A Tour of the Viking Age - full documentary

Viking the word itself epitomizes adventure and ferocity, although not the most technologically advanced culture of its time, the Vikings saw more of the world than virtually any other group, the Viking spirit constantly propelled them to go beyond the next horizon from their northern homelands in Scandinavia. They headed to the rivers and seas, they headed east towards Russia, they reached Constantinople in Baghdad, to the west they sailed along the coasts of Europe and created colonies in Scotland, England, Ireland and France, the Vikings explored the Mediterranean. , they attacked Italy and the Muslim territories in Spain and North Africa. impressive of all the

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s crossed the atlantic establishing bases in iceland and greenland they even explored north america centuries before columbus's expeditions the 9th and 10th centuries were dangerous times and it was against a backdrop of empires rising and falling that the

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s ventured For most people the Vikings were terrifying the sight of their dragon-headed ships on the horizon terrified many villagers the Anglo-Saxons of the British Isles the Carolingian Franks and even the Muslims of Córdoba all fought against the Viking raiders and all experienced shock at the speed and audacity of their attacks, but not all the Vikings were violent raiders, many of them were merchants and settlers, engaged in trade from Baghdad to England and forming alliances with local rulers, in particular a band of Vikings joined the personal guard of the great emperors of Byzantium.

The Vikings were brilliant. metalworkers and craftsmen, their ships remain impressive to this day For every Viking who returned home rich with the loot, many others died in battle or perished from disease in sordid military camps or drowned in violent sea storms these men risked all for the wealth of the land and the fame at its price. courage above all else Norse religion contrasted greatly with the monotheism of Christianity and Islam which emphasized submission to the supreme being and avoidance of sin Viking gods were divine warriors and life was a contest of valor for the Norse An immense ash tree called Igdrasil lay at the heart of the universe.

The branches of Yggdrasil spread across the heavens, uniting the realms of the ice giant gods, fire giants, elves, dwarf men, and the underworld at the dawn of creation. Odin and the first gods slew. To the giant Ymir, the gods formed the world as an immense flat circle divided into three regions, each with its own inhabitants but all centered in the core of Yggdrasil. The giants were banished to the outer edges called Jotenheim from where they planned revenge for the death of Ymir. From Yamir's eyelashes the gods built a great fortress to contain the cornered giants, forming the middle kingdom called Midgard.

While they were walking along the primordial coast, Odin and his brothers came across two logs dragged by the sea. From these they formed a question and embla the first man and woman the gods gave midgard to man as their home they themselves took the central domain the celestial kingdom of asgard home of the aesir asgard reveals much about viking attitudes asgard was the great hall of a celestial warrior king a place for that the gods would feast and hold court from his great throne odin watched over the entire universe as the chiefs who honored him odin presided over his own house of warriors the heirs the bravest fighters fallen in battle dwelt in valhalla the house of odin the house of the slain a vast hall of gold with spears for beams and a roof made of shields and armor each morning the inheriar went out to fight and die in great battles at night they were magically healed and then returned to valhalla to feast on mead and meat only for march again for more war the next day the inheriar were attended by valkyries beautiful female spirits dressed in armor by order of odin the valkyries flew to the battlefields of the earth to lead the bravest of the fallen to valhalla courage earned him to a viking a place in odin's house for the norse odin in particular was associated with wisdom his gifts to man were the poetry and prophecy of runes odin himself was relentless in his pursuit of wisdom once he allowed himself to be hanged of Yggdrasil for nine days to discover the secrets of the runes, however, the most popular god was Odin's son, Thor, god of thunder, who protected men from giants.

With her magic hammer, the goddess travelers used small Thor's hammers as protective amulets, the most invoked or probably Thor's wife, Frigg, invoked by women during childbirth and Freyja, goddess of love, beauty and fertility , the location of Midgard conveys the Norse feeling that humanity exists between the order of the gods and the elemental chaos of Utgard. The outside world between Midgard and Utgard lies the sea inhabited by a huge serpent that surrounded the world and united it by biting itself. its own tail the heights of yggdrasil reached the sky and its roots penetrated into an underground well called urdswell where the gods held their assemblies igdrasil symbolized the cyclical nature of life drawing water from the well and distributing it throughout the cosmos the universe of asgard midgard and Utgard with yggdrasil at the core reflects the Norse conception of their own society.

At the center was the farm surrounded by cultivated land with a dangerous wilderness beyond, although Utgard was chaotic and terrifying, it was understood to contain the elemental matter necessary to the creation and discovery of wisdom, so the Vikings traveled beyond the Midgard of their homes. To penetrate the distant chaos of the seas eager to discover a Nordic family grew near their house a house tree a symbolic core that represented Yggdrasil and the stability and centrality of the house the historian Robert Ferguson writes anything else that was the Northern paganism was not the absence of a Viking Age culture.

The Norsemen had their own cosmology, their own astronomy, their own gods, their own social structure, their own forms of government, and their own notions of how best to live and die in the mid-8th century. Change and growth in Scandinavia was bubbling and would produce an explosion of activity, including the incredible sea voyages that would define the Viking centuries from the moment he became king of the West Saxons. Alfred the Great faced the deadly threat of the Vikings, but Alfred had considerable experience as a commander who had fought alongside his brother, the late King Athelrid. In addition, Alfred was plagued throughout his life by a medical illness described by Bishop biographer and friend of the king, states that today historians believe this may have been Crohn's disease, a chronic disease that can go into remission for long periods but is terribly painful during flare-ups although this ailment Alfred was a Very active and obedient ruler, the condition did not prevent him from having children.

Joanna Armin estimates that Alfred's first son and his first-born daughter Ethelflood were born around this time in approximately 870. Alfred the Great was crowned during a period of deep turmoil for the English of the age must have seemed like the end of days the vikings had destroyed all but two of the anglo-saxon kingdoms of britain the kings had been martyred the houses of god the monasteries had been sacked they had been left in ruins the prosperous trade of the 8th century had collapsed Learning was at a low point Alfred would later complain that south of the River Humber there was barely a literate priest left.

