
---- The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Northmen seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. The word was introduced to the English language with romanticism connotations in the 18th century. Today, somewhat controversially, the word is also used as a generic adjective referring to Viking Age Scandinavians. The medieval Scandinavian population in general is more properly referred to as Norse. Vikings travelled westward; Varangians travelled eastward. == Etymology == The etymology of "viking" is somewhat unclear. One path might be from the Old Norse language word ''vík'', meaning "bay", "creek" or "inlet", and the suffix ''-ing'', meaning "coming from" or "belonging to". Thus, ''viking'' would be an activity in creeks, or "creeking". A ''vikingr'' is a person engaged in such activity. Later on, the term ''viking'' became synonymous with "naval expedition, raid", and a ''vikingr'' was a member of such expeditions. A second etymology suggested derives from Old English language ''wíc'', ie. "trading city", (cognate to Latin ''vicus'', "village"). The word ''vikingr'' appears on several rune stone found in Scandinavia. In the Iceland sagas, ''víking'' refers to an overseas expedition (Old Norse ''farar i vikingr'' "to go on an expedition"), and ''víkingr'' to a seaman or warrior taking part in such an expedition. In Old English, the word ''wicing'' appears first in the 6th century or 7th century in the Anglo-Saxons poem Widsith. In medieval use (eg. Widsith, and the writings of Adam von Bremen), a ''viking'' is a pirate, and not a name for the people or culture in general. Indeed, when Scandinavian raiders left their boats, stole horses and rode across country, they were never referred to as "vikings" in English sources. The word disappeared in Middle English, and was reintroduced as ''viking'' during 18th century Romanticism. During the 20th century, the meaning of the term was expanded to refer not only to the raiders, but also to the entire period; it is now, somewhat confusingly, used as a noun both in the original meaning of raiders, warriors or navigators, and sometimes to refer to the Scandinavian population in general. As an adjective, the word is used in expressions like "Viking age", "Viking culture", "Viking colony" etc., generally referring to medieval Scandinavia. During the last century, speculations began about whether foreign traders, known as varyags who had trade posts along the Russian rivers down to the Byzantine Empire were of Scandinavian origin, and since then the term has been interpreted also to refer to tradesmen from Scandinavia who established colonies in Russia. Early Scandinavian colonies in North America are also labelled as "Viking" by modern English speakers. It should be noted, however, that no written sources, in the cases of Vinland, Rus, or Varyags, use the term "Viking." Scandinavians in general were not Vikings; they were farmers, fishers and hunters, as were most other people in Europe. As the Scandinavian shores were attacked by enemy forces, they established the defence fleet called ledung, which was also used as protection ''against'' Vikings. Though a common practice today, calling all northmen (Scandinavians) Vikings, rather than reserving the word solely for those involved in piracy, can lead to misunderstanding and confusion. As members of the ledung fleet, as well as farmers and fishers now and then attacked by Vikings, most Scandinavians probably saw Vikings as their enemies and fought against them with all their effort. == Historical records == [[Image:Ledbergsstenen 20041231.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A composite image made from several sides of the Ledberg Runestone having illustrations of what probably are Varangians in the Byzantine Empire and a Byzantine ship]] The earliest date given for a Viking raid is 787, when, according to the ''Anglo Saxon Chronicle'', a group of men from Norway sailed to Isle of Portland, in Dorset. There, they were mistaken as merchants by a royal official, and they murdered him, when he tried to get them to accompany him to the king's manor to pay a trading tax on their goods. The next recorded attack, dated June 8, 793, was on the monastery at Lindisfarne on the east coast of England. For the next 200 years, European history is filled with tales of Vikings and their plundering. Vikings exerted influence throughout the coastal areas of Ireland and Scotland, and conquered and colonised large parts of England (see Danelaw). They travelled up the rivers of France and Spain, and gained control of areas in Russia and along the Baltic coast. Stories tell of raids in the Mediterranean and as far east as the Caspian Sea. ===Adam of Bremen=== Adam of Bremen records in his book ''Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum'', (volume four): :''Aurum ibi plurimum, quod raptu congeritur piratico. Ipsi enim piratae, 'quos illi Wichingos as appellant, nostri Ascomannos regi Danico tributum solvunt''. :"There is much gold here (in Zealand), accumulated by piracy. These pirates, which are called ''wichingi'' by their own people, and ''Ascomanni'' by our own people, pay tribute to the Danish king." ===Saxo Grammaticus=== ===Rune stones=== Many rune stones in Scandinavia record the names of participants in expeditions collecting Danegeld in England, and at least two rune stones mention men who died ''i viking'', i. e. "on an expedition". A number of rune stones also use the word viking as a personal name, e. .g "This stone was erected by Halfdan and Öystein, sons of Viking." Some testify to long voyages and to the deaths of some of their participants. The following example is in fornyrðislag from the Högby Runestone in Sweden, raised by a man who mourns the loss of all his five sons: :''Góðr karl Gulli'' (The good freeman Gulli) :''gat fimm syni.'' (had five sons.) :''Fell á Føri'' (He fell on the Fyrisvellir) :''frøkn drengr Ásmundr,'' (the brave champion Asmund,) :''endaðis Ossur'' (Assur came to his end) :''austr í Grikkium,'' (eastwards in the Byzantine empire,) :''varð à Holmi'' (in Bornholm(?) he was) :''Halfdan drepinn,'' (slain, Halfdan,) :''Kári varð at Dundee/Öddi.'' (Kari so was in Dundee/at the point of Zealand (?)) :''Auk dauðr Búi.'' (Boe is dead as well.) ===Icelandic sagas=== ===13th century=== King Harald I of Norway finally was forced to make an expedition to the west to clear the islands and Scotland mainland of Vikings. Numbers of them fled to Iceland, but the Norse saga are rather subjective in their descriptions, and hence the Vikings in those sagas are sometimes characterized as heroes, later shaping the attitude against Vikings during the 18th century Romantic period. Still, in Scandinavia, no Viking was part of the society described together with other accepted professions. It may even be possible that Vikings were outlaws - several sources name Vikings in association with Jomsborg/Julin, which, according to modern history, was a refugee center for Slavic pirates, as opposed to the descriptions in the Norse saga. == Viking ships and Viking longships == There were no specific "Viking ships" or "Viking longships"; Vikings used any of the common Scandinavian longship. These boats were identical to those used by the Scandinavian