camp north of the city and began to make new plans. Their leaders remembered the ancient art of besieging cities. A three-story movable tower was built, but it was not possible to get closer to the walls of Paris - the defenders of the city rained down a hail of arrows on the invaders. Covering themselves with leather shields, the Normans tried to fill the ditch in front of the fortress with earth, trees, and horse corpses. To break the spirit of the defenders, the Vikings stabbed the prisoners to death in front of the defenders, and threw the corpses into the ditch.

The assault on the tower continued. Heavy battering rams hit it from three sides. Several ships were set on fire and launched onto bridges. The fortress was engulfed in flames. The fire is about to spread to the tower and bridges. Bishop Gozlin, setting an example for others, bravely rushes to put out the fire. The townspeople carry stones on the walls, which they throw at the burning ships.
The next day the tower fell. A storm that broke out at night broke the bridge, and the tower was cut off from the Ile de la Cité. For 24 hours, 12 defenders of the tower defended it against a whole horde of Vikings and surrendered only after the Normans set fire to the walls. The French were promised life, but as soon as they gave up their weapons, the Vikings killed every one of them.

The martyrdom of 12 brave men inspired the Parisians and gave them perseverance. Disagreements began among the Normans. Some of them, tired of the long siege, went to plunder nearby cities.
Seeing that the enemy's forces had diminished, the French dared to make forays. Came to the aid of the Parisians Henry the German, Duke of Saxony and France. Under cover of darkness, he attacked the Normans and, before they had time to come to their senses, caused significant devastation in the enemy camp.

The siege continued. A plague epidemic broke out. The disease spared neither the Normans nor the French. Bishop Gozlin died, and Count Ed went to Karl Tolstoy for reinforcements. Abbot Eble remained in charge of the defense. After some time, Count Ed returned, bringing the good news that the king’s army was approaching Paris. But this was just an unfulfilled rumor. The advance detachment of Henry the German was ambushed and almost all of them died; death overtook the Duke himself.

In July 886, nine months after the siege began, the Normans rushed for a decisive assault. The attack was carried out simultaneously from water and land - the city was set on fire from several sides. It seemed that now nothing could save Paris. And then, as the legends say, the flames that engulfed the main tower seemed to split in two and bent towards the ground. The amazed Normans saw a huge figure of a priest on the tower, holding a golden cross high above his head. The heavenly sign raised the spirit of the defenders, they left the city and put the Normans to flight.

In October, Karl Tolstoy approached Paris. The Normans retreated to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, fearing a battle with an enemy well trained in the art of war. However, Charles, like his predecessors on the French throne, was not distinguished by courage. He did not attack the Vikings. Moreover, the king paid them a tribute - 700 livres in silver, and allowed them to leave with impunity, giving Burgundy up for plunder.
Charles soon died, and Ed of Paris led the fight against the Normans. On June 24, 888, in the forests of Argona, he destroyed about 19 thousand Vikings. It was not easy to recover from such a defeat, but the Normans managed to rally the remnants of the defeated army. That summer they razed Tours and Verdun to the ground and again reached Paris. Not daring to attack the fortress, they moved their ships upstream and approached the castle of Saint-Lo. Garrison under command Bishop of Katunsky repelled several assaults, but the Normans opened the gates by deception and killed all the defenders of the castle.

This was the last major Viking success in France. Returning to their homeland, they met Ed's army and were again defeated. Chronicles report that out of a detachment of 15 thousand people, no more than 400 returned to the ships.
A struggle for the throne began in Scandinavia, ending with King Harold Harfager brought all Norman lands under his rule. Not wanting to recognize him as their master, the Vikings boarded ships and set off along the already familiar route to the shores of France.

The Archbishop of Rouen, seeing that the Norman flotilla was again approaching his city, did not even try to defend the fortress. He went to the Viking leader Rollon Walker and invited him to accept the keys to the city. Rollo agreed to become the ruler of these lands, and Rouen became the center of the new Viking state. Subsequently, this area received the name Normandy. Many of the peoples of the north who were sent into exile and left their homeland found shelter and refuge here.

In 911, Rollon's authority over this part of France was recognized King Charles III Rustic. In Saint-Clair on the Epte River, Rollon swore allegiance to the French king. During the solemn ceremony, the proud Norman refused to kneel before Charles and kiss his foot. Rollon did it simpler - he lifted the king's leg and brought it closer to his face. But he did it so awkwardly that the king fell.

Charles allowed Rollo to conquer Brittany, especially since this province was not subject to the French king. To become related to the stern Viking, he married his daughter Gisella to Rollo.
Rollo became the first Duke of Normandy. His soldiers received land plots and started their own farms. Many of them converted to Christianity, but some of the former Vikings remained faithful to Odin. In a short time, Normandy became one of the richest provinces in France.

“God, deliver us from the fury of the Normans!”

Roman rule in England lasted for four hundred years. Order in this remote province was maintained by force of arms. To protect against attacks from the northern tribes, two huge walls were erected, blocking off the whole of England - from sea to sea.
In 410, the Romans were forced to return to Rome, which was languishing under the pressure of the barbarians. The Bretons restored the power of the previous leaders, but there was no agreement between the lowland tribes. Cumbrians and LogriansThey constantly quarreled, and hordes of Scottish Highlanders took advantage of this. They demolished Roman fortifications and fell on London, built by the Romans. The Normans threatened England from the sea. The Bretons called for help Saxons . For several centuries, the islanders quite successfully fought off attacks from outside.

In 787, three unknown ships landed on the east coast of England. The local ruler and his guards went to them to find out who had granted his lands and why. The aliens waited until the British came closer, attacked them and killed them all. Then they robbed the surrounding villages, after which they boarded their ships and left. This is how the first appearance of the Danish Normans in the British Isles is described.
On June 8, 793, the Vikings landed on the island of Lindisfarne off the northeast coast of England. They plundered and burned St. Cuthbert's monastery. The destruction of the monastery caused a real shock not only to the British, but also to neighboring peoples. Charlemagne's court scholar Alcuin even wrote an elegy "On the destruction of the monastery of Lindisfarne."