A month after Alfred the Great took the throne in 871 he faced two Viking armies on the battlefield near wilton the viking coalition was formidable, in fact their ranks were multiplied by the presence of the great summer army in this confrontation the anglo-saxons were defeated and alfred concluded that he could not eliminate the immediate threat to his kingdom without buying off the invaders this was a solution ancient but never permanent to Viking attacks, it often only invited greater hostility and increasingly Alfred was unable to maintain this financially ruinous policy the king's own estates could not produce the Danish guild and therefore had to be raised of the people of wessex and church property the following year the great pagan army took steps to consolidate their gains under the command of the viking chiefs at halfton they moved to murcia here the vikings established their base at repton during the winter of 873.74 Northumbria and East Anglia were already under his control in the past Wessex had brought aid to Murcia but not this time the Mercians were powerless to defeat the Danes King Bergrid and his wife were deposed and exiled Bergrid fled to Rome where he died The following year his wife King Alfred His own sister ended her days in a convent.

Never again would an independent king govern Murcia. Instead, the Danes established their own puppet ruler the following year. The Danish host divided Houston and marched north to consolidate power in Northumbria. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle simply states that Halfton divided up the territory. lands of the Northumbrians and proceeded to plow and support themselves. This passage has sparked much debate: did the Vikings confiscate land from locals or purchase property from native lords with the treasure now weighing on their coffers? Whatever the case, it is clear that Halfton's company established themselves in York as a permanent home. Here the land was fertile and opposition did not exist.

This was an ideal place for these Danish adventurers to settle and put down roots. The place names in the region today indicate the mixing of the Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon language as the ancient raiders became cultivators of the land there was also an interaction of peoples including cooperation and trade the Vikings were intermarrying with the local population and were not only warriors arriving from the Scandinavian homeland there is evidence that the Danes brought their women with them as well, another sign that the Vikings were settling as farmers and no longer acting as mere raiders while the summer host under Guthrum remained in Murcia established a base in Cambridge during the year Guthrum's ambitions were now focused on the last unconquered territory in England Wessex in 76 years Guthrum's army entered the kingdom they evaded Alfred's army taking where in Dorset at first Alfred besieged the The enemy in his stronghold was forced to retreat when he learned of a large Viking fleet sailing along the Wessex coast with the intention of reinforcing Guthrum once again.

The king had to negotiate. Guthrum swore to abandon Wessex and gave hostages as collateral. This time, however, Alfred wanted a stronger guarantee. Guthrum agreed to take the oath on a sacred ring. This was a solemn practice among the Vikings and the ring used on this occasion has been identified. such as a thor ring, a large gold band worn on the chieftain's arm used by the Danes themselves in the exchange of oaths, however, Alfred's effort to appeal to Viking piety proved futile. Guthrum did not keep his promise, perhaps the Viking leader was adopting Odin's advice from the sayings of the Supreme, if there is a man whom you do not trust but from whom you want nothing but good, speak to him fairly, but think falsely, Guthrum and his men murdered their western sacks and hostages and then slipped through the night to get out.

The aforementioned fleet was destroyed at this time by a storm off the coast of Swannage, resulting in the loss of some 120 ships, a severe blow to Guthrum's efforts after the storm. Alfred and his forces camped before King Exeter refused to attack the city. to dislodge the invaders, but the Saxons were well positioned and Guthrum was unable to resupply his army once again, the two sides reached an agreement after having terrorized Wessex for over a year, Guthrum finally retreated in August 877, meanwhile discontent was brewing among the West Saxons. Frustrated by Alfred's handling of the Viking threat, the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote to the Pope complaining about the king's practice of bribing the Danes.

Recently, some historians have suggested that high-ranking members of the West Saxon nobility may even have attempted to depose Alfred. This is why the kingdom was so woe

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y unprepared when Guthrum attacked again. The king was celebrating Christmas at Chippenham when the Danes arrived and began to wreak havoc. The Vikings had executed the maneuver brilliantly, achieving total surprise. Since Alfred's regime was collapsing and a coup d'état was underway, this would have left the king and his inner circle even more vulnerable; The surprise of the attack, together possibly with the revolt of the West Saxon nobility, left Alfred no choice but to retreat into the forest with the family and his personal retinue of warriors and his followers Alfred made the difficultjourney through the Somerset woods.

He and his companions were forced to live on what they could forage and hunt during the bitter winter months they lived as fugitives. Assert describes the virtual chaos of this period by force of arms that the Vikings forced. many Saxons sailed abroad through poverty and fear and almost all the inhabitants of that region submitted to their authority. Alfred was determined to recover from this defeat after Easter 878. He established a fortress at Athony in the middle of the Somerset marshes from here he sent intelligence. -gathering quests trying to awaken the spirits of his people and discover who would join his call against the enemy.

He also sent bands of warriors to execute quick raids against the Vikings who were not numerous enough to control the whole. of the territory in May 878, when spring turned the world green again, Alfred set out from Athely and rode to Egbert Stone, east of Selwood, in a large expanse of forest, here the king met the forces of the county whose support he could still rely on. Astr describes the relief of the West Saxons upon seeing the king's desperation had become widespread in Wessex, but now here was Alfred alive and rallying his men to defend himself against the intelligence of him and his army. gathered.

Alfred now acted decisively. The king marched with his men. Guthrum, an excellent commander. In his own right he was well aware of the movements of Alfred, the Viking leader. He prepared his own forces to meet the West Saxon counteroffensive. It was Guthrum who selected the site of the battle, positioning his forces on the top of a hill surrounded by ditches, which would force Alfred to fight uphill and also prevent the Vikings from being outflanked to the west. The Saxons now reached Eddington in Wiltshire, here they met Guthrum and his Viking army began battle. Joanna Armin writes that despite television depictions, the Saxons and Vikings used similar weapons and equipment.

