Times Of Vikings And Conversions

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Times of Vikings and conversions

Runicstones in Jelling

Jelling Church

The Jelling Mounds

Runicmaster 2003

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800 - 1050
The Northern countries meet the Christian world

From the 4th until the 8th century the Christianity comes closer and closer to the boundaries of The Northern countries. Among the southern German tribes a large scale of work is done to convert the people. The people converted were enrolled as part of the strong organization of the Roman church. Thus became the people of South- and West Europe united in a united church culture.

The Franks were converted about the year of 500, The Anglo-Saxon in the 7th
century , then The Frisians, and when Karl The Great about the year of 800 defeated The Saxons, the Christianity had then reached the Danish borders. In Denmark this religion had already been known through trading connections to England and The Frisian town Dorestad, and in 826 Ansgar traveled to Denmark.

But this cultural movement from the south toward the north was meet by a contra movement from the north toward the south: The Viking raids, as the Northern people from the end of the 8th century in great numbers and soon in thousands turned around as enemies and conquerors against the Christian countries.

This Nordic movement in great numbers was due to desire to fighting and looting, but mostly though because of the over population in the countries, as the developed agricultural land could not provide for them. For more than 200 years lasted this crises, which was formed by these two historical movements, the raids of the Normans and the Christian cultures moving ahead. It first stopped, when Christianity had conquered Denmark and Norway.

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The Raids of the Normans

The sources are foreign chronicles. The Icelandic sagas stories are often not sufficient trustworthy. Saxo does not know the time of the Vikings as a certain period at all.

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The Armies of the Vikings

The united name, under which all the Nordic worriers were known abroad, is Normans, men from the North. In the beginning they came on small flotillas under one single chief. Later the flotillas became larger and were formed by unions among more chiefs, each with his own worriers. One of the chiefs were the leader, whom the others without hesitation obeyed in fighting, without for that reason to regard himself as less than him. When the Franks asked the conqueror of the Normandy, what was the name of their master, they answered: We have none, we are all equal.

When the army camped among a hostile population, severe discipline and firm rules were required to maintain peace among the Nordic worriers. Saxo has written down a series of "laws" about punishment for not obeying the laws, parting of the lootings
and so on, which laws he places under king Frode Fredegod. It is possible that it is the Vikings juristic laws.

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The Viking vessel from Gokstad wearing sail

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The Vikings, who were kept together by strong discipline, were far better skilled in the art of war than the Christian people. The Northern people were masters in conquering armed towns, they could drag their vessels shorter distances over land, and when danger, they pulled together to an un penetrating shield castles.

The attacked peoples were week and parted. The Karolinger country was split up after 840 in three. Each of these were furthermore split up because of objections within the kings family and because of the lower kings` wish to govern themselves, so that each place had to fight off their own enemies. Furthermore, neither the Franks nor the Anglos had any sea power. The Normans could undisturbed reach right to the coast, and even far up the rivers. In their fast vessels they came straight to the place, they wanted to conquer, faster than the defenders could gather. So the Normans did not
need to prepare fighting at sea. Their vessels were overloaded with people.
The Viking flotillas were transport flotillas, not war flotillas. Only those countries, who armed boats to meet them at sea, were able to keep them away, such as Alfred The Great and the Spanish Maurers. The wild attacks of the Normans filled the Christian people with horror. In the churches they preyed: Be free us, God, from the wild Normans.

Viking Raids until 911

Shortly before 800 the first Vikings showed up by the shores of England and France. In more than one hundred years the raids continued with raising cruelness, until they after the conquer of Normandy started to diminish. Within these one hundred years you can distinguish between three steps of development.

1) Only small scale fleets, who plunder here and there on the coasts and then hurry back with the looted goods - 2) The conquered treasures calls on more anticipants. The small fleets joint together under one united chief. They dare to go far up the rivers to find the richest churches and monasteries in the interior of the countries. The goal is still only plundering. Regner Lodbrog is the most famous sea king at that period.
- 3) From about 850 it becomes normal for the Vikings to stay for the winter in the foreign countries, at first at islands in the river mouths, then in armed camps at the continent, from where they often rule large areas. The fleets are enormous and have for years harbor space in wide rivers like Schelden.

The Vikings are now regarded as "the army", and they go ahead after a firm plan and united. The Vikings bring women and children from their homes. At some places the raids are still plundering raids, but at other places migration of people. In this period the Lodbrog sons conquer North England. The borders of the Danish lands in England, Danelag, are agreed upon 878. Svearne makes the foundation for Gardarige. Rollo becomes 911 Normandy.

