Vikings

by Lupu Tudor Alexandru,Razvan

Iliescu,Victor Ilies Andrei,Dan Antonie.
The Viking age

Voyaging by sea from their homelands in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the Norse people settled in the British Isles
, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Normandy, the Baltic coast, and along the Dnieper and
Volga trade routes in eastern Europe (where they were known as Varangians). They also briefly
settled in Newfoundland, becoming the first Europeans to reach North America. The Norse-Gaels, Normans,
Rus' people, Faroese and Icelanders emerged from these Norse colonies. The Vikings founded several kingdoms
and earldoms in Europe: the kingdom of the Isles (Suðreyjar), Orkney (Norðreyjar), York (Jórvík) and the Danelaw
(Danalǫg), Dublin (Dyflin), Normandy, and Kievan Rus' (Garðaríki). The Norse homelands were also unified into
larger kingdoms during the Viking Age, and the short-lived North Sea Empire included large swathes of Scandinavia
and Britain
Historical Context

In England, the Viking attack of 8 June 793 that destroyed the abbey on Lindisfarne, a centre of learning on an island
off the northeast coast of England in Northumberland, is regarded as the beginning of the Viking Age.Monks were
killed in the abbey, thrown into the sea to drown, or carried away as slaves along with the church treasures, giving
rise to the traditional (but unattested) prayer—A furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine, "Free us from the fury of
the Northmen, Lord."
Probable causes of Norse expansion

Many theories are posited for the cause of the Viking invasions; the will to explore likely played a major role. At the
time, England, Wales, and Ireland were vulnerable to attack, being divided into many different warring kingdoms in a
state of internal disarray, while the Franks were well defended. Overpopulation, especially near the Scandes, was
possibly influential (this theory regarding overpopulation is disputed).Technological advance like the use of iron, or a
shortage of women due to selective female infanticide also had an impact. Tensions caused by Frankish expansion to
the south of Scandinavia, and their subsequent attacks upon the Viking.
Raiders in England

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Viking raiders struck England in 793 and raided Lindisfarne, the monastery
that held Saint Cuthbert's relics, killing the monks and capturing the valuables. The raid marked the beginning of the
"Viking Age of Invasion". Great but sporadic violence continued on England's northern and eastern shores, with raids
continuing on a small scale across coastal England. While the initial raiding groups were small, a great amount of
planning is believed to have been involved. The Vikings raided during the winter of 840–841, rather than the usual
summer, having waited on an island off Ireland. In 850, they overwintered for the first time in England, on the
island of Thanet, Kent. In 854, a raiding party overwintered a second time, at the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames
estuary. In 864, they reverted to Thanet for their winter encampment.
Raiders in Ireland

In 795, small bands of Vikings began plundering monastic settlements along the coast of Gaelic Ireland. The
Annals of Ulster state that in 821 the Vikings plundered Howth and "carried off a great number of women into
captivity". From 840 the Vikings began building fortified encampments, longphorts, on the coast and overwintering in
Ireland. The first were at Dublin and Linn Duachaill. Their attacks became bigger and reached further inland, striking
larger monastic settlements such as Armagh, Clonmacnoise, Glendalough, Kells and Kildare, and also plundering the
ancient tombs of Brú na Bóinne. Viking chief Thorgest is said to have raided the whole midlands of Ireland until he
was killed by Máel Sechnaill I in 845.
Weapons

Layers were big during the Viking era too. Whether men were ship building, hunting or raiding, it was
important for them to keep warm during their physical work. Base garments were likely lighter and
shorter sleeved in the warmer months and thicker and longer during the dark of winter. Colourways
here are unknown but it is likely they varied from the colours mentions earlier. On top of this base
layer, men would were a tunic. This outer garment was most probably slightly thicker and draped long
to knees. Some of the tunics may have also have been patterned or had significant symbols woven
into to them for more significant members.
Clothes

Viking clothes were made from wool, linen and animal skins. The Vikings were skilful weavers and
made their own clothes. Women, with the help of children, made the wool into yarn and used natural
dyes from plants to give it colour. Men wore tunics and trousers and women wore a long dress with a
pinafore over it. Their clothes were fastened with belts and brooches.
Viking Food

The Vikings could not survive on vegetation alone and required a steady supply of protein to
supplement their diets. As mentioned in the opening of this article, the Vikings raised a large
assortment of livestock and thus had a large selection of protein to add to the Viking menu. Vikings
ate beef, goat, pork, mutton, lamb and poultry. Occasionally, they also ate horse meat in times of
need.Many animals which the Vikings tended were not only raised for their meat consumption, but
also for the additional resources that they created.