defense fleets, known as the ledung. The term "Viking ships" has entered common usage, however, possibly because of its Romantic associations. There is no evidence connecting any discovered longship to any particular classical Viking raid. Nor has any "Viking" boat construction site, or harbour, been found or excavated. Thus, our knowledge of the actual boats Vikings used is limited. == The Viking Age == ''See main article Viking Age''. The period of North Germanic expansion, usually taken to last from the earliest recorded raids in the 790s until the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, is commonly called the "Viking Age." The Vikings may be seen as late joiners in the Migrations period, and thus the period links Late Antiquity with the high Middle Ages. Geographically, a "Viking Age" may be assigned not only to the Scandinavian lands (modern Denmark, and southern Norway and Sweden), but also to territories under North Germanic dominance, mainly the Danelaw, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Ireland. Contemporary with the European Viking Age, the Byzantine Empire experienced the greatest period of stability (circa 800–1071) it would enjoy after the initial wave of Muslim conquests in the mid-seventh century. Viking navigators also opened the road to new lands to the north and to the west, resulting in the colonialization of Shetland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and even a short expedition to Newfoundland, circa 1000 AD. During three centuries, Vikings appeared along the coasts and rivers of Europe, as raiders, but increasingly also as traders, and even as settlers. From 839 there were Varangian mercenaries in Byzantine service (most famously Harald III of Norway, who campaigned in North Africa and Jerusalem in the 1030s). Important trading ports during the period include Birca, Hedeby, Kaupang, Jorvik, Staraja Ladoga, Novgorod, and Kiev. Generally speaking, the Norwegian expanded to the north and west, the Dane to England, settling in the Danelaw, and the Swede, (called the Rus' (people)) to the east. But the three nations were not yet clearly separated, and still united by the common Old Norse language. The names of Scandinavian kings are known only for the later part of the Viking Age, and only after the end of the Viking Age did the separate kingdoms acquire a distinct identity as nations, which went hand in hand with the christianization. Thus it may be noted, that the end of the Viking Age (9th century–11th century) for the Scandinavians also marks the start of their relatively brief Middle Ages. :''See also: History of Denmark, List of Danish monarchs, History of Iceland, History of Norway, List of Norwegian monarchs,History of Sweden, List of Swedish monarchs.'' == Decline == After decades of trade and settlement, Christianity was introduced into Scandinavia by the 11th century, and the process of Christianization was mostly completed during the Middle Ages. However, elements of the old faith and secret blót remained until the 19th century (and played a role in the emergence of Asatru in the mid 20th century). The influence of the Norse, seeing themselves then as part of wider European civilization, as well as technical advances in warfare, made the Viking raids less desirable and less profitable, and eventually the political structures based on them were replaced by structures based more on continental feudalism. == Sagas == Norse Mythology, Norse saga and Old Norse literature tell us about their religion through tales of heroic and mythological heroes. However, the transmission of this information was primarily oral, and we are reliant upon the writings of (later) Christian scholars such as Snorri Sturluson and Sæmundur Sigfusson for much of this, both of whom were Icelanders. An overwhelming amount of the sagas were written in Iceland. Vikings in those sagas are described as if they often struck at accessible and poorly defended targets, usually with impunity. The sagas state that the Vikings built settlements and were skilled craftsmen and traders. == Modern revivals == ''See also 19th century Viking revival.'' Early modern publications dealing with what we now call Viking culture appeared in the 16th century, e.g. ''Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus'' (Olaus Magnus, 1555), and the first edition of the 13th century ''Gesta Danorum'' of Saxo Grammaticus in 1514. The pace of publication increased during the 17th century with Latin translations of the Edda (notably Peder Resen's ''Edda Islandorum'' of 1665). === Romanticism === According to the Swedish writer Jan Guillou, the word ''Viking'' was popularized, with positive connotations, by Erik Gustaf Geijer in the poem ''The Viking'', written at the beginning of the 19th century. The word was taken to refer to romanticized, idealized naval warriors, who had very little to do with the historical Viking culture. This renewed interest of Romanticism in the Old North had political implications; A myth about a glorious and brave past was needed to give the Swedes the courage to retake Finland, which had been lost in 1809 during the Finnish War . The Geatish Society, of which Geijer was a member, popularized this myth to a great extent. Another author who had great influence on the perception of the Vikings was Esaias Tegnér, another member of the Geatish Society, who wrote a modern version of ''Frithiofs Saga'', which became widely popular in the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom and Germany. A focus for early British enthusiasts was George Hicke, who published a ''Linguarum vett. septentrionalium thesaurus'' in 1703–1705. During the 18th century, British interest and enthusiasm for Iceland and Nordic culture grew dramatically, expressed in English translations as well as original poems extolling Viking virtues, and increased interest in anything Runic that could be found in the Danelaw, rising to a peak during Victorian era. Richard Wagner's works are strongly influenced by Norse mythology. === Fascism === The Romanticist heroic Viking ideal, and the Wagnerian mythology, also appealed to the Germanic supremacist thinkers of Nazi Germany, as reflected, for example, in the runic emblem of the SS, and the neo-Nazi youth organization Wiking-Jugend, and its Odal rune symbol (see also fascist symbolism). === Living History === Since the 1960s, there has been rising enthusiasm for historical reenactment. While the earliest groups had little claim for historical accuracy, the seriousness and accuracy of reenactors has increased dramatically during the 1990s, including many reenactment groups concentrating on an accurate representation of the Viking Age. == Myths about Vikings == === Horned helmets === There is no evidence whatsoever that the Vikings on any occasion wore horned helmets. This is a latter-day myth created by national romantic ideas in Sweden at the end of the 19th century, notably the Geatish Society, blending the Viking Age with glimpses of the Scandinavian Bronze Age some 2000 years earlier, for which actual horned helmets, probably for ceremonial purposes, are attested both in rock carvings and by actual finds (See Bohuslän [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhornedhelmet.html]). The cliche was