THE VIKING CIVILIZATION

DONE BY: RAMZI ABDELSALAM AL-AQTASH

Who Are The VikingsThe Vikings were adventurous seafarers and raiders from Scandinavia who spread through Europe and the North Atlantic in the period of vigorous Scandinavian expansion (800-1100 CE) known as the Viking Age. From Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, they appeared as traders, conquerors, and settlers in Finland, Russia, Byzantium, France, England, Iceland, Greenland and.... the Netherlands.

The Viking AgeThe Viking Age was a period

in European History spanning the late 8th to late 11th centuries.  Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers for trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and Anatolia.

It comes after Barbarian Invasions and before Christianization in the Scandinavian history

Viking Timeline 793 Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages first raid in England.  844 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages raid Seville in Spain 845 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages, led by Ragnor, travel up the River Seine in France 845 The French King pays a ransom to prevent the sacking of Paris860 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages attack Constantinople862 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Agesfound Novgorod in Russia  

874 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages settle Iceland 900 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages raid the Mediterranean coasts 911 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages under Rollo are settled in Normandy981 Erik the Red discovers Greenland986 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages land in Canada1000 Greenland and Iceland are converted to Christianity by the Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages 1001 Leif Eriksson reaches the American coast1050 The Ancient Viking Raiders of the Middle Ages found the city of Oslo in Norway which is established as a major trade center.

Viking ships There were two distinct classes of Viking

ships: the 'longship' and the 'knarr'. The longship, intended for warfare and

exploration, was designed for speed and agility, and was equipped with oars to complement the sail as well as making it able to navigate independently of the wind.

The knarr was a dedicated merchant vessel designed to carry cargo. It was designed with a broader hull, deeper draft and limited number of oars .

Weapons and warfare According to custom, all free Norse

men were required to own weapons and were permitted to carry them all the time. These arms were indicative of a Viking's social status: a wealthy Viking would have a complete ensemble of a helmet , shield  chainmail shirt, and sword. A typical bóndi (freeman) was more likely to fight with a spear and shield, and most also carried a seax as a utility knife and side-arm.

Literature Writing in Latin letters was introduced to

Scandinavia with Christianity, so there are few native documentary sources from Scandinavia before the late 11th and early 12th centuries. The Scandinavians did write inscriptions in runes, but these are usually very short and formulaic. The contemporary documentary sources upon which modern knowledge is based therefore consist mostly of texts written in Christian and Islamic communities overseas, that had often been negatively affected by Viking activity..

Viking letters and wepons

Famous Vikings Leif Eriksson: Leif was probably the most famous

Viking of all time. He was born around the year 970 and died sometime about 1020. Leif was an explorer who apparently arrived in North America around the year 1000. Leif was often referred to as “Leif the Lucky.” He was the son of Eric the Red. Leif went with his father to Greenland and lived there until somewhere near the year 1000 at which time he was going to return to Norway. As legend has it, as Leif was sailing back to Greenland, he was blown off course and he ended up in North America instead of Greenland. In another version of the story, Leif was sailing to the lands west of Greenland that had been sighted 15 years earlier by Bjarne Herjulfsson.  

Eric the Red: Eric is another one of the most famous Vikings in history. Besides being the father of Leif Eriksson, Eric the Red discovered Greenland and established the first European settlement in the New World there. He was born in Norway sometime during the mid-10th century as a descendant of Viking chieftains. He went to Iceland as a child, when his father was banished from Norway. Apparently Eric had a penchant for violence. While living in Iceland he committed murder and was banished from the country.  Upset with his expulsion, he sailed westward from Iceland and discovered Greenland around 981.Several years later he returned to Iceland and led an expedition of 25 ships back to the ‘new world, settling in southwestern Greenland. This settlement survived until the late 15th century. Eric the Red died sometime around the year 1000.

Viking HousesAll ancient peoples had to build homes and

other structures that would withstand their local weather patterns. These structures, for the Vikings, had to also protect them from the severe cold that was a routine part of their annual life. To do this, the Vikings often used building techniques that they found in being used by those that they conquered. This is why Viking buildings and houses vary from one region to the next. They basically took what was being used by the locals and enhanced it to shape their own art forms and culture without destroying the underlying benefits of the structure in question.

Viking Art During many of their attacks, they actually colonized their

defeated opponents, again, giving them access to new art forms and new knowledge of how to work with metals, stone, and other art media.

Some experts suggest that the greatest art forms left behind by the Vikings are the ships that they built and used in their travels. These great ships expressed a host of design and art forms that were truly unique to their time.

In addition to their beautiful ships, the Vikings were also known for their expertise in crafting brooches, buckles, and knives. Much of their jewelry contains elements of Celtic art as well as elements from earlier Roman art pieces.

The Vikings were also known for their high level of skill when it came to pottery. Many artifacts have been discovered showing that the Norse peoples understood not only the basics of pottery making but also understood advanced techniques for pottery design and art forms

Viking houses Viking-art

10 Things You May Not Know About the Vikings

1. Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets.2. Vikings were known for their excellent

hygiene.3. Vikings used a unique liquid to start fires.4. Vikings buried their dead in boats.5. Vikings were active in the slave trade.6. Viking women enjoyed some basic rights.7. Viking men spent most of their time farming.8. Vikings skied for fun.9. Viking gentlemen preferred being blond.10. Vikings were never part of a unified group.

Viking FarmingMost Vikings were farmers. Those who

lived near the sea were fishermen too. In Scandinavia the winters are cold and

dark and the land is poor. The people depended on cattle and sheep.

Every family grew oats or rye to give them flour for bread. Other important crops were peas, beans, root vegetables and cabbages

Women milked the cows and goats and made butter and cheese. Children helped to look after the poultry and the pigs.