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    Were The Vikings Actually Barbarians

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    While vikings were often portrayed as barbaric, this document analyzes whether they truly fit the definition of barbarians. Vikings were not entirely nomadic as they settled in various parts of Europe for hundreds of years, and they had sophisticated religious practices involving worship of multiple gods. They also exhibited cultural similarities through their craftsmanship and shipbuilding. While vikings raided villages, the view of them as barbaric may have originated from biased accounts by those they attacked and from the acts of a subgroup known as berserkers. Overall, the document suggests vikings were more organized and cultured than typically portrayed.

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    Were The Vikings Actually Barbarians

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    api-321663100
    200 views9 pages
    While vikings were often portrayed as barbaric, this document analyzes whether they truly fit the definition of barbarians. Vikings were not entirely nomadic as they settled in various parts of Europe for hundreds of years, and they had sophisticated religious practices involving worship of multiple gods. They also exhibited cultural similarities through their craftsmanship and shipbuilding. While vikings raided villages, the view of them as barbaric may have originated from biased accounts by those they attacked and from the acts of a subgroup known as berserkers. Overall, the document suggests vikings were more organized and cultured than typically portrayed.

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    While vikings were often portrayed as barbaric, this document analyzes whether they truly fit the definition of barbarians. Vikings were not entirely nomadic as they settled in various parts of Europe for hundreds of years, and they had sophisticated religious practices involving worship of multiple gods. They also exhibited cultural similarities through their craftsmanship and shipbuilding. While vikings raided villages, the view of them as barbaric may have originated from biased accounts by those they attacked and from the acts of a subgroup known as berserkers. Overall, the document suggests vikings were more organized and cultured than typically portrayed.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    200 views9 pages

    Were The Vikings Actually Barbarians

    Uploaded by

    api-321663100
    While vikings were often portrayed as barbaric, this document analyzes whether they truly fit the definition of barbarians. Vikings were not entirely nomadic as they settled in various parts of Europe for hundreds of years, and they had sophisticated religious practices involving worship of multiple gods. They also exhibited cultural similarities through their craftsmanship and shipbuilding. While vikings raided villages, the view of them as barbaric may have originated from biased accounts by those they attacked and from the acts of a subgroup known as berserkers. Overall, the document suggests vikings were more organized and cultured than typically portrayed.

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    Vikings

    Were they actually barbarians?

    What Is a Barbarian?
    In order to know if the vikings were barbarians, we have to first know what makes someone
    a barbarian and if the vikings fit that description.
    According to several sources, a barbarian is often described as;
    (2,3)A brutal, unorganized or savage person, who is nomadic and without culture or education.

    Were They Nomadic?


    Most barbarians were nomadic, meaning they never fully settled in one place, but
    were vikings this way?(8)I believe they were, Vikings came from three countries of
    Scandinavia; Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They settled down in many different
    areas. The vikings mostly settled in parts of Britain such as Scotland and eastern
    England, and for 500 years they ruled north of Scotland, the Orkney, Shetland
    isles and Hebrides, the islands of the west coast. So it depends on how you look
    at it, the vikings were nomadic in a way because they spread out and reallocated
    in different countries, so they settled in those countries.

    What Was Their Religion?


    One factor showing that vikings were not barbarians is shown in their religious
    culture. The Viking age was a period of considerable religious change in
    Scandinavia, and in the beginning, almost all of the Vikings were pagans.
    (5)Vikings always worshipped their gods in open air, they would usually worship in
    natural places, for example; by large rocks, unusual trees or by a waterfall. The
    most important gods/goddesses were Odin, the god of knowledge, magic, poetry
    and war, Thor, the god of thunder and protection, and Freya, the goddess of
    fertility, love, marriage and growing things. They worshipped many gods, so it was
    no problem for them to accept Christianity next to their other religions. So later
    after settling in England, in 1000 CE Christianity became more important to them.

    Did They Have a Common Culture?


    Although the vikings were not all under the rule of one leader, but instead were
    part of several small groups under the rule of different leaders, vikings did in fact
    share a similar culture between them. They were pagans and worshipped many
    gods which likely brought them closer together for sharing a similar belief. We
    rarely hear about viking arts but often hear about their craftsmanship of weapons
    and ship building which are both considered art and a very big part of their culture.
    (7)

    Did The Vikings Have an Education?


    Vikings did not get a school education. Instead they would learn the things their
    parents, grandparents, siblings or friends would teach them. They didnt need to
    know math or science, knowing how to farm, craft or trade would be way more
    useful knowledge to them.(1)The old vikings would tell stories and pass on
    knowledge to the viking children that would teach them valuable lessons, which
    would help them learn important skills for a viking. A viking child would learn from
    living.

    Were They Organized?


    Yes they were, this is shown in their military strategies and craftsmanship. An
    example of this would be their tactic called the shield wall were the soldiers
    would work together to erect a wall by stacking all their shields on top of each
    others and put their spears through the gaps pointing outward, much like the
    roman phalanx. The Vikings were known for setting up colonies in the areas that
    they defeated through battle or ambush attacks. Their raids were often organized
    by royal leaders, and the leaders would be at the front of the battle as they
    acquired their position by their skill. Another great example would be their
    organisation in building ships.(6)Working together to make the longboats that were
    so successful.

    Where Did The Idea Come From?


    Yes the vikings raided villages, and killed women and children while doing so. But
    they dont exactly fit the description of being a barbarian. So why did we all think
    that they were? One reason could be that the information we got about them was
    written by the people they pillaged, and they tried to make them look bad. They
    lived in a bloody time, where the people of the countries they would raid were also
    very ruthless themselves.(4)Another reason could be because of the branch of
    viking berserkers who were known to ingest some type of drug which would cause
    them to become like rabid animals, complete feats of superhuman strength and be
    nearly undefeatable. Wherever the idea came from what we now know about
    vikings, tells us that not all of them were actually barbaric or savage.

    Bibliography
    1-http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/the-vikings/viking-children/: Education
    2- http://www.thefreedictionary.com/barbarian : Barbarian Definition
    3- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/barbarian : Barbarian Definition
    4-http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/viking-berserkers-fierce-warriors-or-drug-fuelled-madmen001472 : Viking Berserkers
    5- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/religion_01.shtml : Religion
    6- http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/vikings_at_sea/ :Boats
    7- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings
    8- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Age
    Images from google search

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