Large rounded shields with metal protrusions were held on the front to form a hope

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y impenetrable wall. high status weapons owned only by the very rich, most men would have used a long spear stabbing over the shield wall in an effort to penetrate the enemy ranks when the shield walls met, both sides would have been cut off and stabbed each other trying to exploit the gaps. In the formation of the opponent, Asser describes the confrontation when, at dawn the next day, Alfred moved his forces and reached a place called Edington and fought fiercely with a compact shield wall against the entire Viking army, he persevered resolutely for a long time and He finally won the victory.

By the will of God he destroyed the Vikings with great massacre and pursued those who fled to the fortress, demolishing them Max Adams writes that Alfred's advantages lay in his command of an army that defended his homeland and in the tactical superiority of the Anglo-Saxon war. in the open field against a naval assault force honed in the art of raiding Alfred pursued the defeated Danes to their stronghold at Chippenham the West Saxons seized the enemy's cattle and prepared for a siege after a fortnight the Vikings capitulated Guthrum he completely surrendered to alfred terms the vikings gave to the hostages alfred gave none the invaders also promised to evacuate wessex immediately the terms were sealed three weeks later near athony when guthrum and his leaders submitted to baptism as christians no doubt from the perspective of the West Saxons the ceremony was a powerful symbol of Christian triumph over Danish paganism this was a dramatic turning point on land tells us that never before had the Vikings made such a capitulation Alfred's triumph at Eddington achieved nothing less than salvation of his kingdom had been on the verge of losing everything except This victory restored his position undoubtedly Alfred understood that the Viking offensive aimed at nothing less than the total conquest of Wessex.

He knew that his only option was to fight and gain complete victory. The actual course of the battle remains obscure to historians, but certainly. Alfred and his men rose to the occasion, it is possible that the West Saxons had the numerical advantage over Guthrum's army, as the Viking forces appear to have been smaller than during the previous attacks after the decisive Saxon victory. Westerners at Eddington, the Viking army withdrew from Chippenham. The following year they returned to East Anglia where they settled and divided up the land. This marks the final stage in the establishment of Danish law.

The Viking-ruled territories of England were no longer content to simply extract tribute from local populations. The Danes now attempted to enforce their own. Political dominance and total subjugation of England proved impossible, so they limited themselves to consolidating their rule in the eastern and northern parts. The distinctly Danish political structures would leave a lasting if subtle influence in these regions, meanwhile, Alfred's victory at Eddington ushered in a period of respite for the Kingdom of Wessex that would last throughout the 1980s. Alfred made the most of this. situation. He recognized that his kingdom had not been prepared for the ravages of the Danes.

He immediately implemented military, cultural and civil reform programs that transformed and strengthened Wessex. This period demonstrated that Alfred was not only a capable commander but a truly wise and creative ruler, his innovations would not only strengthen his people against future Viking aggression but would elevate the intellectual and spiritual lives of the West Saxons on 24 November 885, A Viking army under a Danish leader named Siegfried sailed past the walls of Paris. By then the Danes expected little resistance from the Carolingians and probably expected a quick surrender the next day. Siegfried met with Jocelyn, the bishop of Paris. Siegfried demanded that his Vikings be allowed passage upriver where they could plunder the countryside of France.

In return, Siegfried swore to leave Paris unmolested, think of the horrors your people will endure, Siegfried said, "If you refuse to comply with my terms, the Viking chieftain." He was surprised when this clergyman flatly rejected his demands. I have been made responsible for the defense of this city by King Charles, said the bishop and I. We will not betray his trust. This Charles that Jocelyn refers to was Charles, fat Charles. Charles had done a poor job defending. to france from the viking attacks so there was much more at stake for paris the citizens knew well they could expect little support from their emperor what treatment you would deserve the bishop asked siegfried if you were entrusted with a city and would you allow an enemy to pass unmolested Sigford replied that I would deserve to have my head cut off and thrown to the dogs anyway if you do not give in to my demand I must tell you that tomorrow our war machines will destroy you with poisoned arrows you will be a prey to hunger and pestilence and these evils will be renewed every Year Siegfried had hoped to easily scare Jocelyn into compliance, he was disappointed anticipating future Viking attacks, the bishop had spent years strengthening the defenses of Paris in a time of corruption and cowardice among the Carolingian authorities.

Jocelyn was a bishop committed to the defense of his people and his city, Paris, sat on the Il de la Site, a long, thin island under the sun. Strong walls protected the island, making it a difficult target for the Vikings. A bridge Called the Great Palm, it linked the city to the north bank of the river, guarded by a partially built stone tower. Another smaller bridge, the Petitpont, linked the city to the south bank with a wooden tower in defense. These two bridges completely controlled traffic. on the river to continue their plundering expedition the Vikings would have to overcome these fortifications the bishop was not the only determined leader in Paris count Odo son of Robert the strong led the military operations against the Danes Otto represented the harsh harvest of Frankish nobles who stepped forward to fill the leadership vacuum left by the failed Carolingian kings.

Odo's garrison contained no more than 200 soldiers, but like the bishop, Odo was determined in the face of impossible odds and brave. Leadership can do a lot. Manganelles and ballistae equipped the walls of Paris giving the defenders a fighting chance against the Danes' siege equipment. We are not sure of the exact size of Siegfried's army, but Christian chroniclers remember that it was enormous. Today's historians estimate that the Danish ships numbered around 300 and their army was probably composed of thousands or even tens of thousands of men. At dawn, Siegfried began his assault. The chronicler, Abbot Sanjar, says that the city resounded with clamor, and the people stood up on their bridges. they all trembled they united to defend the tower there he heard his brother robert and count ragnar they distinguished themselves by their bravery inspired by their commanders the christians fought hard the bishop himself planted a crucifix on the city walls and personally used a bow to shoot arrows enemy troops for jocelyn desperate circumstances annulled his priestly vow not to shed blood as night fell the danes retreated dragging their dead with them during the hours of darkness odo and the bishop oversaw repairs to the damaged tower the franks added a story extra and when the Danes woke up they discovered that the tower stood higher than yesterday now the Vikings tried to undermine the foundations of the tower the Franks countered this by pouring boiling pitch and oil over them the screams of the Danish miners echoed horribly and some of them They tore the skin from their own scalps as they were burned to death from the walls.