The 10th Century

Migration from The North is of minor extent, and new Norman states of significance are not maid. Those, who migrated to the west, converted immediately after settling down. Little by little they changed language to that of the conquered people. Danelag became dependent on the English kings. Nordic kings and sons of kings often went on Viking raids though, thus Knud Danaast, Olav Tryggvason and Svend Tveskæg, who around 985 started to scavenge England.

The Conquer of England

Svend Tveskæg`s repeated plunder raids lead the way for the conquer of England 1013. This decisive raid was of quite another kind than the previous once. Now it is not a chief followed by his warriors, but the king of Denmark, who with the accept of the people can use all boats in the country and by that conquer both Danelag and the Anglo-Saxon lands. The Danish rule over England lasted 1013 - 1042. Svend Estridsøn twice sent fleets to renew this ruling power, but did not succeed, and Knud Den Hellige made preparations for a great England´ raid, but he had to cancel (1085). Termination of the Viking Raids in the 11th Century.

The Norwegian king Harald Haardraade is the last regular Viking king in The North. He had for many years been chief for the Væringerne in Miklegaard (Constantinople), and he ended his life at a raid to England against Harald Godvinson (at Stanford Bridge 1066). Also his grandson Magnus Barfod (dead 1103) went on raids to Scotland and Ireland. Together with him the Viking raids ended. The Nordic people were now Christians. Their desire for fighting and adventure was taken over by the work for Christianity. The Viking raids now became crusader raids, partly to The Holey Land (Sigurd Jorsalfare), partly against heathen neighbors (Venders, Estonia, Finland).

Geographical Sight of the Lands of the Normans.

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At the Viking raids Danish, Swedish and Norwegian and at last also Icelandic people could work together. They also had almost the same language - the Danish tong. Though they could come into conflict with each other: Norwegians and Danish fought each other in Ireland, and the Swedish captured by cleverness the lands in Kjev, which two of the Danish Lodbrog sons had build up. Al together each one of the three peoples had their own ways. The Swedish mostly went to the east, the Norwegians to the west and the Danish to the southwest. And the Norwegians were not solemnly conqueror of Christian land, but also settlers on until now waste islands and shores.

Swea governing

Along the Finish Bay and The Bay of Riga smaller Swedish villages were created. Through the river roads trade with Byzans and the Arabs developed. The Swedish armies encountered the country, and the weaponless Slaves let the foreigners, whom they called "Rus" (Rusland = Russia), established Gardarige (Gaarderige) with the capital of Hilmar (Novgorod). From here their Emirs sailed down Dnjæpr and conquered the country Kjev. This was founded by other Normans, who had even raided on Miklegaard. New hordes of Nordic warriors obtained service as huskarls, partly at the Russian Emirs, partly at the Emperor. They were called "væringer". The Slaves stood far behind in culture and could not add any new behavior to the Swedish Vikings. That was some of the reason why the Swedish development became slower than Denmark's and Norway's. Soon though one could in Russia find some influence
from Byzantish culture.

Noreg governing

The Norwegians closest and oldest new settlement was placed on the Hjaltland
(Shetlands Islands). From here they went partly to the north west, partly to the south west. By the first direction they reached The Faeroe Island and Iceland (874). From Iceland they came to Greenland and Vinland (about New York?) around 1000. To the south west they settled down on the Orkneys, Suder islands, Man and Irelands coasts, where a land was established in Dublin, and in north England, where they meet the Danes. The Norwegians worked mostly with the Celtic people, and were influenced by their rich culture life. This you can trace in their poets and saga writing . In the 10th century the Norwegian Vikings were strongly influenced by the Anglo Saxon church (Olav Tryggvason and Olav den Hellige).

Dane governing

From Denmark came the great armies, which conquered North England. "Danelag´s boarders were a line from London to the north part of Wales". Here a lot of North people settled down under their own laws. From their court they believe, that the English jury has originated. They accepted Christianity and as times went by also the Anglo Saxon language, but came eventually under English rule.

At the mainland the Danes took hold at the river mouths, especially in Frisland. Furthermore they raided Ireland, South France, Spain and The Mediterranean coasts. In the end of the 9th century they raided Achen and made terrible raids toward Paris until The Emperor bought them away. But at the mouth of The Seine their power became so great, that Karl den Enfoldige 911 had to give their chieftain the land areas, which hereafter is called Normandy.

The Danes in Normandy took Christianity as their religion, and little by little also the conquered peoples language. When The Seine-Normans in the 11th century established a new country in South Italy (Aversa 1029) and conquered England (1066), they were solemnly French speaking. 1013 - 1042 the whole of England was part of the Danes
Empire, from Knud den Store´s days though as an independent country. Denmark
came under these raids under the influence of the most importent Christian culture people at that time: The Franks and The Anglo Saxons.

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