The Ascent of Civilisation: Die Wikinger

SINOSSI

793 AD the Wikings enter history blitz-raiding English island monastery Lindisfarne followed by endless plundering and racketeering, yielding a terrifying reputation as 'divine scourge' but they also were pioneering explorers, traders and even founders of cities and realms. They started from Skandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden where they farmed poor soil and fished in small villages, only in summer men set out on far raids along European coasts, probably driven by poverty and seeking better lands, notably in the British isles and Normandy. They explored as far north as Iceland, which proved too harsh for lasting settlement. Erik the Red set off across the Atlantic to discover Greenland, settled till early 15th century. His son Leif reached America: Newfoundland, which he mysteriously named Vinland 'Wineland', which was abandoned to the natives. Their legendary 'dragon' ships gave them their name: "Vikingr" me "seafaring warriors", and a technological edge unrivaled for many centuries, complemented with a deep commercial ship type "Knorr", embarking on long, arduous routes, notably to the Byzantine east trough Russia, where they raided for slaves but also founded cities and principalities. *. Their own small town became rich commercial centers attracting international merchants, especially 'first medial Nordic metropolis' Haithabu. The Viking era as such ended trough Christian missions, long mixed with pagan superstition and practices, and establishment of their own sedentary kingdoms, outside and in some of which they were absorbed by native peoples, while others learned to trade like them. In Normandy, Danish warlord Rollo came to hold is as duchy in fief from the weaker French crown, his her William the greater Conqueror in 1066 won in the battle of Hastings his own realm uniting England.