The Christians cheered in defeat. The Danes headed to their camp where they were now assaulted by the taunts and taunts of their wives and concubines. Sigrid was furious and determined to avenge this humiliation. the Danes abandoned the idea of ​​a quick victory their eyes awakened by the obstinacy of the Franks who undertook a long siege in January Siegfried launched a three-pronged attack a division of the Viking army attacked the stone tower on the north bank while his comrades stormed the city from their boats the Danes tried to fill the moat using logs, straw and even dead and captive animals for three days.

The Vikings struggled to move their siege towers into position, but the Franks broke out of the city and managed to burn two Danish engines. A few Vikings broke into Paris alone. being massacred by the citizens after suffering another humiliating defeat the attackers benefited from the weather in February the sin was flooded and the water destroyed the pedipone during the night bishop jocelyn sent a group of franks to occupy the wooden tower so that the bridge could be repaired but Siegfried saw this maneuver and quickly attacked the tower from the walls of Paris. The Franks could only watch helplessly as their brave comrades were massacred on the south bank.

The Vikings threw the bodies into the river and burned the wooden tower to the ground. Siegfried could now To achieve his original goal, he could now move his army beyond Paris to plunder the French countryside, but the proud Viking had no intention of letting the stubborn Parisians off the hook with any of his force. He maintained the siege while the rest of his men sacked Chartra to the west and Evro to the south. In the spring of 886, disease and famine struck the defenders of Paris. The cemeteries could no longer house their dead. The Franks suffered a terrible blow when His beloved Bishop Jocelyn fell ill and died on April 16 with a small band of followers.

Count Odo undertook a secret mission to personally plead with the Emperor to bring his army to Paris. Charles responded with evasive assurances. Disappointed, Odo returned him once to join the The beleaguered Parisians describe what happened when Odo returned from this desperate errand. The day Odo suddenly appeared in splendor in the midst of three bands of warriors. The sun made his armor shine and greeted him before illuminating the country around him. The Parisians saw their beloved leader. In the distance, but the enemy hoped to prevent him from entering the tower, they crossed the river and took a position on the shore.

However, when they heard their galloping horse, he overtook the northerners and reached the tower, whose doors were finally opened in October by the Archbishop of Iran. He warned the emperor that if he lost Paris he would lose his kingdom. Charles finally gathered an army and marched, but when he arrived in Paris, to the dismay of the defenders, the emperor simply opened negotiations with the procedures. Incredibly, Charles granted the Vikings exactly what they originally wanted: permission to sail past Paris and devastate the Burgundians. The Earl of Burgundy had been disloyal to the Carolingian regime and Charles did not mind punishing him with Viking violence.

The defenders of Paris were displeased. They refused to complyCharles the Fat's terms, the petipol had already been repaired and the Parisians blocked the advance of the Danish ships. The Vikings had to drag their ships overland and relaunch them upriver from Paris as a final demonstration of their weakness. Charles paid the Danes a considerable 700 pounds of silver in exchange for peace the result of the siege of Paris was destroyed what little credibility still clung to charles the fat during a council in frankfurt the eastern francs deposed charles and elected his nephew arnolf in his abandoned place even by his closest followers charles retired to a private estate in the black forest where he died in january 888 rumor held that arnold had ordered his uncle strangled finally charlemagne's former empire completely collapsed as the east francs recognized our north burgundy italy and provence elected their own rulers meanwhile the western francs crowned odo as their king the hero of paris in odo the vikings would face a very different type of opponent in the years to come men like odo and arnold would fundamentally change the trajectory of the viking era in france, but we'll leave that for a future video, once the vikings entrenched themselves on the loire river in france, it was only a matter of time before they pushed further south to explore the rich muslim holdings in the iberian peninsula which today is spain and portugal the riches of córdoba were trying to prospect in the 9th century the umayyad emirate of córdoba was the westernmost muslim bastion of civilization most of the iberian peninsula was under muslim rule only in the steep cantabrian mountains of the northwest Christian rule endured Córdoba, with a population of about 200,000, was by far the largest and richest city in Western Europe, but Muslim Spain would not be easy During this period, the emir's armory manufactured 20,000 arrows each month.

Both infantry and cavalry wore male or scale armor, as well as iron helmets that only the wealthiest Vikings could afford in the emirates. The main warriors were the Mamelukes, slave soldiers raised from childhood to be the emir's elite fighting force. The standing army of Córdoba could react more quickly to a Viking attack than the docks of France or England. In fact, the The Iberian Peninsula as a whole was prepared for war against the Muslim military power to the south. The Christian Kingdom of Astorias had to maintain a high level of combat readiness. The poor but determined Christian states of the Iberian mountains also represented a considerable challenge to the viking raiders in the east the muslim geographers described the vikings they found in russia as the ruse in spain they called them al-majus the term was not created for the vikings but for the zoroastrians of persia for whom fire was a main symbol the writers Arabs misinterpreted cremation in Viking funerary rites as fire worship.

Their religion is that of the magicians, wrote the chronicler al-watwat, and they burned their dead with fire. Geographer Ibn Syed offered his own interpretation of the cult of fire among the northern peoples. Nothing seems more important to them than fire because the cold in their lands is severe. History records 844 as the year of the first Viking incursion into the Iberian Peninsula from the Loire. The Viking band sailed south to Gerond Charles the Bald. king of western france was distracted by a dispute with pippen of aquitaine and so the vikings managed to sail up the garrom river to toulouse they continued to plunder the coast of galicia and astorias when they attacked the crown they encountered a strong christian force led by king ramiro las Romero's first troops fought cohesively and effectively Galician crossbows giant crossbows inflicted heavy casualties on the Vikings Christians captured 70 of the Norman ships and Romero ordered them burned on the beach The surviving Norwegians sailed further south along the coast of Portugal modern, which at that time was controlled by the Umayyads of Córdoba.

