Vikings: Robbers and Sailors

Author: Koja
Translator: Zhang Rong
Country: France
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-03-01
Features: In 815, Plokide Rogaland left the Faroe Islands (iles de Feroe). When he was close to Iceland, he released two crows, and then sailed in the direction the crows flew. He quickly spotted Iceland. At that time, the Vikings took wooden pillars (innstafar) from the houses abandoned by Norway and threw them into the sea. These large wooden pillars were brought to be driven into the surroundings of the new homeland. Under the impact of the current, the pillars were driven to the sandy shore of the beach, and the Vikings impatiently drove them in, marking their new territory. They built a large communal house with peat and stones. This large house was oval-shaped, with a hall in the center and a furnace. Along the walls were rows of beds built on earthen platforms.
After the Vikings settled in Iceland, a large-scale migration began. From 870 to 930, over 10,000 Vikings came to the island to settle and drove out the Papars. These Papars were monks from Ireland who came here in small boats. Here, the farming conditions were similar to those in Norway, although the island was full of volcanoes and glaciers, the valleys and plains along the coast were suitable for farming and livestock. There were plenty of fish in the sea, dense birch forests, and abundant iron ore, allowing blacksmiths to showcase their skills. In the early years, the Vikings lived in small groups with only one leader. However, from 930 onwards, a large influx of people led to the island being divided into four feudal domains, ruled by a council called the Althing. However, the Althing could not prevent the fierce conflicts between clans, which quickly developed into wars. The Icelanders maintained their ancient customs and continued to trade with the mainland. But the island's resources could no longer support the rapidly increasing population. Some historians estimate that in 930, there were 30,000 people on the island, and a century later, the population had increased to 60,000. As a result, the Vikings had to go even further west to conquer new lands.
In the late 8th century, Danish Vikings began to launch multiple attacks from Danevirke, a defensive line built by King Godfred of Denmark. Their main targets were England, the eastern Carolingian Empire, and the islands off the coast of northern Europe. The Carolingian King—Charlemagne—and his son Louis I (LouislePieux) repelled the Danes. In 834, Danish Vikings began large-scale expansion. The financial and commercial center of Dorestadt was looted, hundreds of ships sailed up the Elbe River, and they robbed Hamburg (Hambourg), Germany. Rouen, Tours, and Chartres in France were also repeatedly attacked. In 843, King Charles the Bald ascended the throne. He did everything he could to stop this wave of raids. He built many castles, negotiated with the Vikings, paid them "Danegeld," and even bribed some Danish leaders to betray their own compatriots. Starting in 878, these military and diplomatic measures could no longer protect the kingdom. The Danes swarmed in, sailed up the Seine River, and reached Paris. An army of 30,000 Danes attacked Paris, while only 200 knights guarded the city. In November 885, Paris included only the old city of l＇ledelacite, which was fortified. The stone bridge to the north and the wooden bridge to the south controlled the upstream traffic. The Danes robbed Rouen in the summer and then came to Paris. Charles's successor, Charles the Fat, was on a campaign in Italy, leaving only the Bishop of Paris, Gozlin, and Count Odo of Noustrie to defend the city with 200 knights and fully armed cavalry. In the eyes of the Danes, with 700 ships and 30,000 soldiers, this force was insignificant.
That night, the city was reduced to ruins in flames. The entire sky was lit up. The Danes failed to capture the city for several weeks, but the Parisians resisted bravely. The Vikings stationed on the banks of the Seine had to surround the city, dig trenches in the suburbs, and gather supplies for a year. In February, the wooden bridge to the south collapsed under the floodwaters, and the Danes swept in, burning and looting between the Seine and the Loire. Of course, they did not forget to leave a group to surround Paris. Life in the besieged city was extremely difficult, and the plague caused the deaths of many. By the end of 886, Charles finally returned to relieve the besieged Parisians. However, he failed to completely defeat the Vikings and agreed to pay them a large sum of money. The Vikings then sailed up the Seine River and robbed Burgundy (Bourgogne), where a rebellion was brewing. After Paris was besieged, it became the focus of all of France. Charles the Fat, unable to drive out the Danes, was forced to abdicate. In 888, the kingdom split into many small principalities, and Count Odo became the king of West Francia.