In 795, the Normans devastated the Isle of Wight off the south coast of Britain and then attacked an Irish monastery on the island of Iona. The monks put up desperate resistance to the newcomers from across the sea, and the Vikings left, slurping unsalted. Master impregnable monastery they succeeded only seven years later.
At the end of the 8th century the Normans captured Faroe, Shetland, Orkney and Hebrides Islandsoff the north coast of England. They expelled the Celts who lived there and turned these islands into a base for predatory raids on Britain.
In 827 King Ecgbert of Wessexunited several English and Saxon kingdoms into one Anglo-Saxon state.

In 839, the Norwegian leader Turgeis, at the head of a large detachment, landed on the coast of Northern Ireland. Behind a short time he subjugated a large part of the island. Turgeis took advantage of the fact that there was no unity among the local leaders, and proclaimed himself the supreme ruler of the Irish. Local residents did not want to submit to the authority of the newly-minted leader. The Normans brutally dealt with the disobedient. Christian churches were plundered and set on fire.

The Irish entered into an alliance with the Danes against the Norwegians. Before the decisive battle, the Danes promised to donate part of the booty Saint Patrick - patron saint of Ireland. More than 7 thousand Normans died in the battle, among whom were many representatives of noble families. The Danes gave St. Patrick's Church a large goblet filled to the brim with gold and silver.

The revenge of the Norwegians was not long in coming. Olaf the White approached the shores of Ireland with a large detachment. They captured Dublin with a decisive assault. The Danes were expelled from the island, and the Irish were subject to heavy tribute. The Vikings, feeling like absolute masters, robbed the population and took men, women and children captive. The Irish continued to resist the invaders, and not without success. In 901 they even managed to liberate Dublin. However, the Normans retained power over individual Irish provinces for more than two centuries.

In 836, the Vikings sacked London, and in 851-852 they repeated their campaign, arriving at the mouth of the Thames with 350 ships. Raids on the English coast turned into unique sea voyages for the Vikings. They encountered almost no resistance from the British. From that time on, a prayer became obligatory in English churches, in which people asked God to deliver them from the raids of the cruel Normans: “God, deliver us from the fury of the Normans!”

From 835 to 865, Norman troops landed annually on the southern and eastern coasts of England. As a rule, the Vikings began their campaigns in early spring, spent the summer on the occupied lands, and sailed home with the onset of autumn. But starting in 851, they began to winter in England. Every year the Normans moved further into the depths of British possessions. They were opposed only by scattered forces of the Anglo-Saxons. True, sometimes luck smiled on the British too. One day they defeated a detachment of one of the most famous Vikings Ragnar Lodbrog, and Ragnar himself was captured and thrown into a well with poisonous snakes.

In 865 Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan, sons of Ragnar Lodbrog, at the head of a large army, arrived in England to avenge their father. The conquerors ravaged the interior of the country, and in 866 captured York. East Anglia came under Scandinavian rule. By 874 the Danes controlled almost all of England. The Anglo-Saxon leader Elfred fled to the forests in the west of England, he lived in a fisherman's house and baked his own bread. His former associates fled from the island to Iceland and Gaul.
Over time, Elfred managed to rally the Saxons around him, who hated the invaders and with all their hearts wanted liberation native land. Legend has it that Elfred, disguised as a musician, entered the Norman camp and found out all the information he needed there.

For three days and three nights, Englishmen from all over the country flocked to Elfred, and then his army attacked the Norman camp. The battle was long and bloody and ended in victory for the British. Peace in Britain lasted until 893. But new forces of the Normans landed on the island. They were led by Hasting. The British were ready to fight - even the brave Vikings were amazed at their courage and stamina.

In Europe, the leader of the Anglo-Saxons was nicknamed Alfred the Great. Indeed, he did a lot for the organization of his state. Under him, the Danish Normans, who moved to Britain, and the Anglo-Saxons stopped fighting and began to live in peace. London has become one of the largest European cities, many ships, both military and commercial, were crowded into its port.

Alfred the Great divided England into shires and counties. He expanded trade with other countries. On his orders, a naval expedition was organized, which was supposed to find a northern route to India - around Europe and Asia.
The new sovereign, as chroniclers of subsequent centuries noted, was truly ahead of his time. He founded Oxford University. Caravans loaded with books arrived from Rome to London. Alfred the Great knew Latin, and in his free moments he wrote poetry.

This is interesting!

After Alfred the Great's death in 901, his son Edward succeeded to the throne. In 905-924, the English army inflicted several defeats on the Danish Norman troops. Alfred's grandson Edelstein completed the liberation of England from the Vikings. The mountain peoples living in the north of Britain also suffered from it. As had happened before, the highlanders called on the Normans for help. In 934, the main battle of the Anglo-Saxon and Norman armies took place on the Gumbra River. The British victory was unconditional. The bards wrote heroic poems about that battle. “There has never been greater carnage and murder on this island; never have more people perished by the blade of the sword since the day when the Saxons and the Angles came from the east on the waves of the ocean, and these noble workers of war entered Britain to settle as rulers on the soil dug up by the sword!

Conquest of England

The Danes who settled on British soil gradually adopted the habits and traditions of the indigenous people. They were engaged in agriculture, many converted to Christianity and lived according to the laws established by Alfred the Great. But in their souls they hoped that sooner or later mighty warriors would arrive from their homeland who would again conquer this land for them.

In 988, their dreams came true: 7 Norman robber ships landed a huge number of Vikings on the English shores, hungry for wealth and profit. King Aethelred was unable to defend London. He was not distinguished by courage and was popularly nicknamed Indecisive . Ethelred decided to pay off the robbers. But, as it turned out, the tribute that the Anglo-Saxons promised to pay to the Normans only provoked the “people of the sea.”
In the spring of 994, London saw at its walls a huge fleet of ships with terrible dragon and snake heads on their bows. The Vikings were led Olaf of Norway and Sven of Denmark. As a medieval historian wrote, "eighty Norman ships sailed, accompanied by iron and fire, their usual companions." The robbers demanded 24 thousand livres in silver. Æthelred thought it best to pay the required amount. However, the Normans, having received the promised money, did not think of returning home. They dispersed across the English coastal counties, spreading devastation, terror and death.