The Vikings landed near Lisbon in August. Arab chroniclers claim that his fleet numbered around 100 ships, meaning there must have been almost twice as many when he arrived. They left the Loire for 13 days. The Vikings plundered the lands around Lisbon. The Umayyad governor of Lisbon sent messengers to Córdoba to raise the alarm. The fortress of Medina Cedonia then traveled up the Guadalcavir River towards the Emir's richest districts. Córdoba itself stood in their way. On September 29, the Vikings established a base on the Minor Island, an island in Guadalcaver. From here they began to systematically devastate the region on October 1 the fleet continued upriver another 15 miles until they reached Seville where these Vikings were.

Seville must have been a tempting place apart from Córdoba. Seville was the largest and richest city in Iberia. It was far beyond anything the Norse had found in England or France, where the cities were located. were poor and small since the decline of the Roman Empire and the establishment of Arab control of the Mediterranean Sea, Seville, on the other hand, benefited from the vast commercial networks secured by the great Muslim conquests as they approached this magnificent city, the Vikings must have been dizzy imagining the loot within their walls When the townspeople saw the Vikings landing on the river bank they came out to challenge them This was brave but ultimately foolish The Vikings were experienced warriors and when they attacked the townspeople entered Panicked and scattered in chaos the Vikings rushed into the city where they indulged in a week of unhindered plunder, many of the city's inhabitants were killed or taken captive, although a large number of them fled to the mountains. mountains, once they finished sacking Seville, the Vikings returned loaded with loot and prisoners to their camp on the smaller island from here.

They continued to send raiding parties throughout the region. Days later they traveled back to Seville in the hope of capturing the returning inhabitants, but the city was still practically deserted. A small group took refuge in a mosque where the Vikings massacred them due to the audacity of the The attack on Seville caught the Umayyad Córdoba off guard, but the emir eventually organized a military response with the help of catapults. The army of Córdoba expelled the Vikings from Seville. The Umayyad detachments began to ambush the Viking raiding parties. The emir's men captured a large number of Norse ships and killed all the raiders on board.

As the weeks passed, the Umayyads continued to put pressure on the Vikings, making their position increasingly untenable. In early November, the Muslims ambushed most of the Vikings near Seville, killing many of them, including their leader, to celebrate the emir sending the severed heads of the Viking commander and about 200 of his men to the Berber emir in Tangier the surviving Vikings were now trapped in their base on the island they negotiated with the Umayyads exchanging their prisoners to leave Spain the rest of the Norse fleet passed through Lisbon while heading back Loire historian John Haywood estimates that Less than a quarter of the original expedition returned home from their confrontation with the Astorians to their daring sack of Seville.

The first Viking attack on Iberia turned out to be a deadly prank marked by the reckless adventurism that characterizes the Viking Age in the In the wake of this discordant episode, the emir took measures to reinforce his defenses. Surveillance posts were established on the Atlantic coast and a new armory was installed in Seville. The emir also organized a fleet to patrol his coast. Muslim warships were large galleys that sailed fast and carried crews. With 50 to 100 sailors and warriors, the Emir placed catapults on his ships to counter any future Viking raids, but the most famous Viking attack on Iberia was launched by two of the most renowned Viking commanders in history, Oran Ironsides and Hastine, a Later legend featured Bjorn as the son of Ragnar Lodbrook, a semi-mythical figure from the Norse sagas.

When he was a child, Bjorn's mother was said to have imbued him with magical invulnerability to wounds, earning him the title Ironsides Hastein. one of the most traveled Viking leaders of the 9th century and finished his career. As the last major opponent of Alfred the Great in England in 859, Pastine and Bjorn set out from a base in the Loire with a fleet of some 62 ships bound for the Iberian coast. They first attempted to attack Galicia and Astorias, but were confronted by the Christians. with resistance proving too strong, so they continued to plunder the Emir's western coast, where they initially found easier prey, but the Emir's fleet quickly responded by capturing two Viking ships already loaded with loot and prisoners with Muslim ships in pursuit. the guadalcavir was perhaps trying to attack seville when the emir's ships attacked with incendiary weapons the vikings lost several ships to fire and narrowly escaped the usual tactic of the vikings was to avoid strong resistance and look for an easier target and bjorn and hastein did precisely that and they continued on to alhaseras near gibraltar where they launched a surprise attack the inhabitants were completely overwhelmed the vikings sacked the city and burned the main mosque in the hope of finding more loot bjorn and hastine now crossed the strait of gibraltar and entered the mediterranean they attacked the african coast attacking nakor they made quick work of local troops and then looted freely for a week they captured the harem of a local emir who was later rescued by the emir of córdoba himself from africa the vikings returned to muslim spain plundering the coast of Mercia and the Balearic Islands From here they returned to plunder parts of France before setting up winter camp on an island in Kamar, a large delta of the Rhône River, in the spring Hastine and Bjorn sailed about 100 miles up the Roan River , plundering Neem Arl and Valance as they went, but the Franks defeated them in battle and decided to return to the open sea according to legend, during this time Hastein and Bjorn sacked Rome, but this is a myth and in fact not occurred historically, but they moved along the Tuscan coast plundering as they were.

In 861 they crossed the Strait of Gibraltar determined to return home. They did not know that the Emir of Córdoba had prepared an ambush for them in the narrow passage of the Strait. The fleet A desperate battle ensued in which the Muslims emerged victorious. The Viking fleet was devastated by the original 60 ships of Hastein and Bjorn. Only 20 escaped undaunted. Bjorn and Hastein continued attacking with their remaining fleet. Just before leaving Spanish waters they attacked the small Christian kingdom of Navarre, sacking the city of Pamplona. Surprisingly, they managed to capture King García first for ransom. The Vikings collected the incredible amount of 70,000 gold dinars.

Thus, despite the final disaster of their Expedition, the survivors of Bjorn and Hastein's band returned to the Loire in 862 very rich in fact, it is one of those twists of fate that seemed to characterize Viking history. The daring nature of Bjorn and Halstein's expedition earned them fame that endures today, but the cost was high. Less than a third of the original force survived to return home and were taken along by future Viking leaders. With this in mind, they continued to attack Spain, but in the future prevented local Mediterranean naval forces from being able to too easily ambush a Viking fleet attempting to negotiate the Strait of Gibraltar after this operation.

