the vikings Essay -- essays research papers

Viking age has long been associated with uncontrolled piracy, when bandits swarmed out of the northlands in their ships to burn and moolah their way across civilized Europe. During this period frequently progress was achieved in terms of Scandinavian dodge and craftsmanship, marine technology, exploration, and the development of commerce. It seems the Vikings did as much trading as they did raiding.The title "Viking" includes a wide description of Nordic people Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, who lived during a period of brisk Scandinavian expansion in the middle ages, from approximately 800 to 1100 AD. This name may be derived from the old Norse vik(bay or creek). These people came from what is now Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and had a self-sustaining, agricultural society, where farming and kine breeding were supplemented by hunting, fishing, the extraction of iron and the quarrying of rock to take in whetstones and cooking utensils some goods, however, had to be tr aded salt, forinstance, which is a necessity for man and cattle alike, is an everyday item and thus would not take a crap been imported from a greater distance than necessary, while luxury items could be brought in from far south in Europe. Their chief export products were, iron, whetstones, and soapstone cooking pots, these were an requisite contribution to a trade growth in the Viking age.The contemporary references we render about the Vikings stem mainly from sources in western Europe who had vitriolic experiences with the invaders, so were most likely presented with the worst side of the Vikings. Archaeological excavations have shown evidence of homesteads, farms, and market placeplaces, where discarded or lost articles tell of a usual everyday life. As the Viking period progressed, society changed leading Chieftain families put in sufficient land and power to form the basis for kingdoms, and the first towns were founded.These market places and towns were based on crafts manship and trade. Even though the town brood Vikings kept cattle, farmed, and fished to meet their household needs, the towns probably depended on agricultural supplies from far areas. They also unfortunately did not pay as much aid to renovation and waste disposal as they did to town planning, as manifest by the thick layers of waste around settlements. In contemporary time... ...ted to swag and stem and these were bolted to each other with iron rivets. This shell provided strength and flexibility, then, ribs were do from naturally curved trees were fitted and these provided additional strength. To increase flexibility, strafes and ribs were boundtogether. Lateral complement came from cross supports at the waterline, and solid logs braced the mast.Our main knowledge of Viking art comes from metal jewelry, the format of which is modest. The choice of motif is the same as with woodcarving. The artists were indifferent with imaginary animals which were ornamentally carved, t wisted and braided together in a miserly asymmetric arabesque, their quality of work was superb. The Viking raids tapered off around the twelvemonth 1000. By this time the Vikings had become Christian, which had a restrictive effect on their urge to plunder. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway had become separate kingdoms generally united under individual monarchs. Wars wer now steered by the shifting alliances of the kings. The age of private battles was gone. Trade dealings that were established in the Viking period continued, and the Nordic countries emerged as part of a Christian Europe.