The local residents, mercilessly oppressed by the Normans, could not stand it and rebelled in 1003, temporarily driving the Vikings out of England. But a year later the Normans came to Britain with an even larger army. Huge ship Viking leader Sven of Denmark was called "Big Dragon"- its nose resembled a monster’s head, and its stern ended in a curve that symbolized a dragon’s tail.

This raid resembled a real military operation. Having landed on the shore, the Normans lined up in battle formation and moved towards the enemy. They went to battle with a white banner, on which was drawn a raven with an open beak.
Wherever the conquering army stopped, submission was demanded from local residents. Peasants were required to prepare food for the soldiers and provide horses. When the army left the village, the Vikings killed all the men in it for fun.

King Ethelred feared the battle with the Normans. His entourage advised him to pay the Normans a new tribute. The story of the feat was passed down from mouth to mouth among the people. Elphege, Bishop of Canterbury. The Normans captured him and promised to give him 3 thousand livres if Elphege went to Ethelred to ask for peace and a ransom of 12 thousand livres. Elfej refused, answering proudly: “I am not one of those people who are ready to destroy Christians for idolaters and give you what the poor people who are under my pastoral supervision have accumulated for their maintenance.”. The Normans, enraged by the bishop's insolence, stoned Elphege to death and threw the corpse into the river.

The English were forced to submit to the rule of the Normans. In 1013, Ethelred fled to Normandy, to his wife’s brother, who had previously been a sea robber, and now ruled the entire state. Soon envoys arrived from England, asking Ethelred to return to stand up for his people.

The fight against the Normans continued. Two years later, Ethelred died, and his son Edmund became king, who, unlike his father, was a brave and skillful warrior. The young king retook London and achieved peace negotiations. It was agreed that the border of the possessions of the English and Normans would be the River Thames.

But the peace did not last long. Edmund's early death became the signal for new conquests for the Normans. Army Danish king Knut the Mighty - son of Sven- she walked through the lands of the Anglo-Saxons with fire and sword. Most rulers of the lands preferred to surrender to the mercy of the victors: this was the only way to save their lives.
The Danes behaved like masters in the conquered lands. They did not pay taxes, but, on the contrary, received from 7 to 20 marks in silver from the tax levied by their master. A Dane could come to the house of any Anglo-Saxon and live in it as long as he pleased. Without his permission, no one in the house could sit down or eat. If any of the Anglo-Saxons injured a Dane or, worse, killed him, then he became an outcast. He was pursued and driven like a wild animal. The unfortunate person turned into a “wolf’s head” - this is the name given to people whom the law could not protect. His fate was unenviable - to flee to the mountains and live in a cave, like a wolf.

Ethelred's widow Emma lived in Normandy with her two sons. Her brother Duke Richard, trying to become related to the formidable King Knut, decided to give his sister in marriage. Emma didn't mind. Subsequently, under her influence, Knut accepted the Christian faith and was considered the patron saint of clergy. He restored the churches and monasteries destroyed by his soldiers.

From 1031 to 1035, his army continued to conquer northern Europe. He conquered all the lands up to the Elbe and proclaimed himself king of England, Denmark and Norway.

In 1037 Cnut the Mighty died. Queen Emma sent a letter to her son Ælfred in Normandy. He returned to England, but violated the border of the Norman lands. They grabbed him, gouged out his eyes and killed him as if he had violated the peace treaty. The people rebelled, the uprising was led by Godwin of Wessex. In 1041 the Danes fled Britain. Ethelred's second son, Edward, was anointed king in the Winchester church.
The new king established a law according to which the Saxons and Danes were equal in rights, and exorbitant taxes from the peasants were reduced. The peace that reigned in England became a guarantee that not a single leader of robbers from Norway or Denmark would dare to attack the lands of the state ruled by the descendants of the invincible Knut.

Edward turned out to be an indecisive and weak-willed ruler. He distributed key positions in the state to the Danes, for whom England, in fact, was not their homeland. Naturally, ordinary Englishmen did not like this. The mood of the people was supported by the hero of the anti-Norman uprising, Godwin, whose daughter Edward was married to. Godwin tried to reason with his son-in-law, but the Norman commanders forced the king to divorce. Godwin himself fled to Flanders.

In 1066, after the death of Edward, Godwin's eldest son Harold was elected to the English throne. was married to his daughter Grand Duke Kyiv Vladimir Monomakh). William, the natural son of the Norman Duke Robert, took advantage of the changes. He made his claims to English throne. William claimed that several years ago he was in England, and King Edward in his will appointed him as the future king of Britain. In addition, Harold became king without the blessing of the church, which was against the rules.

William's huge fleet, consisting of 400 warships and over a thousand transport ships, left the French port of Saint-Valery. William's army numbered 60 thousand soldiers. On October 14, 1066, in the province of Sussex, near the town of Hastings, a decisive battle between the Normans and the English. The Anglo-Saxons were defeated. King Harold and his two brothers were killed. London surrendered without a fight - the bishops brought the keys to the city to William.

On December 25, 1066, William became king of England. He went down in history under the nickname “Conqueror”. The Normans who formed the basis of his army had nothing in common with their northern ancestors - the Normans. They were already French knights. They spoke in a strange mixture: French, flavored with Danish words. The literate ones wrote in Latin.

This is how the Viking Age reached its logical conclusion. A sea robber who made his living as a piracy became the ruler of a powerful state. Of course, in the future the Normans carried out predatory campaigns, instilling fear in the coastal peoples of Europe. But the scale that the predatory “activities” of the Normans reached in the early 1910s no longer existed. Former pirates became decent people. The warriors exchanged their sword for a plow and plow. The pirate leaders preferred the satin royal robe to the blood-spattered canvas cloak.

This is interesting!