Hastein and Bjorn went their separate ways. Bjorn returned to Denmark with the hope of using his wealth to win the throne but he lost it in a shipwreck and died in Phrygia. Wisdom is the highest virtue and has within it other virtues, one is caution, the second is moderation, the third is courage. and the fourth justice, wisdom gives to those who love her wise and honorable and temperate and patient and just and fills those who love her with all the good qualities this is by Alfred the Great translation of the consolation of philosophy by boethius the eighties were Years of great activity for Alfred but also years of reflection and study, the king spent this period strengthening the military defenses of his kingdom, as well as reading and translating the works of thinkers such as Boethius.

Alfred sought to instill wisdom not only in himself but also in others. his subjects, he knew that his people needed to be strong, not only in body but in mind and spirit Alfred also spent this period strengthening ties with his neighbor Mercia The Crown of Wessex had deep ties with the Mercians Alfred was married to a Mercian lady Ellsworth and she had brought with her many relatives and clergy from Historians of her homeland haveIt has long been noted that in the 80s and 890s, in particular, Alfred's court was filled with Mercians. It was at this time that Atherin, lord of the Mercians, became a fixture at the court of Wessex and joined the king on numerous military campaigns that the two rulers met.

With each other well, both on the warpath and in the council chamber, Alfred arranged for his eldest daughter, Ethelfled, to marry the brave young lord of Mercia. When Ethelfled left for Murcia in 886 to begin her life as a married woman, she was already well. She knew her husband Athelrid and trusted that there was unity of purpose between him and her father Athaflood and his brother Edward would carry on Alfred's dynasty. Since they were children they were educated in the rich literary traditions of the Anglo-Saxons the heroic poetry that had touched Alfred when a young man would also have been instilled in the young athlete and Edward this instilled in them a sense of the majesty of their own royal line.

The bishop claims he tells us of Alfred's legendary ancestry that even included ancient Scandinavian Germanic gods such as Odin's younger sons Alfred and other Angles - Young Saxons would benefit from an even broader education with the establishment of Alfred's royal school, here scholars taught classical Latin texts intended to edify young Anglo-Saxons with great wisdom despite these enlightened activities. The Saxon domains remained beset by violence even after 878 Viking raids. remained a problem for Alfred's kingdom, although on a largely small scale, Guthrum, the Danish king of East Anglia, had been a quiet neighbor since his defeat at Eddington, was content to honor his treaty with Alfred, but in 890 Guthrum died and this created an opening for other more ambitious adventurers, Vikings who had been active on the continent since 879, suffered a major defeat at the Battle of the River Dial in 891, a famine the following year forced them to return to the coast of flanders, from there they attacked england, landing on the coast and trying to penetrate a sparsely defended, densely wooded area known as the great forest, the anglo-saxon chronicle recounts this attack in 892.

In this year, the great viking army arrived at the lyman estuary with 250 ships, this estuary is an east kent at the east end of the great forest, the forest from east to west is 120 miles long or more and 30 miles wide, the river flows from that forest, they rode their boats up the river to the forest, four miles from the outer part of the estuary and there they attacked a fortification located in the swampy area, some commoners were present inside and it was only half done; Soon after, Palestine went up to the Thames estuary with 80 ships and made a fortification for himself at Milton and the other Viking army made one.

In Appledore, this passage captures the brilliance of Viking strategy. Two separate naval forces penetrated the kingdom over a river in a remote, heavily forested location, overcoming slight local resistance and establishing two separate bases. The army, as the chronicler noted, was under the leadership of Hastine, a charismatic Norseman. adventurer who would replace Guthrum as King Alfred's archenemy Hastein's backstory has all the makings of a Viking legend who had previously raided Spain and North Africa and even attempted to attack Rome now that he had his sights set on Wessex. chronicle describes how Alfred handled the sudden assault and then King Alfred gathered his army and advanced so that he camped between the two Viking armies at a point where he had the best access to both the forest fortress at Appledore and the river fortress at Milton to be able to reach either one.

If they decided to head for any open field, the Vikings would then set out through the forest in small groups and riding companies along any side that was not defended by the English army and were also pursued by other troops almost every day, as outside by day or night of both the English army and the boroughs Alfred's intention was to prevent the Danes from freely invading his entire kingdom oAfter leaving his forts, he sent his own raiding parties to harass both Viking armies and intercept their communications. Now we can see the benefits of Alfred's burl system.

None of the Danish armies could move as they wished. Wherever they went, they faced local strongmen. The forces and cities were well defended, hardly any easy loot could be found after a few months. Alfred opened negotiations with Hastine accompanied by Lord Ethelwood. The king met with the Viking leader and the two sides agreed to terms. Hastines swore to abandon the kingdom and offered hostages. two of these hostages were hastine's own children both were baptized with alfred and atherid acting as their godparents the chronicle even tells us that alfred paid the vikings a good amount of money it seems incredible that the victor of eddington would return to the hated old practice to pay Daneguild and yet this seems to be exactly what happened when evaluating this moment in Alfred's career.

We must consider the dangerous situation he faced. His victory at Eddington had been a hard-fought affair and, in fact, he had almost lost his reign now for the first time. The first time in years that two powerful Viking forces were on his doorstep, Alfred was surely nervous at the prospect of another existential crisis for Wessex, perhaps deciding to try and find an easy solution and see if he could turn Hastein into another Guthrum after rule. of Guthrum in the east of 878. Anglia had been primarily stabilizing Wessex by baptizing Guthrum's son, the king may have hoped to recreate such a favorable situation, as it turned out that Alfred would be disappointed.

