History of Norway, Part 1 - The Viking Age

[dgfred]

Maybe they used walrus tusk or something of that nature .

 

[thetrooper]

This is a picture of "The Gjermundbu helmet".

Want to see the complete story:

http://www.medsca.org/gjerm_intro.html

 

[privatehudson]

Damn, so the Blackadder joke wasn't valid then

 

[thetrooper]

D**n, so the Blackadder joke wasn't valid then

You mean the series with Rowan Atkinson? I have seen a few, but I can´t remember any jokes about viking helmets

 

[privatehudson]

During the WWI series something like the following is said:

Bob: But sir, I wanted to see the war being fought SO badly!
Blackadder: Well your in luck then! A war hasn't been fought this badly since Olaf the incredibly hairy ordered 10,000 viking war helmets with the horns on the inside

 

[thetrooper]

@privatehudson: Olaf the incredibly hairy

Harald Hårfagre = Harald Fairhair (Hårfagre, of the beautiful/long hair).

I think I will have to order!

 

[thetrooper]

Could I ask you for a (ore more) map with all the most important places of Vikings history (with original viking names ) ???

Many trading stations were established in Norway during the Viking age. Such places were called markets (marknaðr, kaupangr). There were no cities/towns in this period. The vast majority were coastal. Rolvsøy, Oddernes, Avaldsnes, Giske, Ørlandet, Lade, Tjøtta, Sandnes, Steigen and Bjarkøy.

What is the definition of city/town? A city differs from trading stations, fishing camps or other small settlements by a continuous development and interaction with the surroundings. Economy, administration, culture and religion are important tasks to handle for a young city. These operations will give the city a structure in proportion to the surroundings (a more dense population). Specialist citizens (merchants, craftsmen, officials, etc.) provide a different social structure to the city. All these functions were continually developed through time.

Norwegian historians have developed two main theories (I am lost in translation here ):

P. A. Munch (1849) "Strandstedsteorien": most medieval cities were developed from trading stations and fishing camps.

Gustav Storm (1900) "Kongestadsteorien": the most important cities were founded directly by the King (Konge = King).

Archaeological evidence supports Munchs theory - continuity in the city development.

Norwegian kings founded many cities in the period 1000-1100:

Nidaros (Trondheim): Olav Tryggvason (995-1000).
Sarpsborg: Olav Haraldsson (1015-1030).
Oslo: Harald Hardråde (1046-1066).
Bergen: Olav Kyrre (1066-1093).
Konghelle: Sigurd Jorsalfare (1103-1130).
Tønsberg ?

Source: Jon Vidar Sigurdsson "Norsk Historie 800-1300" © Det Norske Samlaget. Thanks a bunch Jon Vidar!

I will post a map later...

 

[Terje]

Great article, thetrooper, allthough most was known to me, it's nice to get a reminder

Btw, I support Munch's theory.
Kings may have had lots to say in those days, but if a king founded a city in an inhospitable site, it wouldn't have lasted long.
And I also believe that on most sites of king-founded cities there stood a small hovel or something before that...

 

[thetrooper]

Nice to see some fellow norwegians post here (finally)!

Request: I still need good maps from the Viking age. Hint!

 

[Terje]

I think you may find some original viking maps here:

http://historymedren.about.com/library/atlas/blatscandex.htm

 

[thetrooper]

Not exactly what I was hoping for, but thanks anyway Terje!

I am looking for maps with early Viking city names...

 

[Terje]

I could probably hav helped you with some, but I have left my Thor Heyerdahl book "The Hunt for Odin" at home, and I won't be going there for any time soon, so....

But here are some of the more obvios ones:
York - Jorvik
Trondheim - Nidaros
Bergen - Bjørgvin
Novgorod - Something ending with -gard, I can't seem to make myself remember the rest...

Those were the once at the top of my head. Maybe I'll find some more tonight...

 

[thetrooper]

Nidaros and Bjørgvin were founded by kings - I have posted that above. I hope you will be able to find your Heyerdahl book. I have some material, but I have to screen through 3 books :sigh:

 

[dgfred]

Nidaros and Bjørgvin were founded by kings - I have posted that above. I hope you will be able to find your Heyerdahl book. I have some material, but I have to screen through 3 books :sigh:

So was Fredrikstad founded by my great, great, great, great grandad?
If not , I'm going to say so anyway . My last name being
Frederick and all .

 

[thetrooper]

Fredrikstad was founded by King Fredrik II in 1567.

stad (as in Fredrikstad) meaning city, so Fredrikstad is "Fredriks city".
I was not aware that you had royal blood in your veins dgfred!

 

[dgfred]

Fredrikstad was founded by King Fredrik II in 1567.

stad (as in Fredrikstad) meaning city, so Fredrikstad is "Fredriks city".
I was not aware that you had royal blood in your veins dgfred!

I wasn't either . Someday I will have to visit 'my' city and my

Royal cousins . BTW could you possibly post a picture or 3

of the town sometime?

 

[Richard Cribb]

I could probably hav helped you with some, but I have left my Thor Heyerdahl book "The Hunt for Odin" at home, and I won't be going there for any time soon, so....

But here are some of the more obvios ones:
York - Jorvik
Trondheim - Nidaros
Bergen - Bjørgvin
Novgorod - Something ending with -gard, I can't seem to make myself remember the rest...

Those were the once at the top of my head. Maybe I'll find some more tonight...

I believe the ancient name of Novgorod was Holmgard.
And a couple of more from the top of my head.
Jomsborg - today Wolin in Poland (i guess you have heard about the Jomsvikings?).They have a terrific viking festival every summer, and it seems like our mjød comes from the Polish word miod.
There is also Birka, today Björkö, Swedens first real town and Hedeby in southern Denmark,in the Viking era an important trade-center.
I am supposed to be a historian, but I don't seem to have a decent historical atlas , I will however do some research on this.I have to admit that I haven't been dealing much with the Vikings for years apart from a small discussion on one of the forums here were the topic was whether the Vikings were that bad or not (my position was that they were not).
In any case trooper!
And Terje, nice link, I am a sucker for such old stuff.

 

[thetrooper]

@dgfred: I will post more pictures in OT - " Pictures of your city" thread. I believe that you have seen one of them there ("The Old Town"). The reason for this: Fredrikstad was founded late compared to the "Viking cities" discussed here.

@luceafarul: "Mead was especially popular with the Slavs and was called in Polish miod (pronounced myoot), meaning honey." source Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

[Richard Cribb]

Mead was especially popular with the Slavs and was called in Polish miod (pronounced myoot), meaning honey[/I]." source Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Thanks for checking out what I was too lazy to do myself, I know that miod means honey in Polish - I have spent quite a lot of time in Poland in the few past years. I wasn't sure however about where the word or the beverage originated from.

 

[Terje]

I believe the ancient name of Novgorod was Holmgard.
I am supposed to be a historian, but I don't seem to have a decent historical atlas

Thanks! It was originally named Kholmgard, wasn't it? Or was that the Russian version of the name?

Anyway, I'll check my Heyerdahl book and my historical and archeological atlases once I get home tonight. Should have done that weeks ago...

Speaking of Heyerdahl, luceafarul, have you read his "The Hunt for Odin" book? (Jakten på Odin)
If yes (or if you've just heard of it), what's your view on it, as a historian?