Norman States General refused to give money for William's campaign. They feared that the Duke would be defeated and Normandy would become a province of England. But there were people who helped the future triumphant. The rich man Fitz Auburn equipped 40 transport ships. Cousin William the Count of Flanders lent him a large sum of money. But most importantly, Wilhelm gained support Pope Alexander II. The pope issued a bull declaring William king of England, and sent him a consecrated banner and ring.

The mystery of the disappearance of the Vikings

The history of the campaigns of these early medieval sailors fits into the period from the 8th to the 11th centuries. The Vikings were nomadic tribes that inhabited the lands that are today Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

There is a version that these sea robbers, who were called not only Vikings, but also Normans, and in Rus' - Varangians, tried to settle the largest island on Earth - Greenland. Although several centuries later there was almost nothing left of the Viking civilization there.

"People from the Fjord"

Historians believe that the warlike tribes of the Normans were distinguished not only by the fact that they annoyed the population of medieval Europe with their countless attacks. The Vikings are considered among the pioneers who explored the North Atlantic and founded Normandy. It was they, according to some sources, who first set foot on the lands of modern America.

Nevertheless, always and everywhere these nomadic invaders were perceived as pirates or “men from the fjords.” Robber - this is how the word “vikingar” is translated from Old Norse.

Captivated by the "Green Land"

At the beginning of the first millennium of the new era, the most advanced of the Scandinavians, Erik the Red (Eirik Thorvaldsson), discovered new uninhabited lands to the west of Iceland. The tough Norwegian guys at first did not perceive Greenland as a territory where they could create an independent state. Nevertheless, their isolated civilization existed there for several centuries, until the 16th century. And then there was practically no trace left of the Scandinavian colony. Europeans who arrived on this island at the end of the 16th century found only dilapidated buildings.

Why is Greenland deserted?

There is a version that the Vikings mixed with the Eskimos, and therefore disappeared as Entos. However, Icelandic geneticist Gisli Palsson, who compared the DNA of the Inuit of Greenland and Canada, claims that there are no European haplogroups there. Other scientists have not found a similar relationship.

Historian Jared Diamond believes that mixing of races through interethnic marriages is most likely not the reason for the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland, since neither they nor the Eskimos felt any particular need to find spouses “on the side.” No evidence of mass extermination of the Scandinavians as a result of clashes with the Eskimos in Greenland was also found. This is confirmed by modern archaeologists.

Historian Thomas McGovern is confident that the Greenlanders at some point simply could not withstand the harsh climatic conditions, taking shape on the island. But the American biologist and anthropologist Jared Diamond is convinced that the Viking civilization disappeared due to the fact that they were deprived of many benefits of life (for example, iron and other resources) and did not have the opportunity to establish water communications with other countries, since sea routes were blocked piles of icebergs were impassable.

The Vikings did not develop either cattle breeding or farming in Greenland; this fact was also clarified during archaeological excavations.

Scientists believe that the Vikings and their descendants simply gradually left the island because the habitat there for permanent residence became unacceptable to them. They settled throughout Scandinavia, forming entire states. Some modern historians express the opinion that present-day Russia would not exist if the Varangians had not taken part in the fate of Rus' at one time. But this is nothing more than a version. http://russian7.ru/post/zagadka-ischeznoveniya-vikingov/

Calling of the Varangians. V. M. Vasnetsov

How do the Varangians differ from the Vikings?

Some believe that Varangians are just a Russian term for Vikings. In fact, there are many significant differences between the Varangians and the Vikings.

Origin of names

The concepts of “Viking” and “Varangian” have completely different origins. Most historians believe that "Viking" originates from the word "vík", which is translated from Old Norse as "cove" or "fjord". However, there are other versions. Thus, Doctor of Historical Sciences T. Jackson claims that the name “Viking” comes from the Latin “vicus” - a small settlement of artisans and traders. This word was used back in the Roman Empire. Such settlements were often located on the territory of military camps. The Swedish scientist F. Askerberg stated that the basis for the noun “Viking” was the verb “vikja” - to leave, turn. According to his hypothesis, the Vikings are people who left their native places in order to earn a living. Askerberg’s fellow countryman, researcher B. Daggfeldt, suggested that the word “Viking” has much in common with the Old Scandinavian phrase “vika sjóvar,” which meant “the interval between the changes of oarsmen.” Therefore, in the original version, the term “víking” most likely referred to long journeys across the sea, involving frequent changes of rowers.

The version about the origin of the term “Varangian” was one of the first to be expressed by Sigismund von Herberstein, the Austrian ambassador, historian and writer. He suggested that the name “Varangians” is associated with the city of Vagria, where the Vandals lived. The expression “Varyags” came from the name of the inhabitants of this city “Vagrs”. Much later, the Russian historian S. Gedeonov considered that the word “warang”, meaning sword and discovered by him in Pototsky’s Baltic-Slavic dictionary, is perfectly suited to the role of the primary source of the term. Many historians associate “Varangian” with the ancient Germanic “wara” - oath, vow, oath. And the linguist M. Vasmer considered the Scandinavian concept “váringr” - loyalty, responsibility - to be the progenitor of the “Varangian”.

Miscellaneous activities

The concepts of “Viking” and “Norman”, according to historians, should not be identified, since the Normans are a nationality, while the Vikings are rather just a way of life. In particular, Irish researchers F. Byrne and T. Powell speak about this. Byrne, in his book A New Look at the History of Viking Age Ireland, argues that the only term that can be equated with the term “Viking” is the term “pirate”. Because robberies were the main source of income for the Vikings. The Vikings were not sedentary and did not follow laws.

The Varangians were a unique social layer of society. These were warriors for hire who guarded the borders of Byzantium from the attacks of the same Vikings. The eldest daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, Anna, wrote about the Varangians in her work entitled “Alexiad”. The princess argued that the Varangians understood their service in protecting the state and its head as an honorable duty transmitted by inheritance.

Also called Varangians were peaceful merchants who transported goods along the route called at that time “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” This route ran through water from the Baltic Sea to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Moreover, the Baltic Sea then had a different name - the Varyazh Sea. And, according to the Soviet historian A. Kuzmin, absolutely all inhabitants of the sea coast were previously called Varangians.

