4/30/2023 0 Comments Ancient nordic warriorsThe Vikings cultivated warrior cults of the wolf and of the bear. This was a splendid palace, where warriors fought each other every day. In Norse mythology, if you died during combat and you truly enjoyed fighting, you would receive a place in Valhalla. The Viking warriors excelled in hand-to-hand combat and learned to fight at an early age. Vikings had a strong warrior culture, which made violence a common feature of their daily life. The Valhalla is the Viking version of heaven (Image: ) But once again, archaeology substantiates the Saga’s claims that the Vikings did indeed reach North America, making them the first Europeans to do so.A Viking warrior - an artistic depiction from a computer game Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Whatever its ultimate purpose, the site was short-lived as it was only occupied for a few years, suggesting any such attempt was doomed to failure. Perhaps the site at L’Anse aux Meadows was a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of colonization of mainland North America. A forge was discovered with 50 iron objects around it, such as late Norwegian style belt buckles and nails and rivets, all made from the local source of bog iron. It seems that the site may have been a stopping point for the maintenance and repair of boats. Viking finds on the site, which includes everyday objects such as a stone oil lamp and a birch bark case, match the style of those found in 11th century Norway. It consists of eight houses, one forge and four workshops, made out of cutting peat turf buildings exactly like Viking structures in Iceland and Greenland. The site, at L’Anse aux Meadows, was unearthed in the 1960s. Actual evidence exists in Newfoundland to substantiate this, as at the tip of the most northerly peninsula, there are the remains of an 11th century Viking settlement. Legends have always suggested the Vikings made it to America before Columbus. Wikimedia Commons L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland: Vikings in North America Recreation of the settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows. “ Halfdan made these runes” read one, while the other simply read “Arni”. In the late 20th century, runic inscriptions were found randomly carved into the western gallery of the former church. These elite Viking guards left evidence of themselves behind in the former Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. In fact, they left in such numbers and so many stayed that laws were passed in Sweden to prevent them from inheriting in the country of their birth will serving in Constantinople. The Varangian guards soon became a profitable tour of duty for Vikings. They found the basis of the Varangian Guard, the elite bodyguards of the Eastern Roman emperor. In 874 AD, 6,000 Viking men were sent to the court of King Basil II in Byzantium as part of a peace treaty between the Emperor and the Kiev Vikings who converted to Christianity. This reputation for strength and ferocity probably explains how Viking warriors found themselves in Constantinople fighting for the Byzantine Empire rather than against it. They carry axes, swords, daggers and always have them to hand.”īyzantine chroniclers recognized their worth too, noting that they were: “ frightening both in appearance and in equipment, they attacked with reckless rage and neither cared about losing blood nor their wounds”. Every man wears a cloak with which he covers half of his body, so that one arm is uncovered. As tall as palm trees, fair and reddish, they wear neither tunics nor kaftans. The Arab traveler Ahmad Ibn Fadlan marveled at the Viking physique and prowess, commenting how he had “ never seen bodies as nearly perfect as theirs. Viking prowess and strength were a marvel throughout the east. Google Images Constantinople: Bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperor Viking Runic Inscription in Hagia Sophia.
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