Overview:
Throughout the middle ages, the Norse Vikings plagued European civilization. Their actions left a impact on the Europeans, and left them with a of bit of bit of bitterness towards outsiders. The Norseman were made up of landowning chieftains, clan heads, retainers, and young clan members looking for adventure. At home they were primarily a agriculture based people, and when they went out to sea they became raiders and pillagers. Were the Vikings the bloodthirsty barbarians history has depicted them as or were they simply overcoming the harsh environment that they lived in?
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HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE VIKINGS?
What we know and how we know comes from many different sources:
What we know and how we know comes from many different sources:
- visible remains such as Norse rune- and picture stones and grave monuments as well as a few embroidered tapestries
- annals or chronicles written by European monks and others during the Viking Age
- Norse literature such as the sagas, the Eddas and Heimskringla (the history of Norwegian Kings) which were written 200-300 years after the end of the Viking Age, and finally
- archeology, physical anthropology, and interdisciplinary excavations and analysis.
Document 1: Viking Food Sources
Document 2: Norse Creation Myth
Document 3: The Longship
The Viking long ship was an impressive engineering master piece. It was constructed by first splitting wood and laying down one long central “keel.” Then bent timbers and cross beams were nailed to the keel. They overlapped wood pieces, connected to the beams to create the shell of the ship. These vessels needed only 3 feet of water to sail. Oarsmen could propel the ship, or the Vikings could use the wind. This made them pivotal for successful sneak attacks on unsuspecting villages.
Document 4: Viking Exploration
Vikings did not only use their ships for pillaging. They were also expert explorers. Viking’s originated from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; however, their villages can be found throughout England, Ireland, Greenland, and North America.
Document 5: Lief Erikkson
- What does the map and Leif Erikson’s biography tell you about the culture of the Vikings?
- Why did the Viking attacks on Europe end?
Document 6: Raid at Lindisfarne
Document 7: Blood Eagle
The blood eagle is known to us through ancient Nordic legends. When a person is to be executed in this way, they are forced to lie face down on a table while the execution cuts a slit in their back giving access to the rib cage. The ribs are then cut so they expand out into the shape of wings. These are references in Norse literature which mention the ritual.
Question:
Were the Vikings guilty of being blood thirsty pillagers, or were they just like any other civilization, overcoming a harsh environment? In your answer be sure to explain what documents helped you come to your conclusion and why?
Standards:
- B.12.1 Explain different points of view on the same historical event, using data gathered from various sources, such as letters, journals, diaries, newspapers, government documents, and speeches
- B.12.2 Analyze primary and secondary sources related to a historical question to evaluate their relevance, make comparisons, integrate new information with prior knowledge, and come to a reasoned conclusion
- B.12.15 Identify a historical or contemporary event in which a person was forced to take an ethical position, such as a decision to go to war, the impeachment of a president, or a presidential pardon, and explain the issues involved