Different religions

The Vikings, who no doubt considered themselves warriors, but not pirates, worshiped the god Odin, like all Scandinavians. Odin's eternal companions were ravens - birds that were not favored in Rus' because of their tendency to eat carrion. In addition, since ancient times, Russians considered ravens to be symbols of all kinds of dark forces. But it was the raven that was depicted on the flag that adorned the ship of the famous Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok.

The sacred bird for the Varangians was the falcon, which honestly hunted for live prey. The falcon was the bird of Perun himself - the pagan Slavic god, in whom the Varangians believed. Since ancient times, the falcon has been revered as an image of courage, dignity and honor.

How did the legend about the Vikings come about, as they were called in different countries?

Vikings, which at the end of the 8th to the 11th centuries attacked from the sea, mainly rampaged in England and France, they were known to contemporaries under various names.

The French called them "Normans" - translated as northern people. In the 11th century in England, the Vikings were called "Ashmans" - translated as people floating on the ash tree. Ash was used as the top planking of ships. In Ireland, the Vikings were called “Finn Galles” - translated as the light of foreigners (if they were Norwegians) and “Dub Gales” - dark wanderers (if they were Danes), in Byzantium - “Varanga”, and in Rus' they were called “Varangians”

Viking legend. Where does the word Viking come from?

At the moment they are most often called Vikings. The term is probably related to the verb Viking, which previously meant "to go to sea to gain wealth and glory."

The origin of the word "Viking" (vi'kingr) is still unclear. Scientists have long associated this term with the word Viken, near the Oslo Fjord.

But in all medieval sources the inhabitants of Vik are not called “Vikings”.

Some believe that the word "Viking" comes from the word "vi", the Viking is the one who hides in the bay.

But in this case it can be used for peaceful merchants. Next, they tried to combine the word “Viking” with the old English “Vic” (from the Latin “Vicus”), which means a trading point, a city, a fortified camp.

Currently, the most acceptable hypothesis is considered to be that of the Swedish scientist F. Askeberg, who believes that the term Viking comes from the verb “vikya” - “turn”, “deviation”.

A Viking, in its modern interpretation, is a person who sailed from home, left his homeland, i.e., a sea warrior, a pirate.

It is interesting that in ancient sources this word is often referred to as - pirate, predatory expeditions. Please note that in the eyes of the Scandinavians, the word "Viking" has a negative connotation.

In the Icelandic sagas of the 13th century, Vikings are described as people who engaged in robbery and rampant piracy and are presented as bloodthirsty.

Viking legend. So where did these Vikings come from?

Initially, it was believed that the Vikings crossed the seas and came from the North Country. These brave and cruel people - pagans were called "Norman", i.e., northern people. Who embarked on long campaigns in search of new lands, engaged in robbery or robbery.

Today we know that the northern country unknown to us is Scandinavia, the lands that are located in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

There, on the sea coast in harsh natural conditions, far from each other, there were a village of fishermen, hunters, farmers and cattle breeders who lived in grueling conditions and fought for their existence.

The heads of these families had unlimited power over women, children and slaves. Weakness there was considered a shame, cowardice and a crime. These young people looked well-mannered. But they did not spare either their own or others’ lives. It was considered a shame to die in open battle for the mercy of the gods, and to die an old age was considered a disgrace.

Viking legend. What prompted the Viking Normans to go to sea?

Perhaps the climatic weather conditions, with its rocky mountains, poor soil, lack of arable land, which was not able to feed these people? Or were the Vikings so temptingly attracted by the riches of churches and monasteries that were located overseas? Or were they simply drawn to adventure? We can only guess about this.

In the northern countries at all times there was little fertile land suitable for cultivation. The harsh climate was not conducive to obtaining high yields; mainly grain crops such as barley and oats were sown there, from which they baked flat cakes and cooked porridge.

The sea that splashed on their doorstep was much more generous than the earth under their feet. When lean years came, the Vikings fed their livestock fish, which helped these animals survive until the next spring and new grass.

Their food was fish, which they ate in abundance every day. Scandinavians love the sea very much. Their art of shipbuilding at that time had reached great perfection.

And so it happened that for several years there was a poor harvest, the fish went away from their native shores, and their homes were destroyed by enemies or fires - people built ships and went to sea in search of a better life. These people called themselves Vikings.

Thus, the Vikings turned into the first ancient northern travelers.

The last two centuries of the first millennium became an extremely turbulent time for the Christian states emerging in Europe. The main reason for this was the countless raids of the Vikings - fierce and warlike pagans who came from the Scandinavian Peninsula, where the ancestors of modern Danes, Norwegians and Swedes then lived. The level of danger was so great that, starting in May 888, in many Catholic churches in Europe, during each prayer service, priests, turning to God, asked for “liberation from the rage of the Normans.” Describing the people known in the Middle Ages as Vikings, Wikipedia indicates that their name comes from the word vi’k (“bay”). But were they simply sea robbers, either coming from the “wicka”, that is, the bay, or hiding in it, or are we talking about a larger-scale phenomenon?

Reasons for the appearance of the Vikings

Answering the question of who the Vikings were, who they were and where they came from, it should be noted that we are not talking about representatives of some people alien to the inhabitants of the rest of Europe. These were the same heirs of the ancient Germanic tribes as the Franks or Burgundians. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes also had a common origin with the Vikings, who still V-VI centuries conquered almost all of the British Isles. Probably, in any case, they could easily understand each other's spoken speech. By studying what language the Vikings spoke, scientists came to the conclusion that it was common to all tribes living in Scandinavia. This follows, in particular, from the fact that the examples of ancient runic writing used by the Vikings that have survived to this day are equally understandable to modern Danes, Norwegians and Swedes.

The difference between the inhabitants of the Scandinavian Peninsula and those who lived in the territory of modern France or England was determined by the following two factors:

1. Religion. The Franks and Saxons managed to become Christians by the 9th century AD (that is, by the beginning of the “Viking Age”), while the ancestors of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes retained the pagan religion with all its features;
2. Level of development of feudalism. Europe was already experiencing the Middle Ages, while in early medieval Scandinavia many elements of the tribal system were still preserved.