Hastein crossed the Thames and settled with his army at Benfleet in Essex and once again resumed the plunder of Alfred's lands. At Easter 893, the other larger Viking army at Appledore set out in their ships to join Hasstein in Essex. Alfred was preparing to set out against the enemy when the worst possible news arrived. In the weeks after Easter, a third Viking army composed of Northumbrian Danes. and East Anglia landed at Exeter Alfred set out to face this new invasion while his son, Prince Edward, marched to face Appledore's Vikings, although he was only about 20 years old Edward was expected to lead the troops in the field The Old Man's Chronicle athelwort relates the battle That followed and after Easter of that year, the Viking army which had arrived from parts of Gallis broke camp and, following the hiding places of a certain vast forest which is commonly called the great forest, reached the west of England. and they devastated the provinces.

These matters were reported to Prince Edward, son of King Alfred, who had been campaigning throughout southern England, but was later joined by the Western English. The clash took place at Farnam with the dense crowds shouting threats without delay the youths attacked with weapons they were duly freed with the arrival of the prince the Viking leader was wounded and the Saxons drove the dirty crowds of their supporters across the River Thames towards the north, so the young Edward won his first battle the Saxons recovered much of the loot and the Vikings fled to the thorny island, here Edward besieged the enemy in their camp, however, Edward encountered a serious problem.

The docks under their command were running out of supplies and, approaching the end of their terms of service, they complained at the prospect of a During the long siege, many of these men were required to return to their garrison assignments in various districts. The situation was saved by the arrival of Lord Athelrod with a Mercian army from London. Edward and Atherwood opened negotiations and the Vikings agreed to leave the area after which further was demonstrated. His abilities leading a combined force of Mercians and West Saxons surprised Hastine at his base at Benfleet. The chronicle provides a memorable account of this battle.

Then the English arrived and put the Viking army to flight, storming the fortification and seizing everything they had. There were inside in the way of the goods, women and children too and they brought everything to London and then they broke or burned all the ships and the two sons of Hastine and his wife were taken to the king's fortress Hastein was destroyed at Benfley but he managed to escape . With most of his men, this was the Norwegian's most notable talent, making him a lasting thorn in the side of the Anglo-Saxons. Hastein established a new fortified camp at Shubery and then dashed across England towards the Welsh borders to establish a camp at Buddington in the Welsh hills, this was a remarkable journey through hostile territory in which the Vikings managed to avoid being detected by sacks and garrisons, a testament to the mobility and effectiveness of the Normans.

Furthermore, this placed Hastine in close proximity to the East English Northumbrian Viking army facing King Alfred at Exeter, but when Hastine began plundering whales, the East Anglian Northumbrian invaders suddenly abandoned their position and returned home. Alfred's operations had been effective. The Vikings simply realized that they would not be able to make any progress with the royal army in the field. This development eased the pressures on the Anglo-Saxons now that Lord Athelrt organized for a decisive attack on Hastein. He was joined by two important West Saxon elders, Athel Somerset and Athalam of Wiltshire, as well as important Welsh contingents, Mercians and Wales had often been at odds, but fear of the Vikings brought them together in a firm alliance for weeks.

Anglo-Welsh coalition besieged Hastein's Vikings at Buddington unable to send out foraging parties the Danes quickly began to starve and were forced to eat their horses Halstein decided to attempt to cross the river this resulted in a bloody battle casualties were high On both sides the Danish losses were greater. Finally the Anglo-Saxons and their Welsh allies were victorious. Characteristically, Hastein and many of his men managed to escape, but this was the end of the legendary career of the Viking leader. His forces withdrew towards East Anglia and from there Hastine disappears from history, we cannot be sure of his fate, but he may simply have already retired, he was probably in his 50s and a wealthy man after a lifetime of raids in France and the Mediterranean, so which 893 drew to the end, alfred the great and his allies had defeated a dangerous opponent, although not without months of hard fighting, this demonstrated the effectiveness of alfred's military reforms the Saxons had not been able to prevent the vikings from penetrating their territory, but Alfred's fort system had seriously hampered Viking movement and dramatically reduced opportunities for plunder.

The villagers found refuge in the fortified boras and the local dykes effectively harassed and chased the Danish raiding parties away from the lucrative expeditions of the past. The Vikings found this war exhausting leaving them with little more than battle wounds to show for their troubles, Alfred was already an old man and took a less active role in the campaign. His son-in-law, a Mercian athlete, provided crucial leadership in some of the most difficult fights and the king's son and heir, Edward, also proved his worth. The West Saxons cooperated smoothly with the Mercians and also with the Welsh and multiple Christian armies moved to where they were needed during the crisis, at the same time as the situation revealed limitations in the Anglo-Saxon military establishment.

Prince Edward almost saw his victory at Farnam collapse in defeat when his troops threatened to disperse because they had almost completed their

tour

of duty and were running out of supplies. One could also question the continued tendency to negotiate with the Viking forces to recognize the shortcomings of Alfred's armies. We must also take into account the notable competition. Of their opponents, these Vikings were not disorganized raiders but highly efficient, fast and elusive invasion units. The Danes continued to make good use of the waterways, often evading Saxon counteroffensives. Palestine himself was the type of daring commander capable of inspiring the best of his abilities. men and from being a persistent irritant to alfred and his followers with the death of charlemagne's son, louis the pious, the carolingian empire fell into crisis in the mid-9th century it was a period of civil conflict when louis's sons fought among themselves for power and the empire was eventually divided into three separate entities, the struggle proved to be fertile ground for the northern seafaring invaders who penetrated france across the sin river.

Viking commanders such as Ragnar and Esky plundered all the way to Paris in the 840s. Askier devastated and occupied Ruon in 841 and when he returned in 851 Rouen served as a base from which his raiders deployed on foot. Two Viking forces attacked Paris and plundered chartres in 857Hastein, who would later become an opponent of Alfred the Great in England, raided Sen in 858. The Carolingian government was increasingly unable to cope with these devastating attacks, the Norsemen were well aware of the situation in Charlemagne's once powerful empire. . The collapse of Carolingian legitimacy meant that local governors no longer derived their authority from the king but were increasingly becoming autonomous lords in their own right. to the regional counts for protection and these counts began to solidify their own geographically determined power bases.