perpetuated by cartoons like Hagar the Horrible and Vicky the Viking (anime). === Skull cups === The use of human skulls as drinking vessels is also unhistorical. The rise of this myth can be traced back to a mistranslation of an Icelandic kenning. In the Latin translation of the Krakumal by Mágnus Ólafsson (in Ole Worm's ''Runer seu Danica literatura antiquissima'' of 1636), warriors drinking ''ór bjúgviðum hausa'' [from the curved branches of skulls, i.e. from horns] were rendered as drinking ''ex craniis eorum quos ceciderunt'' [from the skulls of those whom they had slain]. Scandinavian ''skalle'', ''skal'' means simply "shell" or "bowl". The skull-cup allegation has some history also in relation with other tribes. The Scythians, for examples, are reported to have drunk from the skulls of their enemies by Herodotus and Strabo. === Uncleanliness === The image of wild-haired, dirty savages sometimes associated with the Vikings in popular culture has hardly any base in reality. The Vikings used a variety of tools for personal grooming such as combs, tweezers, razors or specialised "ear spoons". In particular, combs are among the most frequent artifacts from Viking Age graves, and one can conclude that a comb was the personal equipment of every man and woman. The Vikings also used soap long before it was reintroduced to Europe after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. The Vikings in England even had a particular reputation of excessive cleanliness, due to their custom of bathing once a week (as opposed to the local Anglo-Saxons). As for the Rus' (people), Ibn Rustah explicitly notes their cleanliness, while Ibn Fadlan is disgusted by the women sharing the same vessel as the men to wash their faces in the morning. Ibn Fadlan's disgust is thus probably motivated by ideas of personal hygiene particular to the Muslim world (for instance, Muslims are required to wash only with running water), while the very example intended to convey the disgusting customs of the Rus' at the same time records that they did in fact wash every morning. == Famous Vikings == of Northern Europe''. Harmondsworth: Penguin. New edition 1990 by Penguin Books. ISBN 0140206701. *H. R. Ellis Davidson (1976). ''T*Askold and Dir (legendary Varangian conquerors of Kiev) *Björn Ironside (pillaged in Italy and son of Ragnar Lodbrok) *Egill Skallagrímsson (popular icelandic warrior and skald, see also Egils saga) *Erik the Red (discoverer of Greenland) *Gardar Svavarsson (discoverer of Iceland) *Guthrum (colonised England) *Harald I (founder and first king of Norway; some dispute, as part of the etymological dispute discussed above, whether he really merits the label "Viking" at all) *Harald III of Norway (king of Norway and member of the Varangian Guard) *Ingvar the Far-Travelled (the leader of the last great Swedish viking expedition, which pillaged the shores of the Caspian Sea). *Ivar the Boneless (disabled son of Ragnar Lodbrok who, despite having to be carried on a shield, nevertheless conquered York) *Ingólfur Arnarson (colonised Iceland) *Leif Eriksson (discoverer of Vinland) *Oleg of Kiev (conquered Kiev, founded Kievan Rus' and attacked Constantinople) *Ragnar Lodbrok (captured Paris) *Rollo of Normandy (founder of Normandy) *Rurik (founder of the Rus' rule in Eastern Europe) *Skagul Toste (the first Viking to exact the Danegeld) *Styrbjörn Sterki (conqueror of Jomsborg) *Thorfinn Karlsefni (colonizer of Vinland) == See also: == Culture: * Blót * Old Norse poetry * Norse mythology * Norse sagas * Skald Historians: * Adam of Bremen * Saxo Grammaticus * Snorri Sturluson Archaeology: * Birka * Danelaw * Hedeby * Helgö * Hill forts, Viking ring castles * Leidang * Old Uppsala * Temple at Uppsala * Tollund Man * Viking Age arms and armour == Bibliography == *Johannes Brøndsted (1960). ''The Vikings'', trans. Kalle Skov. Harmondsworth: Penguin. New translation 1965. ISBN 0140204598. *H. R. Ellis Davidson (1964). ''Gods and Myths he Viking Road to Byzantium''. London: Allen and Unwin. ISBN 0049400495. *Graham-Campbell, J. (''date?''). ''The Viking World''. *Rosedahl, E. (''date?''). ''Viking Age Denmark''. *Sawyer, P. H. (''date?''). ''Medieval Scandinavia'' *Sawyer, P. H. (1962). ''The Age of the Vikings'' == External links == *[http://www.northvegr.org/main.php Northvegr website:] historical texts *[http://www.lofotr.no/English/default.htm Lofotr Viking museum] *[http://www.khm.uio.no/english/viking_ship_museum/index.shtml The Viking ship museum in Oslo] *[http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/default.asp?contentSection=2 The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde] *[http://www.moesmus.dk/my.php?top=13&language=1 The Moesgård Museum in Århus] *[http://home.online.no/~joeolavl/viking/index.htm Vikingships and traditional norse wooden boats] *[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/ PBS NOVA: The Vikings] *[http://www.lost-civilizations.net/vikings-isle-man-leif-eriksson.html Vikings - Isle of Man ~ Leif Eriksson] Viking Age European history History of the Germanic peoples Warriors als:Wikinger fa:وایکینگ fo:Víkingur la:Vikingus ms:Viking zh-min-nan:Viking-lâng nds:Wikinger
==Archive== Talk:Viking/archive 1 Talk:Viking/archive 2 ==summary of archived disputes== There is some disagreement as to the ''definition'' of "Viking" in English: # it can be used to refer to a 8th-11th century Scandinavian raider or pirate, exclusively. # it can be applied to 8th-11th century Scandinavian members of naval expeditions, i.e. both peaceful traders/explorers and warlike raiders/pirates # it can be used as an adjective, denoting anything connected with Viking Age Scandinavia, i.e. extending to the entire 8th-11h century Scandinavian culture *some people have been objecting to usage (1) (User:Sjc), because to people familiar with usage (3), it seemed to suggest that all/most Scandinavians were pirates. (see archive 1) *others have been objecting to usage (3), because they are familiar with usage (1), and understand the adjective 'viking' applied to the Scandinavian culture to imply that all/most Scandinavians were pirates. This is the position reflected on User:Dan Koehl/viking (see archive 2) ''Note'' therefore, that nobody has actually been of the opinion that Scandinavians were mostly pirates at any time, although there has been some disagreement as to the importance of the raids to Scandinavian economy. But because such allegations were perceived, it has been difficult to confine the dispute to the actual definition of the term. No solution has been found, and the page is still listed on WP:RfC. The problem has no easy solution. Usage (1), or arguably (2) are undisputed the historical Scandinavian use of the word. The English meaning is intricately connected with the romantic notions that accompanied the word's introduction into the English language. Usage (3) is now undeniably widespread, although recent, and in contradiction to the correct etymological use. The ultimate aim of the article must be to ''explain'' these complications. In other articles, the word ''viking'' should be used as sparingly as possible, because obviously different people connect different notions with the term. It is advisable to use ''Viking Age'' instead whenever possible, because that term seems to be unambiguous (e.g. instead of ''a viking town'' say ''a Viking Age town''). User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 12:19, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC) Viking-hater Dan is now in charge of this page after spamming the others with his clearly biased views, wonderful. :well, the intro has been re-npoved. feel free to fix the rest. