Misconceptions about Vikings

I've noticed in some recent comments here and there that some people have some fanciful, but maybe slightly inaccurate perceptions of the "Vikings" and where they came from.

Myth Number 1: The Vikings came from Iceland.

The more accurate answer: Well, they certainly didn't originate in Minnesota, and they certainly didn't come from Iceland.

They were a conglomerate of Germanic tribes that had migrated northward into present day Denmark, then Sweden, Finland, and Norway and neighboring isles. One of the foremost chroniclers of the Vikings was Adam of Bremen (11th century), who described one of Denmark's islands, Sjaelland (Zealand) as:

       "famous for the valour of it's people and the richness of it's produce."

Some believe the Vikings gave Iceland it's name to fool other explorers into thinking it was inhospitable, and the name Greenland to lure them to that much icier place, instead. However, more reliable sources indicate that Iceland was given it's name by an explorer named Floki, after his first harsh winter there in 860 AD.

And Vikings weren't the first foreigners to colonize Iceland. When they arrived, they found, probably to their consternation, the Irish had beat them there. 

Greenland, however, was named as a ruse. Erik the Red sailed there from Iceland, and although the land was harsh and inhospitable, it would be a great place to establish trade with the native Innuit. He returned to Iceland and told others of the wonderful "Green Land," in order to lure people there to establish a colony.

Myth Number 2: The Vikings were dirty.

The more accurate answer: Actually, out of all the people living in that area of the world, the "Vikings" and the people associated with them were the cleanest. They took great pride in their appearance. Archeologists have discovered a whole lot of their combs, tweezers, razors and other hygiene items. The people of ancient Scandinavia detested the common plague found literally everywhere and on every foreigner they encountered--lice--and that Nordic blonde hair often wasn't natural. The Norse dyed their hair because it killed and prevented lice.

They also took frequent baths in hot springs, often more than once a week, which was much more frequent than their stinky European counterparts.

Myth Number 3: The Vikings were cruel barbarians.

The more accurate answer: The Vikings have a reputation for being the most feared raiders of their age. They supposedly killed without mercy, plundered everything, and left destruction in their wake.  While it is true the Vikings were often feared, it is also true they were also welcomed--as traders. Their trading expeditions were just as important, if not more so, than their raiding expeditions.

However, because of their reputations as raiders, the countries that traded with them did so only with tight enforcement of "no violence" rules.

Myth Number 4: The Vikings wore horned helmets.

The more accurate answer: Come on, you guys should already know by all the recent interest about Vikings in popular media. The horned helmet was actually conceived by an opera costume designer.

Vikings were efficient fighters, and helmets with ungainly horns not only added extra weight, but could easily get caught or snagged on tree branches, people's limbs, or in any number of odd places.

Not one horned Viking helmet has ever been found, and I'm pretty sure none will ever be.

Myth Number 5: The Vikings were untrained and haphazard fighters.

The more accurate answer: The Vikings were some of the most cohesive, strategic fighters of their time. They conceived battle plans so clever and so varied, their enemies couldn't predict when, where, or how they'd strike. Their methods of surprise, deceit, and psychological tactics likely caused much of the fear associated with them.

However, their style of fighting was rudimentary. They had no standing "army," and their cohesiveness was the bonds of loyalty to friends, family, and their lords. The importance of honor among their culture was unmatched at the time. This made their fighting style difficult to defeat.

Children were taught to fight as soon as they could hold a spear, and some participated in their first battle at the age of twelve. Spears were the predominant weapon, but they excelled in close, hand to hand combat . Their shields were round, about three feet across, and very effective when forming a "shield wall" against a barrage of enemy arrows. The Vikings television series actually portrays this fairly accurately.

Well, there are a few of the myths associated with the Vikings. There are many more, and I'll talk about them in future posts. Obviously, that period of history is extremely interesting to me, and there's so much I want to share, but these kinds of blog posts take a chunk of time to write, and time is something in short supply lately. For now, these pre-workday, early morning posts will have to do.

Happy Wednesday!