2025013 The warriors who raided Britain

The warriors who raided Britain

12.8级 514词 非虚构 #History #Featured #Quiz

The word "Viking" summons up images of fearsome warriors arriving from across the sea, intent on destruction. 

Who were these scary fighters and how did they shape Britain and Ireland?

*Who were the Vikings?*

The Vikings were warriors from Scandinavia, a part of northern Europe comprising Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. 

Between the 8th and 11th centuries, they utilized their swift ships to raid towns and villages in Britain and Ireland. 

Their notorious reputation earned them the name "Viking", which translates to "a pirate raid" in Old Norse, a Scandinavian language. 

They were part of extensive families, known as clans, led by chiefs.

*When did they arrive in Britain?*

The inaugural Viking raid on Anglo-Saxon Britain occurred in AD 793. 

At that time, the land was fragmented into several kingdoms. 

In 865, a contingent of Vikings from Denmark (the Danes) conquered multiple regions. 

Norwegian Vikings settled on Scotland's Shetland and Orkney Islands, with additional Viking settlements established on the Isle of Man and in Ireland, where they founded kingdoms such as Dublin and Limerick.

*What was Viking life like?*

To the peoples they conquered, they were synonymous with violence and village burnings, yet at home, they were farmers and fishermen. 

Most Vikings were illiterate, but they narrated epic tales, known as sagas, chronicling their voyages and battles. 

Vikings maintained their own governance, and laws were orally transmitted rather than inscribed. 

Disputes were resolved at a gathering called a "Thing"; the Isle of Man’s contemporary parliament, the Tynwald, originated over 1,000 years ago as a Viking Thing.

*What did the Vikings believe in?*

While most Britons adhered to Christianity, Vikings worshiped a pantheon of gods and goddesses. 

This ensemble comprised Odin and his queen Frigg, Thor, the god of thunder, and Loki, the mischievous deity, alongside Hel, ruler of the underworld, and Freyja, the goddess of love and beauty. 

Vikings held the belief that warriors who perished in battle would proceed to Valhalla, a paradise governed by Odin. 

They were interred with their most cherished possessions, including weapons and tools.

*Where did they go?*

By the 11th century, the Vikings were no longer an autonomous band of warriors. 

Many found life in Britain and Ireland more appealing than in Scandinavia, opting to settle, marry, and raise families. 

Others returned to tend their native farms. 

The Vikings' heritage endures through their lore, craftsmanship in weapons and jewelry, and their cultural imprints in numerous films, books, and TV series, exemplified by the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise. 

Traces of their influence are discernible in place names across Britain and Ireland—search for towns ending in -thorpe (settlement), -thwaite (woodland clearing), -by (village or farm), -wick (bay), or -ey (island). 

Indeed, the ethereal echo of the Vikings persists all around us