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 15:53, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC) The word "Viking" can be used to describe the raiders of the time-period, the Scandinavians of the time-period, since most were raidersm, or the traders that traveled extenively throughout Europe. :have you even read the above summary? this precise question was under prolongued discussion. What you say is just ''one'' side of the dispute. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 17:10, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC) :Dear anonymous contributor. Please consider the arguments summarized at Wikipedia:Why create an account? --User:Johan Magnus 17:42, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC) I was surprised at the etymology you present here: 'The etymology of "viking" is somewhat unclear. One path might be from the Old Norse word vík, meaning "bay", "creek" or "inlet", and the suffix -ing, meaning "coming from" or "belonging to". Thus, viking would be an activity in creeks, or "creeking". A vikingr is a person engaged in such activity. Later on, the term viking became synonymous with "naval expedition, raid", and a vikingr was a member of such expeditions.' You are of course aware of the fact that the Oslofjord area is called 'Viken' (the bay)? Any person coming from Viken could be termed a Viking. The same goes for many other place-names here. A person from Malvik would be termed a Malviking. A person who is "creeking" (whatever activity that may be) seems like a very unlikely explanation for a person who understands scandinavian. Among historians in Scandinavia one can find the explanation to be at first meaning it a person from Viken. Either the Viken people's activities as pirates OR other scandinavians raiding Viken may have been the origin of the word Viking, in the meaning and usage as in 'going in viking'; i.e. raiding. --User:SWA 15:27, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC) well, we pretty much say so in the etymology section. As you say yourself, a ''vik'' is a bay, so that a ''viking'' may be anybody from any bay, not necessarily Oslofjord. As for "creeking", the ''-ing'' may be misleading. I don't think the idea here is that ''viking'' is a verbal noun. Anyway, the suggestion is not my own of course. Apparently, "in viking" meant "on a naval expedition" and not "in a bay dweller". However, I don't know the earliest attestation of the word. In Egils saga, : Þat mælti mín móðir, : at mér skyldi kaupa : fley ok fagrar árar, : fara á brott með víkingum, "travel with vikings" obviously already means "travel with pirates". I think that "going in viking" in the sense of "going into creeks [to kill people and take all their stuff]" is the suggestion intended by the "creeking" part, i.e. "let's go creeking" meaning "let's go raiding". Maybe we need to rephrase the "creeking" bit, though. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 15:48, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC) == Speking , mlowa nasza sążnista == "{ 4 J Fiorda sine fiolners mine shram skal Dranga jeż povdarz skine pozte'aż tjagna. 5 ligatures quasi mongolian characters 6 Liódin Lcióde bródar bliód, lcjreina lcina kiozte prziódiń szfróda groóda goóda zdżreinir meina bozte botton 3 x kucki az herbu Kucki 7 Dannmerkur od girzfa Sweini Skancjiż wwji? ???? ???? Sżceżni Szsocngż ogj Sjaraldi Szoncji (szongi) Słczraldżżżir kongżżicr 8 Armańs'o. Szcżprziodarc 9 na dole XX Sczżicdir 10 steżirńs Skip'ci Szogczlandi|Szocjczlandi 11 szriStni kam ci Pśćlan'ljaSżi tżil Svidprziódar til Wramahś ocjverid lcar med bonżim (next page) ???..??? SceSctżir 12 ... Prażitcjidżir Merdzi/or pa (z)villdżi egnżi czd ljczń Wlżczdżimżer(ż<>i mier) ci SeŻtażia (ta strona sfatygowana#209)~ Scl ??celti; vid sphożi/ćżim' eźcj'a kaz/clrz samcziż|? ; Sżjżiż skallt adołhdrżi/c, Sopvó/łs/lldżi vitia Lchjincjad|Lchjingad ScjeŚta rlho/cina ocjpsra' scśżier verdżżorc ??? alzdid ;sckalltżic koma nafniminu/Sc , undir Skżriż łoćj Spokżipostni Zrzeme..Spot żićn WiCHceSrpaSzin zcerda|werda iż ołdrżi/c/un Sło/ś/nżidUżu'n... (page 84) 13 CjeGżjeSzsuj Zi Scallu arżdzirc zcliw żi ?racendeScemi (?głożidh?) BżiSkżipin niź Slri ????? Barnadi wwiZczovś końu/łs/sza zjższć' Bżiskżipniżm (ostatnie i 2".") zovie leska Biskupiń mzecti ... ..Bonda ż włsiżdaróSce.. ..sóndecz Scjandcj'eżincj'żiń łocjca ws ??? ... wwssondi gifti gośłin.cm' (m jak ń) Dottżżir/c ??? sx|h/cjo. 14 SacjaszszaS'żji Lijco''zchron Ocj Sjańs SrjĆcjżizirzsń czirs'te ctapitule bo zirciar tejsa socj,u ad'htriarjan'dć ljes'z ko''nci'z ljetid,ljsz^ rciede pssu v tm^ tracrte cjrc'ick'landS erc ps'elop'onsjus lJc'it v tm^sjalt z pszeiżże nalspcjzazcjży żcorcj Ctorinto'' pelopinsjus }" 15 jam Hasrcvandalzżzir ż Polpilszczelandzi *U can use glagolica to read the originals ::what on earth is this? If no explanation follows, I will remove it. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 16:23, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) :::That's excerpts from pages from Iceland. There are pages on web, tens of thousands. I think may be illustrative to this discursus, to look, to see, what deceased have to say. I think this little fragments do not infringement possible copyright, anyway those pages are scanned by government grants and do not have any copyright notices, also authors do not seem to hold copyright they passed away centuries ago. :::* Do you agree? :::If you get interest in particular word i can provide a reference pointer. User:Intellact 20:53, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) Joy. I knew it was new. ::::I don't get it at all. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann ==cut from "Sagas"== I cut the following from the "Sagas" section, which I assume is supposed to be about accounts in particular Norse sagas, as opposed to actual "historical sources". User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 12:33, 31 May 2005 (UTC) :''Their ruthlessness and courage in battle is well documented by contemporary chroniclers, and they were feared along the western coast of France and in Britain. It is the effectiveness of these tactics that earned them their formidable reputation as raiders and pirates, but the chroniclers paid little attention to other aspects of Viking culture. This is further accentuated by the absence of contemporary primary source documentation from within the Viking communities themselves, and little documentary evidence is available until later, when Christian sources begin to contribute. It is only over time, as historians and archaeologists have begun to challenge the one-sided descriptions of the chroniclers, that a more balanced picture of the Norsemen has begun to become apparent. The most famous "Viking settlement", Jomsborg, is today regarded as legendary by historians; it was probably nothing more than a village of Slavic pirates.''