According to the Chronicles of Early Russia, in 907, Oleg led 2,000 ships and 80,000 men in an attack on Constantinople. A huge mountain blocked their way. The Viking leaders landed their ships, lifted them, and attached wheels to them. On days with favorable winds, they hoisted all their sails and launched a fierce attack on Constantinople. The Byzantines were terrified and accepted a commercial agreement, offering tribute to the Vikings. However, the Vikings did not stop there. Oleg's grandson, Sviatoslav, defeated the Great Khan and the Bulgarian tribes along the Volga and Danube rivers. Sviatoslav was ambushed and killed by the Pechenegs, fierce warriors from the Central Asian steppes. Sviatoslav's son, Vladimir, repelled the brave Pechenegs and consolidated the growing Russian Empire. The Byzantine king seized this opportunity in 988 and visited the ruler of Russia, proposing a marriage alliance between the two countries, offering his sister to King Vladimir, on the condition that Vladimir convert to Christianity. Based on political considerations, Vladimir accepted this proposal and was baptized in Kherson, Ukraine. He forcibly compelled his people to adopt Christianity. Soon, a large number of Greek Orthodox clergy entered Russia. The Scandinavians quickly integrated into this new culture. Additionally, the resources along the eastern route had been exhausted, and the silver mines in the Near East fell into the hands of Asian tribes. Between the Christian Russian Empire and the heathen Swedish Vikings, there was only some trade.
In 1040, "the Great Voyager" Ingvar the Great led a fleet of 30 ships from the Swedish coast, heading east to Central Asia. The following year, he died in Syria. Ingvar's death and failure marked the end of an era.
A Kнорn could accommodate 30 people and also hold livestock, as well as feed, small barrels of fresh water, and barrels of dried fish and meat. When conditions permitted, they rested at night. When the ships ran aground or anchored, the Vikings camped on the boats or set up tents on land. The leader slept on a removable wooden bed, beautifully carved. The crew had no beds and slept in leather bags (hudfat) filled with weapons and equipment. Since it was difficult to make fire on the ship, the Vikings used their rest time to cook meals in large pots. They rarely ate hot food or cooked meals on the ship. Their main food was meat, dried fish, mushrooms, potatoes, and curdled milk, and they drank beer and water.
The Vikings were great navigators. During their long journeys, they sometimes acted as pirates and sometimes as merchants, depending on the circumstances. Trade was very active, even in remote areas. Silk from the East was transported to Russia via waterways, gold from the Danube River, weapons made in the Frankish Kingdom, coal from Britain, and wine from the Loire River were all shipped to Scandinavian ports. The Scandinavians exported slaves, dried fish, honey, and furs in exchange for these goods.
Iceland had no forests, so they had to import timber for construction and export wool. Norway and Greenland exported exquisite ivory products. The Viking commercial centers followed a law to protect inland merchants, and this measure was overseen by the king's representative, who was also responsible for collecting taxes. As a result, the position of royal officials in urban administration gradually increased, although the Viking national assembly, the Thing, protested, it could not stop this trend. The merchants made every effort to reduce the influence of royal power on their affairs and finances. They established associations or protective institutions to safeguard their interests. These institutions also served another purpose: they were a substitute for the families of these merchants! These merchants, far from home, often gathered for drinking parties or held religious activities together.
Most of the Swedes' transactions, even if the bargaining took a long time, were still conducted face-to-face. However, in some areas, they still had to accept local customs. One custom was peculiar: silent barter, which was very popular along the White Sea coast of Russia. The Viking merchants would place their goods in a specific location and draw what they wanted to exchange on a piece of paper, placing the drawing and the goods together. Then, they would leave the place and return several hours later to take the items the locals had left there in exchange. If the deal didn't work out, they would take back their own goods.
The Vikings built ports and trading posts along the Scandinavian coast, two of which were particularly famous: Birka in Sweden and Hedeby in Denmark. Birka was located on Bj?rk? Island in the M?laren Lake. In 850, Birka was a castle ruled by the king's envoy, and the Thing members met here. The inhabitants were concentrated at the northwest cape of the island, which had a fortress and a guard of Viking warriors. The walls had six gates and defense towers. Inside the walls, the rows of round wooden houses in the commercial district faced the beach, with ships full of goods moored at the docks. Birka had three other docks: one for the merchants of Friesland, one for storing grain, and the third for trade. In winter, when the lake froze, goods were transported to the port on sleds. It was a prosperous city with highly developed craftsmanship. Most of Sweden produced crystal and glass beads. However, Birka gradually declined by the end of the 10th century. Hedeby, on the Jutland coast, was built at the same time as Birka. Hedeby was initially a very small center but was soon absorbed into Denmark. Around 900, a Swedish king captured Hedeby. Hedeby was a commercial center and a city with advanced craftsmanship, producing a large number of pottery, glassware, and amber jewelry, enough for export. The entire 10th century was the golden age of Hedeby, but it began to decline in the year 1000 and was later destroyed by the ruthless Harald Hardrada of Norway.
There were also some local small markets that provided imported goods or products made in special workshops for Viking villages. In these markets, farmers and merchants exchanged agricultural products and cloth for utensils, iron rods, or clothing from other places. The Vikings still mostly used barter as a means of exchange.