Of course, this was not enough for the Vikings to appear. Historians even today argue about the reasons why people who until recently did not leave Scandinavia began to increasingly go on long journeys. One possible version is overpopulation and the associated economic crisis. Archeology, however, indicates that on the eve of the “Viking Age,” Scandinavian settlements did not become poorer, but grew richer.

It is possible that overpopulation actually took place, but not “general”, but “elite” - rich people had many sons, of whom (in accordance with ancient law) only one had the right to inherit, while others had to look for some for themselves. then other ways to “increase well-being.” One of these methods could be trade - but not any, but only the most profitable, and another - outright robbery.

Attempts to redistribute wealth initially led to constant civil strife, and then spilled out in the form of raids on neighboring lands. This happened almost immediately after the Scandinavians learned to sail ships.

An additional factor that made the emergence of the Vikings possible was the Arab expansion in Europe, which culminated in the capture of part of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century. As a result of this event, trade routes through the Mediterranean were lost and a shortage of silver arose, which may have been a kind of “last straw” that prompted the Scandinavian warriors to head to foreign shores.

Viking ships and their art of navigation

Despite the fact that sails, as is known from history, were widely used already in ancient times, Scandinavian ships for a long time moved exclusively with oars. One reason for this was that early boats, built in the second and third centuries AD, for example, did not have a keel. The absence of this important element makes the sailboat extremely unstable - the first strong gust of wind will simply capsize it.

The first ship with a “rudimentary” keel, according to historians, was the “Kvalsynn Ship”, created in Scandinavia around the year 700. In particular, on the island of Gotland, archaeologists were able to discover several images of a sailing boat carved on stones. These monuments were made at the beginning of the 8th century.

Further development of shipbuilding technologies led in the 9th century to the appearance of the famous longships - the main warships of the Vikings. These were sailing and rowing ships, sometimes reaching almost 20 meters in length. Their speed on the open sea when sailing sometimes reached 15 and even 20 knots. Each side had the same number of special ports - holes for oars.

The number of rowers on the largest known longships was 32 people, 16 on each side. The ship's hull was symmetrical, which made it possible to move in any direction without turning around. The bow was distinguished from the stern by a wooden sculpture installed in the front part - an image of a dragon, thanks to which the ship got its name.

Despite the fact that the drakkar's sail was an ordinary rectangle, it was possible, by tucking its edges, to sail not only with the wind, but also almost against it, lying in a steep close-hauled position. At the same time, the ship tilted and could be filled with water through the oar ports, so over time, special “plugs” began to be made for them. At the same time, there was no pump on the ship, although devices of this kind already existed. Therefore, if water still overflowed the side, it was necessary to simply bail it out.

Sneckars, longships, and knarrs used for transporting goods turned out to be seaworthy enough for the Vikings to subsequently successfully reach not only the British Isles, but also Iceland, and then to the territory of the future Canada, thereby being several centuries ahead of the famous Columbus.

The first Viking campaigns

Historians generally consider the beginning of the Viking Age to be 793, when Lindisfarne Monastery, located on a small tidal island off the north-eastern shore of the largest of the British Isles, was attacked. Aliens from Scandinavia plundered the monastery and killed many priests, shocking the few surviving monks with their cruelty.

IN further church, cathedrals and monasteries became one of the main targets of predatory raids by Scandinavian sailors. This is explained quite simply - all these places were a concentration of a wide variety of valuable items, from silver and gold to various fabrics. Of course, the Scandinavians, who then remained “ungodly pagans,” did not feel any reverence for the churches.

It subsequently turned out that four years before the attack on Lindisfarne, the Vikings landed in South-West England, near Dorset. In this case, they killed the local feudal lord along with his small retinue. Most likely, this attack was not the first. Due to the fact that the Vikings sought to destroy everyone they could meet, there were often simply no witnesses left and the event was not chronicled.

In subsequent years, several more monasteries were plundered in what is now England. In addition, the Vikings visited Ireland, and a year before the end of the 8th century they first “visited” France, more precisely, the Empire of Charlemagne. In all these cases, the raids were carried out according to the “classical” pattern - landing on land, a swift and brutal attack, robbery and a hasty retreat with the loot on ships.

However, already in these early years there were definite signs that the Vikings were not just ordinary sea raiders. In particular, having landed on the Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scandinavian warriors created settlements there. For some time it was believed that all the local residents were killed, but archaeologists were able to prove that this was not the case.

In 810, the islands located near the coast of Friesland came under attack from the Vikings. In its scale, this attack no longer resembled just a predatory raid, but a large and well-thought-out military operation. It is known that the Danish king Gottfried led the invaders, and the number of ships that he brought with him, as chroniclers say, reached two hundred. This, of course, could not have happened without repeated exaggeration.

One way or another, until 830 or even somewhat later, the attacks of the “northern barbarians” were of a relatively limited nature. In areas further offshore, these attacks were often not even known.

Period of large-scale expansion

Starting around 830, Viking activity began to increase - at first relatively smoothly, and then like an avalanche. In 845, Hamburg and Paris were captured almost simultaneously. The Frankish king Charles the Bald had to pay the Vikings seven thousand pounds of silver to save his capital from complete destruction. Other cities were less fortunate - Rouen, Tours, Angers and Nantes were plundered and burned, and a significant part of their inhabitants died.

The cruel invaders, passing along the beds of the Loire, Garonne, Seine, Meuse, Ems, Weser and other rivers, devastated everything in their path. In particular, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Angouleme, Limoges suffered - the list goes on for a long time. In its scale, this disaster was comparable to that experienced by those countries that were invaded by the Mongols four hundred years later.

Amazingly, the Vikings had enough resources to simultaneously organize a separate “expedition” to the Iberian Peninsula, along with the plunder of the territory of the former Empire of Charlemagne, with a visit to North Africa - and this is not to mention the ongoing attacks on the British Isles.

During these same years, the Vikings again showed themselves not only as robbers, but also as colonizers. In particular, in 841 it was they who became the founders of Dublin, the modern capital of Ireland. In addition, in the second half of the century, a “Danish law area” appeared on the map of what is now England, another direct result of the constant expansion of the Vikings. True, London was outside this area, but this city was captured and plundered several times.