this was a page by a group with user user:Uwe Kils, a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_administrators sysop], to change some of the ugly content of wikipedia like http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fisting&oldid=975276 we thought everybody can make suggestions for any change on Wikipedia, as advertised, but other sysops took away Uwe's status, without even voting, because of this joke http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-May/003941.html
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Viking_battles
Viking_Biological_Experiments
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Viking_Bjork
Viking_Britain
Viking_colonization_of_the_Americas
Viking_colonization_of_the_Americas
Viking_Cup
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Viking_era
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Viking_Hockey
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Viking_Line
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Viking_Metal
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Viking_metal_musical_groups
Viking_mythology
Viking_Orbiter
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Viking_Press
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Viking_Stavanger
Viking_Township,_Minnesota
Viking_Township,_MN
Viking_weaponry
Viking_weaponry/Temp
Viking
---- The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Northmen seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. The word was introduced to the English language with romanticism connotations in the 18th century. Today, somewhat controversially, the word is also used as a generic adjective referring to Viking Age Scandinavians. The medieval Scandinavian population in general is more properly referred to as Norse. Vikings travelled westward; Varangians travelled eastward. == Etymology == The etymology of "viking" is somewhat unclear. One path might be from the Old Norse language word ''vík'', meaning "bay", "creek" or "inlet", and the suffix ''-ing'', meaning "coming from" or "belonging to". Thus, ''viking'' would be an activity in creeks, or "creeking". A ''vikingr'' is a person engaged in such activity. Later on, the term ''viking'' became synonymous with "naval expedition, raid", and a ''vikingr'' was a member of such expeditions. A second etymology suggested derives from Old English language ''wíc'', ie. "trading city", (cognate to Latin ''vicus'', "village"). The word ''vikingr'' appears on several rune stone found in Scandinavia. In the Iceland sagas, ''víking'' refers to an overseas expedition (Old Norse ''farar i vikingr'' "to go on an expedition"), and ''víkingr'' to a seaman or warrior taking part in such an expedition. In Old English, the word ''wicing'' appears first in the 6th century or 7th century in the Anglo-Saxons poem Widsith. In medieval use (eg. Widsith, and the writings of Adam von Bremen), a ''viking'' is a pirate, and not a name for the people or culture in general. Indeed, when Scandinavian raiders left their boats, stole horses and rode across country, they were never referred to as "vikings" in English sources. The word disappeared in Middle English, and was reintroduced as ''viking'' during 18th century Romanticism. During the 20th century, the meaning of the term was expanded to refer not only to the raiders, but also to the entire period; it is now, somewhat confusingly, used as a noun both in the original meaning of raiders, warriors or navigators, and sometimes to refer to the Scandinavian population in general. As an adjective, the word is used in expressions like "Viking age", "Viking culture", "Viking colony" etc., generally referring to medieval Scandinavia. During the last century, speculations began about whether foreign traders, known as varyags who had trade posts along the Russian rivers down to the Byzantine Empire were of Scandinavian origin, and since then the term has been interpreted also to refer to tradesmen from Scandinavia who established colonies in Russia. Early Scandinavian colonies in North America are also labelled as "Viking" by modern English speakers. It should be noted, however, that no written sources, in the cases of Vinland, Rus, or Varyags, use the term "Viking." Scandinavians in general were not Vikings; they were farmers, fishers and hunters, as were most other people in Europe. As the Scandinavian shores were attacked by enemy forces, they established the defence fleet called ledung, which was also used as protection ''against'' Vikings. Though a common practice today, calling all northmen (Scandinavians) Vikings, rather than reserving the word solely for those involved in piracy, can lead to misunderstanding and confusion. As members of the ledung fleet, as well as farmers and fishers now and then attacked by Vikings, most Scandinavians probably saw Vikings as their enemies and fought against them with all their effort. == Historical records == [[Image:Ledbergsstenen 20041231.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A composite image made from several sides of the Ledberg Runestone having illustrations of what probably are Varangians in the Byzantine Empire and a Byzantine ship]] The earliest date given for a Viking raid is 787, when, according to the ''Anglo Saxon Chronicle'', a group of men from Norway sailed to Isle of Portland, in Dorset. There, they were mistaken as merchants by a royal official, and they murdered him, when he tried to get them to accompany him to the king's manor to pay a trading tax on their goods. The next recorded attack, dated June 8, 793, was on the monastery at Lindisfarne on the east coast of England. For the next 200 years, European history is filled with tales of Vikings and their plundering. Vikings exerted influence throughout the coastal areas of Ireland and Scotland, and conquered and colonised large parts of England (see Danelaw). They travelled up the rivers of France and Spain, and gained control of areas in Russia and along the Baltic coast. Stories tell of raids in the Mediterranean and as far east as the Caspian Sea. ===Adam of Bremen=== Adam of Bremen records in his book ''Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum'', (volume four): :''Aurum ibi plurimum, quod raptu congeritur piratico. Ipsi enim piratae, 'quos illi Wichingos as appellant, nostri Ascomannos regi Danico tributum solvunt''. :"There is much gold here (in Zealand), accumulated by piracy. These pirates, which are called ''wichingi'' by their own people, and ''Ascomanni'' by our own people, pay tribute to the Danish king." ===Saxo Grammaticus=== ===Rune stones=== Many rune stones in Scandinavia record the names of participants in expeditions collecting Danegeld in England, and at least two rune stones mention men who died ''i viking'', i. e. "on an expedition". A number of rune stones also use the word viking as a personal name, e. .g "This stone was erected by Halfdan and Öystein, sons of Viking." Some testify to long voyages and to the deaths of some of their participants. The following example is in fornyrðislag from the Högby Runestone in Sweden, raised by a man who mourns the loss of all his five sons: :''Góðr karl Gulli'' (The good freeman Gulli) :''gat fimm syni.'' (had five sons.) :''Fell á Føri'' (He fell on the Fyrisvellir) :''frøkn drengr Ásmundr,'' (the brave champion Asmund,) :''endaðis Ossur'' (Assur came to his end) :''austr í Grikkium,'' (eastwards in the Byzantine empire,) :''varð à Holmi'' (in Bornholm(?) he was) :''Halfdan drepinn,'' (slain, Halfdan,) :''Kári varð at Dundee/Öddi.'' (Kari so was in Dundee/at the point of Zealand (?)) :''Auk dauðr Búi.'' (Boe is dead as well.) ===Icelandic sagas=== ===13th century=== King Harald I of Norway finally was forced to make an expedition to the west to clear the islands and Scotland mainland of Vikings. Numbers of them fled to Iceland, but the Norse saga are rather subjective in their descriptions, and hence the Vikings in those sagas are sometimes characterized as heroes, later shaping the attitude against Vikings during the 18th century Romantic period. Still, in Scandinavia, no Viking was part of the society described together with other accepted professions. It may even be possible that Vikings were