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Cultural heritage

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Category: Ramblings | Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:42 am

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The Vikings appeared out of nowhere in 793 when they attacked and sacked the Lindisfarne Monastery. Then they spread out, and are suddenly found all over Europe.

Dublin, for example, was the seat of Norse kings. They were a power to be reckoned with from 841 to 1014 when the legendary Brian of Boruma finally broke their hold of Ireland.

In France a big, strapping chap from my part of Norway decided to settle and make himself a kingdom in Normandie. History knows him as Rollo. We call him Walking Rolf. It is said he was too big for any horse. He was the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conquerer who ruled England from 1066 until 1087.

William managed to beat the Saxon king Harald II Godwinsson in the Battle of Hastings in October 1066. Harald II was the great-great-grandson of Harald Blåtann, the first official Danish king. He also ruled parts of Norway.

Lots of Vikings went eastwards, up the big Russian rivers and far inland to plunder and trade. Others went south, and we know that the King of Constantinople had Vikings in his army. One even went on a crusade to Jerusalem, the first European king to do so, Sigurd I Magnusson also known (in Norwegian) as Sigurd Jorsalfare. He died in 1130. With all this coming and going, the Norse were quite up-to-date on what was going on in the world.

The Vikings also fought a lot among themselves. The Swedish and Danish were at it for centuries. The Norwegians were too busy with internal squabble to bother about the others. As Christian beliefs took hold, so the fighting and blood-shed stopped too. The sea-faring peoples of the north took to trade, which was far more lucrative and a lot less dangerous.

And from then on until far into the 1800s we really didn't do anything very exciting. This is probably why when I say «Norwegian» people think «Viking».


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Frank wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:57 am:

Brian of Boruma is popularly known as Brian Boru in Ireland. Again I didn't pay attention in history lessons so my knowledge is very limited. But that I do know ;)

How do you know so much Droopy?

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Droopy wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:05 am:

I read a lot, Frank, and when I meet historical people in the books, I look them up to read more about them. I guess I'm perpetually curious. I first met Brian Boru in the book "Lion of Ireland" by Morgan Llywelyn. His is a fascinating story.

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Frank wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:23 am:

>>> I guess I'm perpetually curious. <<<

That's a great way to be. Especially because one can never know all there is to know. Infinite entertainment :)

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toni wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:20 pm:

Your history lessons are super.

I like reading biographies about historical figures, much more likely to hear the truth than you are from the history books in school.

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Droopy wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:36 pm:

I quite agree, toni. Biographies are good. Well, as long as it's not a self-biography. Lots of strange ones being written.

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