In 885, the Vikings laid siege to Paris again. Their units appeared in various places in northern and eastern France, as well as in the territory of such modern countries as Germany, Holland and Belgium. It seemed that there would be no end to the catastrophe, but already in 890 and 891 the invaders suffered two major defeats - first in England, and then on the continent. From that moment on, the number of raids and robberies began to decline - up to 90% of all warriors who went on campaigns died.

Of course, the world did not recover immediately; over time, Viking attacks resumed, but they no longer reached such a significant scale. Nevertheless, they still managed to conquer England again in the new millennium and capture London. This happened in 1013, that is, in the 11th century.

The end of the Viking Age is considered to be 1066, when King Harald the Severe, a native of Norway who aspired to become king of England, was killed in another battle.

Just weeks after his death, Britain was invaded by William the Conqueror. And although he was a Duke from Normandy, he is not usually considered a Viking.

One of the many “side effects” of the Scandinavian expansion was the discovery and subsequent settlement of Iceland. At first, this land was apparently considered as a transit point on the long journey to the shores of North America, where the Vikings occupied a special territory called Vinland, but after the “Christianization” of Norway and Denmark, the cold islands turned into a refuge for those who did not want to change your religion. Of course, the “evacuation” ultimately only delayed the inevitable.

Reasons for the success and subsequent decline of Viking activity

No matter how strong and ferocious the Scandinavian warriors were, they were far inferior in numbers to the troops that the European kings had by the 18th and 9th centuries. Therefore, the numerous victories of the Vikings in the eyes of modern people look like some kind of miracle. Nevertheless, it is relatively easy to explain the reasons for these successes.

The first raids were truly “pin pricks”. Their danger was not appreciated either in England or on the Continent. Therefore, almost no measures were taken to protect the coast. On the other hand, the attacks were extremely unpredictable - most often the jarl or rich bond, who led the Viking squad that set off on a voyage, did not even know where exactly he would rob and what would be his goal.

In those days, none of the European rulers had so many troops to cover the coast along its entire length for any length of time, which made it possible to strike at unprotected places.

Image of Rorik of Jutland, the Danish king, one of the first Vikings to enter the service of the Frankish kings. According to one version, it was he who was Rurik from Russian chronicles

The success of the large-scale Viking expansion in the middle and second half of the 9th century AD was greatly facilitated by the crisis and subsequent collapse of Charlemagne's empire. The defining moment here was the death of Louis I the Pious in 840. Immediately after it, the country developed Civil War, as a result of which, three years later, in place of a single state, several kingdoms hostile to each other arose, which the “guests from Scandinavia” took advantage of.

It is also necessary to take into account “technical reasons” - the medieval feudal army required quite a lot of time to form, arm and go on a campaign. While the “organizational events” were taking place, the Vikings managed not only to plunder several cities, but also to return to their native lands with the loot.

It was possible to extinguish the aggressive and predatory activity of the Vikings with the help of political rather than military measures. The basis of this policy was territorial concessions. For example, the Vikings had Normandy at their disposal - they could live there and run their own household. This was not a simple “ransom” - in response, the kings and jarls actually went into the service of the French kings and after that acted as defenders of the coast from their former compatriots.

In some cases, the territories acquired by the Vikings became the basis for raids on Scandinavia itself. In particular, Denmark and Norway were attacked. Such raids were not considered a betrayal - after all, the Vikings never formed any common nation; only relatives were theirs, and even then not always.

The church played a decisive role in the weakening and disappearance of the Vikings. Its ministers first went to Sweden, but then expanded their activities to wider territories. Despite the fact that the Scandinavians resisted attempts at Christianization for quite a long time, in the end the missionaries managed to achieve their goal - the new religion no longer made it possible to treat robberies and murders as a feat for the glory of the gods.

Main features of Viking military art

The Vikings would never have achieved any victories on the battlefield if they were simply bands of armed robbers. Perhaps the chroniclers are not entirely right when they call the numerous northern warriors who terrorized Europe for almost two hundred years a “great army,” but we still have to admit that it was a fairly organized force, even if it never had a single command.

Formation of the squad

Most of the Vikings were so-called “bonds”. This is how in Scandinavia they designated free landowners, as well as, importantly, their children, who may not have received their own allotment. All of them had the right to bear arms and participate in tings - special meetings, the closest analogue of which can be considered, in particular, the well-known Novgorod veche.

The very first raids on England were apparently carried out exclusively by bondsmen who had turned into seafarers; jarls and, especially, kings joined this “movement” later. When this happened, on some ships, along with voluntary participants in the campaigns, mercenaries began to appear, receiving salaries for their help.

Berserkers were hired separately - rather strange people who, even from the point of view of an ordinary Viking, accustomed to all kinds of cruelty, were extremely dangerous and half-insane outcasts. They fought not for money and booty, but only in order to get to Valhalla as soon as possible and meet Odin there.

Battle tactics

In most cases, the Vikings fought on foot, similar to the ancient Greek phalanx. This formation was called a “shield wall.” The berserkers, who served as an assault force, fought most often outside the ranks. They attacked first and apparently were often successful. However, the systematic advance of the “shield wall” made it possible to sweep away any enemy.

The Vikings' worst enemy was heavy cavalry. Sometimes she managed to break through the formation, and then it became very difficult to avoid defeat. The Vikings themselves rarely fought on horseback. Such episodes occurred most often already in the 10th century, both in England and France. Horses were captured from the enemy, since there were no ways to transport them on longships - at best, only one or two horses could be transported.

The Vikings fought at sea by boarding - the ships were connected and a single battlefield emerged. Maneuvering was carried out with the help of oars - the sails were lowered so that random gusts of wind would not interfere. At the same time, the ships, moving towards rapprochement, lined up in lines and carried out intense shelling of the enemy from bows. At short distances, throwing spears and stones were used, the stock of which was specially created before the battle.