outlaws - several sources name Vikings in association with Jomsborg/Julin, which, according to modern history, was a refugee center for Slavic pirates, as opposed to the descriptions in the Norse saga. == Viking ships and Viking longships == There were no specific "Viking ships" or "Viking longships"; Vikings used any of the common Scandinavian longship. These boats were identical to those used by the Scandinavian defense fleets, known as the ledung. The term "Viking ships" has entered common usage, however, possibly because of its Romantic associations. There is no evidence connecting any discovered longship to any particular classical Viking raid. Nor has any "Viking" boat construction site, or harbour, been found or excavated. Thus, our knowledge of the actual boats Vikings used is limited. == The Viking Age == ''See main article Viking Age''. The period of North Germanic expansion, usually taken to last from the earliest recorded raids in the 790s until the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, is commonly called the "Viking Age." The Vikings may be seen as late joiners in the Migrations period, and thus the period links Late Antiquity with the high Middle Ages. Geographically, a "Viking Age" may be assigned not only to the Scandinavian lands (modern Denmark, and southern Norway and Sweden), but also to territories under North Germanic dominance, mainly the Danelaw, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Ireland. Contemporary with the European Viking Age, the Byzantine Empire experienced the greatest period of stability (circa 800–1071) it would enjoy after the initial wave of Muslim conquests in the mid-seventh century. Viking navigators also opened the road to new lands to the north and to the west, resulting in the colonialization of Shetland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and even a short expedition to Newfoundland, circa 1000 AD. During three centuries, Vikings appeared along the coasts and rivers of Europe, as raiders, but increasingly also as traders, and even as settlers. From 839 there were Varangian mercenaries in Byzantine service (most famously Harald III of Norway, who campaigned in North Africa and Jerusalem in the 1030s). Important trading ports during the period include Birca, Hedeby, Kaupang, Jorvik, Staraja Ladoga, Novgorod, and Kiev. Generally speaking, the Norwegian expanded to the north and west, the Dane to England, settling in the Danelaw, and the Swede, (called the Rus' (people)) to the east. But the three nations were not yet clearly separated, and still united by the common Old Norse language. The names of Scandinavian kings are known only for the later part of the Viking Age, and only after the end of the Viking Age did the separate kingdoms acquire a distinct identity as nations, which went hand in hand with the christianization. Thus it may be noted, that the end of the Viking Age (9th century–11th century) for the Scandinavians also marks the start of their relatively brief Middle Ages. :''See also: History of Denmark, List of Danish monarchs, History of Iceland, History of Norway, List of Norwegian monarchs,History of Sweden, List of Swedish monarchs.'' == Decline == After decades of trade and settlement, Christianity was introduced into Scandinavia by the 11th century, and the process of Christianization was mostly completed during the Middle Ages. However, elements of the old faith and secret blót remained until the 19th century (and played a role in the emergence of Asatru in the mid 20th century). The influence of the Norse, seeing themselves then as part of wider European civilization, as well as technical advances in warfare, made the Viking raids less desirable and less profitable, and eventually the political structures based on them were replaced by structures based more on continental feudalism. == Sagas == Norse Mythology, Norse saga and Old Norse literature tell us about their religion through tales of heroic and mythological heroes. However, the transmission of this information was primarily oral, and we are reliant upon the writings of (later) Christian scholars such as Snorri Sturluson and Sæmundur Sigfusson for much of this, both of whom were Icelanders. An overwhelming amount of the sagas were written in Iceland. Vikings in those sagas are described as if they often struck at accessible and poorly defended targets, usually with impunity. The sagas state that the Vikings built settlements and were skilled craftsmen and traders. == Modern revivals == ''See also 19th century Viking revival.'' Early modern publications dealing with what we now call Viking culture appeared in the 16th century, e.g. ''Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus'' (Olaus Magnus, 1555), and the first edition of the 13th century ''Gesta Danorum'' of Saxo Grammaticus in 1514. The pace of publication increased during the 17th century with Latin translations of the Edda (notably Peder Resen's ''Edda Islandorum'' of 1665). === Romanticism === According to the Swedish writer Jan Guillou, the word ''Viking'' was popularized, with positive connotations, by Erik Gustaf Geijer in the poem ''The Viking'', written at the beginning of the 19th century. The word was taken to refer to romanticized, idealized naval warriors, who had very little to do with the historical Viking culture. This renewed interest of Romanticism in the Old North had political implications; A myth about a glorious and brave past was needed to give the Swedes the courage to retake Finland, which had been lost in 1809 during the Finnish War . The Geatish Society, of which Geijer was a member, popularized this myth to a great extent. Another author who had great influence on the perception of the Vikings was Esaias Tegnér, another member of the Geatish Society, who wrote a modern version of ''Frithiofs Saga'', which became widely popular in the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom and Germany. A focus for early British enthusiasts was George Hicke, who published a ''Linguarum vett. septentrionalium thesaurus'' in 1703–1705. During the 18th century, British interest and enthusiasm for Iceland and Nordic culture grew dramatically, expressed in English translations as well as original poems extolling Viking virtues, and increased interest in anything Runic that could be found in the Danelaw, rising to a peak during Victorian era. Richard Wagner's works are strongly influenced by Norse mythology. === Fascism === The Romanticist heroic Viking ideal, and the Wagnerian mythology, also appealed to the Germanic supremacist thinkers of Nazi Germany, as reflected, for example, in the runic emblem of the SS, and the neo-Nazi youth organization Wiking-Jugend, and its Odal rune symbol (see also fascist symbolism). === Living History === Since the 1960s, there has been rising enthusiasm for historical reenactment. While the earliest groups had little claim for historical accuracy, the seriousness and accuracy of reenactors has increased dramatically during the 1990s, including many reenactment groups concentrating on an accurate representation of the Viking Age. == Myths about Vikings == === Horned helmets === There is no evidence whatsoever that the Vikings on any occasion wore horned helmets. This is a latter-day myth created by national romantic ideas in Sweden at the end of the 19th century, notably the Geatish Society, blending the Viking Age with glimpses of the Scandinavian Bronze Age some 2000 years earlier, for which actual horned helmets, probably for ceremonial purposes, are attested both in rock carvings and by actual finds (See Bohuslän [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhornedhelmet.html]). The cliche was perpetuated by cartoons like Hagar the Horrible and Vicky the Viking (anime). === Skull cups === The use of human skulls as drinking vessels is also unhistorical. The rise of this myth can be traced back to a mistranslation of an Icelandic kenning. In the Latin translation of the Krakumal by Mágnus Ólafsson (in Ole Worm's ''Runer seu Danica literatura antiquissima'' of 1636), warriors drinking ''ór bjúgviðum hausa'' [from the curved branches of skulls, i.e. from horns] were rendered as drinking ''ex craniis eorum quos ceciderunt'' [from the skulls of those whom they had slain]. Scandinavian ''skalle'', ''skal'' means simply "shell" or "bowl". The skull-cup allegation has some history also in relation with other tribes. The Scythians, for examples, are reported to have drunk from the skulls of their enemies by Herodotus and Strabo. === Uncleanliness === The image of wild-haired, dirty savages sometimes associated with the Vikings in popular culture has hardly any base in reality. The Vikings used a variety of tools for personal grooming such as combs, tweezers, razors or specialised "ear spoons". In particular, combs are among the most frequent artifacts from Viking Age graves, and one can conclude that a comb was the personal equipment of every man and woman. The Vikings also used soap long before it was reintroduced to Europe after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. The Vikings in England even had a particular reputation of excessive cleanliness, due to their custom of bathing once a week (as opposed to the local Anglo-Saxons). As for the Rus' (people), Ibn Rustah explicitly notes their cleanliness, while Ibn Fadlan is disgusted by the women sharing the same vessel as the men to wash their faces in the morning. Ibn Fadlan's disgust is thus probably motivated by ideas of personal hygiene particular to the Muslim world (for instance, Muslims are required to wash only with running water), while the very example intended to convey the disgusting customs of the Rus' at the same time records that they did in fact wash every morning. == Famous Vikings == of Northern Europe''. Harmondsworth: Penguin. New edition 1990 by Penguin Books. ISBN 0140206701. *H. R. Ellis Davidson (1976). ''T*Askold and Dir (legendary Varangian conquerors of Kiev) *Björn Ironside (pillaged in Italy and son of Ragnar Lodbrok) *Egill Skallagrímsson (popular icelandic warrior and skald, see also Egils saga) *Erik the Red (discoverer of Greenland) *Gardar Svavarsson (discoverer of Iceland) *Guthrum (colonised England) *Harald I (founder and first king of Norway; some dispute, as part of the etymological dispute discussed above, whether he really merits the label "Viking" at all) *Harald III of Norway (king of Norway and member of the Varangian Guard) *Ingvar the Far-Travelled (the leader of the last great Swedish viking expedition, which pillaged the shores of the Caspian Sea). *Ivar the Boneless (disabled son of Ragnar Lodbrok who, despite having to be carried on a shield, nevertheless conquered York) *Ingólfur Arnarson (colonised Iceland) *Leif Eriksson (discoverer of Vinland) *Oleg of Kiev (conquered Kiev, founded Kievan Rus' and attacked Constantinople) *Ragnar Lodbrok (captured Paris) *Rollo of Normandy (founder of Normandy) *Rurik (founder of the Rus' rule in Eastern Europe) *Skagul Toste (the first Viking to exact the Danegeld) *Styrbjörn Sterki (conqueror of Jomsborg) *Thorfinn Karlsefni (colonizer of Vinland) == See also: == Culture: * Blót * Old Norse poetry * Norse mythology * Norse sagas * Skald Historians: * Adam of Bremen * Saxo Grammaticus * Snorri Sturluson Archaeology: * Birka * Danelaw * Hedeby * Helgö * Hill forts, Viking ring castles * Leidang * Old Uppsala * Temple at Uppsala * Tollund Man * Viking Age arms and armour == Bibliography == *Johannes Brøndsted (1960). ''The Vikings'', trans. Kalle Skov. Harmondsworth: Penguin. New translation 1965. ISBN 0140204598. *H. R. Ellis Davidson (1964). ''Gods and Myths he Viking Road to Byzantium''. London: Allen and Unwin. ISBN 0049400495. *Graham-Campbell, J. (''date?''). ''The Viking World''. *Rosedahl, E. (''date?''). ''Viking Age Denmark''. *Sawyer, P. H. (''date?''). ''Medieval Scandinavia'' *Sawyer, P. H. (1962). ''The Age of the Vikings'' == External links == *[http://www.northvegr.org/main.php Northvegr website:] historical texts *[http://www.lofotr.no/English/default.htm Lofotr Viking museum] *[http://www.khm.uio.no/english/viking_ship_museum/index.shtml The Viking ship museum in Oslo] *[http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/default.asp?contentSection=2 The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde] *[http://www.moesmus.dk/my.php?top=13&language=1 The Moesgård Museum in Århus] *[http://home.online.no/~joeolavl/viking/index.htm Vikingships and traditional norse wooden boats] *[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/ PBS NOVA: The Vikings] *[http://www.lost-civilizations.net/vikings-isle-man-leif-eriksson.html Vikings - Isle of Man ~ Leif Eriksson] Viking Age European history History of the Germanic peoples Warriors als:Wikinger fa:وایکینگ fo:Víkingur la:Vikingus ms:Viking zh-min-nan:Viking-lâng nds:Wikinger
Viking
==Archive== Talk:Viking/archive 1 Talk:Viking/archive 2 ==summary of archived disputes== There is some disagreement as to the ''definition'' of "Viking" in English: # it can be used to refer to a 8th-11th century Scandinavian raider or pirate, exclusively. # it can be applied to 8th-11th century Scandinavian members of naval expeditions, i.e. both peaceful traders/explorers and warlike raiders/pirates # it can be used as an adjective, denoting anything connected with Viking Age Scandinavia, i.e. extending to the entire 8th-11h century Scandinavian culture *some people have been objecting to usage (1) (User:Sjc), because to people familiar with usage (3), it seemed to suggest that all/most Scandinavians were pirates. (see archive 1) *others have been objecting to usage (3), because they are familiar with usage (1), and understand the adjective 'viking' applied to the Scandinavian culture to imply that all/most Scandinavians were pirates. This is the position reflected on User:Dan Koehl/viking (see archive 2) ''Note'' therefore, that nobody has actually been of the opinion that Scandinavians were mostly pirates at any time, although there has been some disagreement as to the importance of the raids to Scandinavian economy. But because such allegations were perceived, it has been difficult to confine the dispute to the actual definition of the term. No solution has been found, and the page is still listed on WP:RfC. The problem has no easy solution. Usage (1), or arguably (2) are undisputed the historical Scandinavian use of the word. The English meaning is intricately connected with the romantic notions that accompanied the word's introduction into the English language. Usage (3) is now undeniably widespread, although recent, and in contradiction to the correct etymological use. The ultimate aim of the article must be to ''explain'' these complications. In other articles, the word ''viking'' should be used as sparingly as possible, because obviously different people connect different notions with the term. It is advisable to use ''Viking Age'' instead whenever possible, because that term seems to be unambiguous (e.g. instead of ''a viking town'' say ''a Viking Age town''). User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 12:19, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC) Viking-hater Dan is now in charge of this page after spamming the others with his clearly biased views, wonderful. :well, the intro has been re-npoved. feel free to fix the rest. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 15:53, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC) The word "Viking" can be used to describe the raiders of the time-period, the Scandinavians of the time-period, since most were raidersm, or the traders that traveled extenively throughout Europe. :have you even read the above summary? this precise question was under prolongued discussion. What you say is just ''one'' side of the dispute. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 17:10, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC) :Dear anonymous contributor. Please consider the arguments summarized at Wikipedia:Why create an account? --User:Johan Magnus 17:42, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC) I was surprised at the etymology you present here: 'The etymology of "viking" is somewhat unclear. One path might be from the Old Norse word vík, meaning "bay", "creek" or "inlet", and the suffix -ing, meaning "coming from" or "belonging to". Thus, viking would be an activity in creeks, or "creeking". A vikingr is a person engaged in such activity. Later on, the term viking became synonymous with "naval expedition, raid", and a vikingr was a member of such expeditions.' You are of course aware of the fact that the Oslofjord area is called 'Viken' (the bay)? Any person coming from Viken could be termed a Viking. The same goes for many other place-names here. A person from Malvik would be termed a Malviking. A person who is "creeking" (whatever activity that may be) seems like a very unlikely explanation for a person who understands scandinavian. Among historians in Scandinavia one can find the explanation to be at first meaning it a person from Viken. Either the Viken people's activities as pirates OR other scandinavians raiding Viken may have been the origin of the word Viking, in the meaning and usage as in 'going in viking'; i.e. raiding. --User:SWA 15:27, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC) well, we pretty much say so in the etymology section. As you say yourself, a ''vik'' is a bay, so that a ''viking'' may be anybody from any bay, not necessarily Oslofjord. As for "creeking", the ''-ing'' may be misleading. I don't think the idea here is that ''viking'' is a verbal noun. Anyway, the suggestion is not my own of course. Apparently, "in viking" meant "on a naval expedition" and not "in a bay dweller". However, I don't know the earliest attestation of the word. In Egils saga, : Þat mælti mín móðir, : at mér skyldi kaupa : fley ok fagrar árar, : fara á brott með víkingum, "travel with vikings" obviously already means "travel with pirates". I think that "going in viking" in the sense of "going into creeks [to kill people and take all their stuff]" is the suggestion intended by the "creeking" part, i.e. "let's go creeking" meaning "let's go raiding". Maybe we need to rephrase the "creeking" bit, though. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 15:48, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC) == Speking , mlowa nasza sążnista == "{ 4 J Fiorda sine fiolners mine shram skal Dranga jeż povdarz skine pozte'aż tjagna. 5 ligatures quasi mongolian characters 6 Liódin Lcióde bródar bliód, lcjreina lcina kiozte prziódiń szfróda groóda goóda zdżreinir meina bozte botton 3 x kucki az herbu Kucki 7 Dannmerkur od girzfa Sweini Skancjiż wwji? ???? ???? Sżceżni Szsocngż ogj Sjaraldi Szoncji (szongi) Słczraldżżżir kongżżicr 8 Armańs'o. Szcżprziodarc 9 na dole XX Sczżicdir 10 steżirńs Skip'ci Szogczlandi|Szocjczlandi 11 szriStni kam ci Pśćlan'ljaSżi tżil Svidprziódar til Wramahś ocjverid lcar med bonżim (next page) ???..??? SceSctżir 12 ... Prażitcjidżir Merdzi/or pa (z)villdżi egnżi czd ljczń Wlżczdżimżer(ż<>i mier) ci SeŻtażia (ta strona sfatygowana#209)~ Scl ??celti; vid sphożi/ćżim' eźcj'a kaz/clrz samcziż|? ; Sżjżiż skallt adołhdrżi/c, Sopvó/łs/lldżi vitia Lchjincjad|Lchjingad ScjeŚta rlho/cina ocjpsra' scśżier verdżżorc ??? alzdid ;sckalltżic koma nafniminu/Sc , undir Skżriż łoćj Spokżipostni Zrzeme..Spot żićn WiCHceSrpaSzin zcerda|werda iż ołdrżi/c/un Sło/ś/nżidUżu'n... (page 84) 13 CjeGżjeSzsuj Zi Scallu arżdzirc zcliw żi ?racendeScemi (?głożidh?) BżiSkżipin niź Slri ????? Barnadi wwiZczovś końu/łs/sza zjższć' Bżiskżipniżm (ostatnie i 2".") zovie leska Biskupiń mzecti ... ..Bonda ż włsiżdaróSce.. ..sóndecz Scjandcj'eżincj'żiń łocjca ws ??? ... wwssondi gifti gośłin.cm' (m jak ń) Dottżżir/c ??? sx|h/cjo. 14 SacjaszszaS'żji Lijco''zchron Ocj Sjańs SrjĆcjżizirzsń czirs'te ctapitule bo zirciar tejsa socj,u ad'htriarjan'dć ljes'z ko''nci'z ljetid,ljsz^ rciede pssu v tm^ tracrte cjrc'ick'landS erc ps'elop'onsjus lJc'it v tm^sjalt z pszeiżże nalspcjzazcjży żcorcj Ctorinto'' pelopinsjus }" 15 jam Hasrcvandalzżzir ż Polpilszczelandzi *U can use glagolica to read the originals ::what on earth is this? If no explanation follows, I will remove it. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 16:23, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) :::That's excerpts from pages from Iceland. There are pages on web, tens of thousands. I think may be illustrative to this discursus, to look, to see, what deceased have to say. I think this little fragments do not infringement possible copyright, anyway those pages are scanned by government grants and do not have any copyright notices, also authors do not seem to hold copyright they passed away centuries ago. :::* Do you agree? :::If you get interest in particular word i can provide a reference pointer. User:Intellact 20:53, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) Joy. I knew it was new. ::::I don't get it at all. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann ==cut from "Sagas"== I cut the following from the "Sagas" section, which I assume is supposed to be about accounts in particular Norse sagas, as opposed to actual "historical sources". User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 12:33, 31 May 2005 (UTC) :''Their ruthlessness and courage in battle is well documented by contemporary chroniclers, and they were feared along the western coast of France and in Britain. It is the effectiveness of these tactics that earned them their formidable reputation as raiders and pirates, but the chroniclers paid little attention to other aspects of Viking culture. This is further accentuated by the absence of contemporary primary source documentation from within the Viking communities themselves, and little documentary evidence is available until later, when Christian sources begin to contribute. It is only over time, as historians and archaeologists have begun to challenge the one-sided descriptions of the chroniclers, that a more balanced picture of the Norsemen has begun to become apparent. The most famous "Viking settlement", Jomsborg, is today regarded as legendary by historians; it was probably nothing more than a village of Slavic pirates.''
Viking
this was a page by a group with user user:Uwe Kils, a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_administrators sysop], to change some of the ugly content of wikipedia like http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fisting&oldid=975276 we thought everybody can make suggestions for any change on Wikipedia, as advertised, but other sysops took away Uwe's status, without even voting, because of this joke http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-May/003941.html
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
V
Words begining with Viking:
Viking
Viking
Viking
Viking,_Alberta
Viking,_Minnesota
Viking,_MN
Viking-pagan
Viking.e3.250pix.jpg
Viking.e3.750pix.jpg
Viking.gif
Viking/archive
Viking/archive_1
Viking/archive_2
Viking/folk_metal
Viking2-PIA00573.jpg
Vikingcarena.jpg
Vikinglander1-1.jpg
Vikinglogo.jpg
Vikingpower
VikingRaider
Vikings
Vikings
Vikings
Vikings
Vikings-Voyages.png
Vikings02.jpg
Vikings21.jpg
Vikings21.jpg
Vikingship.jpg
Vikingstad
Vikingstad
Vikingstad/monobook.css
Vikingw01.jpg
Vikingw02.jpg
Vikingw02.tif
Vikingw02.tif
Viking_(disambiguation)
Viking_1
Viking_2
Viking_2
Viking_2_Landing_Site_B_NASA_Image_807A32.gif
Viking_Age
Viking_Age
Viking_Age
Viking_age
Viking_Age.png
Viking_Age.png
Viking_Age_arms_and_armour
Viking_Airlines
Viking_automobile
Viking_battles
Viking_Biological_Experiments
Viking_biological_experiments
Viking_Biological_package.I.png
Viking_Bjork
Viking_Britain
Viking_colonization_of_the_Americas
Viking_colonization_of_the_Americas
Viking_Cup
Viking_Cup
Viking_era
Viking_F.K.
Viking_FK
Viking_FM
Viking_funeral
Viking_head.gif
Viking_Hockey
Viking_I
Viking_II
Viking_Lander
Viking_Lander_1_Phobos_Shadow_p131b.jpg
Viking_lander_model_(large).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
Viking_landing.jpg
Viking_Line
Viking_Line_AB
Viking_Metal
Viking_metal
Viking_metal
Viking_metal_musical_groups
Viking_mythology
Viking_Orbiter
Viking_orbiter_(small).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
Viking_Orbiter_1_Phobos_shadow_p101a.jpg
Viking_Press
Viking_program
Viking_program
Viking_program
Viking_revival
Viking_ring_castle
Viking_ring_castles
Viking_ring_castles
Viking_rocket
Viking_saga
Viking_ship
Viking_ship_bow_Sweden_037.jpg
Viking_Stavanger
Viking_Township,_Minnesota
Viking_Township,_MN
Viking_weaponry
Viking_weaponry/Temp
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