To protect the rowers from all this, round shields were installed along the sides of the drakkar. It was impossible to use them in hand-to-hand combat due to their large weight and size, but they performed their main function well.

Main types of weapons

The Viking armament as a whole differed little from the “pan-European” one. True, today it is already difficult to judge its quality. The usual “set” consisted of the following elements:

1. Spears. Most likely, this was the main weapon. Viking spears that have survived to this day have a fairly long tip with well-developed side blades. This means that they could be used for slashing attacks;
2. Swords. The most versatile type of weapon. The average blade length is from 90 cm to a meter. There is also information about the use of swords with one-sided sharpening (i.e., actually broadswords);
3. Axes. It is this type of weapon that is usually found in the hands of Vikings in modern images. There are reasons for this - archaeologists discovered the most axes. Compared to swords, axes are cheap and also allow you to deliver a more concentrated blow.

Bows and shortened spears were used as throwing weapons. There is little information about them, despite the fact that in the retinue of some kings there were real “snipers” who confidently hit targets at great distances.

Protective equipment could have been leather armor various types, somewhat less commonly - chain mail, which became longer and longer over the years. In addition, every Viking certainly had a wooden shield. At first its shape was round, but towards the beginning of the second millennium the shields became almond-shaped.

Vikings outside the battlefield

Many of the actions of the Vikings today seem like wild and crazy antics. Nevertheless, it would hardly be correct to describe these people in an exclusively negative way, as their contemporaries did.

Viking religion and moral principles

As you know, the Vikings were pagans. Their peculiar religion coincided in its main features with the “common German” religion. In particular, at the head of the pantheon of gods was Odin (some Germanic tribes they called him Wotan). It should be noted that many details concerning both individual characters and entire concepts appearing in Scandinavian myths could have been “thought out” several centuries after the end of the Viking Age; therefore, they should be treated with a certain caution.

Odin, in accordance with the ideas of the Vikings, belongs to Valhalla - a banquet hall in the “upper world”, Asgard. Only warriors who died on the battlefield can get there. The inhabitants of Valhalla feast daily - they eat boar meat and drink intoxicating mead, and then take up swords and fight to the death - so that they can then be resurrected again and continue the feast. Such ideas about heavenly life to some extent reflect the everyday ancient Germanic reality, when everyone waged an endless war with each other generation after generation.

The “selection” for Valhalla is carried out by Valkyries - warrior maidens, soaring in the sky on winged horses and controlling the course of battles. They are the ones who decide who lives and who dies. The feast in Valhalla does not last forever - in the future, Ragnarok, the end of the world, will inevitably come, during which all the gods, including Odin, will die. He will be destroyed by the monstrous wolf Fenrir, who is sometimes considered identical to Garmr, the four-eyed guardian of the kingdom of the dead.

Ragnarok, death of the gods. In the center of the picture is Odin, galloping towards Fenrir, in the background is Thor, grappling in a mortal duel with the world serpent Ermungandr

The most unusual thing in this pan-German religious mythology was that at the head of the pantheon of gods is not the thunderer Thor, whose analogues are, of course, the Greek Zeus and the Slavic Perun, but Odin. The Romans believed that this character in their own religion corresponded to Mercury (that is, the Greek Hermes). Indirect confirmation of this version can be considered the significant successes that the Vikings managed to achieve in trade.

The “relegation” of Thor to the background entailed a number of consequences, one of which was the complete absence of any caste of priests or clergy among the Vikings. In fact, each bond performed the divine service himself and did not need any intermediaries.

It is in religion that one should apparently look for the origins of not only the courage, but also the inhuman cruelty of the Vikings. For example, when they impaled captured small children on spears, this was seen as a sacrifice to Odin. The spear itself was perceived as a kind of model of the “world tree” connecting different worlds.

The Vikings also did not value their own lives very much, believing, in particular, that going to certain death in battle was an enviable fate, since here ending up in Valhalla became simply inevitable. Of course, such beliefs were not typical for everyone, but not only for half-mad berserkers.

Quite often the Vikings attacked each other. The reason for this was usually the desire to get rich. Thus, ships that came with booty from England or France were sometimes plundered upon returning to their own harbor.

Another motive for the attack could have been blood feud. This old custom was very common in Scandinavia. A classic case of such reprisals is described in the legends about the Danish prince Amled, the prototype of Shakespeare's Hamlet - oddly enough, this man was also a real Viking.

Social structure

Along with bonds, kings and jarls, a considerable number of slaves lived in Scandinavia. Their position was, of course, unenviable. Only in some cases did they manage to occupy a more or less privileged position. Slaves were bought and sold like ordinary things, and the fate of the girls sometimes became simply terrible. There were no ways to get out of slavery, and the children of slaves were also considered private property.

At the same time, it should be noted that free women in Scandinavia had the same rights as men. They often occupied leadership positions, and if they wished, they could go on a campaign of conquest. Nothing like this was observed in the Christian states of Europe in those years.

Any of the bonds could theoretically be elected at the Thing as a jarl or even a king, rising to a higher level in the general hierarchy. This, however, required that the previous leader be seriously guilty of something. This primitive form of democracy persisted for a long time even after the completion of the “Christianization” of Scandinavia.

The names of the Vikings had a very specific semantic content. Many of them are directly related to weapons and battles. These are, for example, the names Egil (in Danish - blade), Einar - a warrior who fights alone, Bjorn - a bear - a symbol of rage in battle. According to the all-German tradition, names were supplemented with nicknames. But if among the Franks they were given mainly to kings (for example, Charles the Bald or Pepin the Short), then among the Scandinavians such a “second name” was assigned to almost every bond.

Another interesting feature of the Vikings is their entrepreneurial spirit. They understood well the importance of trade. Apparently, this is precisely what explains the fact that the “Varangians” were able to establish quite normal interaction with the Slavic tribes. In the territory where it subsequently arose Ancient Rus', the Vikings behaved surprisingly peacefully, avoiding any conflicts for a long time. On the other hand, the Scandinavians sometimes used their trading expeditions to conduct “long-range reconnaissance,” collecting information about unprotected areas on the coast and selecting targets for subsequent attacks.

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