Viking violence simply broke the old imperial system and the earls began to work to ensure the loyalty of local fighters. The beginning of the feudal relationship, meanwhile, the Carolingian church. they almost refused to cooperate with king charles the bald could not rely on the wealth of the church to finance his troops impoverished and unable to field effective armies the carolingian kings were forced to issue impotent decrees crime was rampant and the monarch was issuing Proclaims that thieves were to be admonished with Christian love to repent and that punishment was to be administered to the guilty, citing it as far as local officials could remember them, as things got worse, kings even asked royal officials to solemnly swear that they While Viking violence made much of the northwest uninhabitable, Norse leaders Hastein and Bjorn so devastated the Coten peninsula that it became a desert wasteland.

From the mists of Norse legend, a man named Rallo emerges who begins to play an important role in these events of the late 9th century. Dudo, one of the earliest chroniclers of the Normans, records that Rallo was a Dane expelled from his home country along with other young warriors whom the Danish king considered a threat. Rallo took to sea and began his career as a Viking raider in England. Along with his fellow Danes who controlled the northern and eastern parts of the island, the Dane Law Rallo formed a bond with Guthrum. The Viking chieftain who ruled East Anglia.

Guthrum had given up his life of plundering after being defeated by Alfred the Great in battle. From Eddington baptized Guthrum he took the Christian name Appleston and maintained his treaties with King Alfred Dudo writes that Rallo and Guthrum, both of Danish origin, became close allies No region produces extraordinary men actively trained in arms more than the kingdom of The Danes said Guthrum perhaps from Guthrum Rallo began to understand the success he could achieve not by attacking Christians but by forming associations with them. Dudo's account of Rallo, although convincing, is nevertheless questioned in our few sources about the mysterious Viking in Snorri's saga of Harold Fairhair.

Rallo is Norwegian, not Danish, and is described as so large that no horse could carry him, so that is called rallo the walker, so the founding figure of the Normans, the leading cavalryman of the 11th century, is presented here as a man who did not need horses. Rallo sacked France as ruthlessly as any other Norse chieftain sometime between 876 and 886 Rallo led his Vikings before the French city of Ruang The Franks who defended Rulon fought on horseback but Rallo was determined to undermine their advantage the ruse he devised could Considered a fitting prelude to the famous cunning of the Normans, their Viking crew dug holes between the River Sin and the city walls which were then hidden with grass.

Once the battle began, the Vikings pretended to retreat to their ships, the Franks. They pursued on horseback in At that moment they fell directly into the trap set by the Normans Rallo and his men entered Rowland unopposed in 9 11. King Charles the Simple invited Rallo to the negotiating table. Historian Robert Ferguson says that Charles formally recognized Rallo's right to rule a large area of ​​the northwest. france described bluntly as too often devastated by hastine and you, in exchange rallo and his norwegians would convert to christianity and help charles in the defense of his kingdom the pact was sealed by a marriage between rallo and charles' daughter, Gisla Dutto, includes two anecdotes that emphasize the ideal of the independent and proud Viking warrior.

Apparently once the agreement was made between the Carolingians and the Norwegians, Rallo was told that he must now demonstrate his submission to the king by kissing Carlos's foot. Rallo refused. I will never bow my knees to him. I will not kiss any man's knee nor any man's foot. He ordered one of his men to do the gesture for him. The Viking stepped forward, grabbed the king's foot, and threw him so that Charles fell backwards. This provoked laughter among the Norwegians but indignation among For the Franks, the story seems like a campfire tale passed down among the Normans to remember their superior skill, but it illustrates the undeniable reality that Charles's grant was, as Robert Ferguson calls it, a concession to reality.

Dudo describes another occasion when one of Charles's emissaries asked a group of Vikings by what title their leader was known. The Vikings answered none, since we are all equal. This emphasizes the ancient equality of the Viking warband. The warriors were equal to each other, but agreed to follow a commander who demonstrated competence. The emissary. They were then asked if the Vikings would be willing to swear allegiance to Charles the Simple in exchange for lands and titles. The Normans responded that we will never subjugate ourselves to anyone or cling to anyone's service or accept favors from anyone.

The favor that we would like the most is the one that we will claim for ourselves by force of arms and in hard battles, again coming from a chronicle commissioned by Rallo's grandson. We see represented here an old ideal that the Normans continued to cherish two more land grants, followed as a result of the rallo territory. It roughly corresponded to modern Normandy. A charter of 918 describes the concession as being granted to Rallo and his companions for the defense of the kingdom. It seems strange to solve the problem of chronic brigandage by giving territory to a plunderer, and yet Charles' treaty with Rallo seems strange. having achieved this objective robert ferguson compares the concession of normandy with alfred the great's agreement with guthrum in both cases a christian ruler sought to neutralize an enemy by legitimizing his power and bringing him into the christian fold in his own way both were successful once grata was Established as Duke of Normandy Viking attacks Sin came to an end Rallo ensured that a volatile region was stabilized and Paris was secured in 923 Rallo and his men fought alongside the Carolingians in a military campaign led by King Charles meanwhile according to doubtful rallo divided the land among his followers by measure and rebuilt everything that had been abandoned and restored it by repopulating it with his own warriors and with people from abroad rallo seems to have taken his role as the king's man seriously and worked to restore the law and the order. to normandy we don't know how rallo organized his administration if we can use that term at this time if he ruled more like a viking chief or like a frank earl maybe he was in some parts there is evidence however that he ruled mainly as a frank autocrat he passed laws that punished theft and violence with death, a sentence much stricter than that imposed in Carolingian lands.

This foreshadows the fate of Normandy, which would become the best ordered region of France in an account Rallo decrees that agricultural implements must be left In the field overnight, a farmer's wife hid her husband's tools and then reported them stolen. Rallo immediately replaced the man's equipment and then began investigating the theft. However, when the duke discovered what had really happened, he had the offending woman flogged until she confessed. Finally, the husband admitted that he had known the truth from the beginning. He then handed down two sentences: one, that you are the head of a woman and you should have reprimanded her; another, that you are an accomplice to the robbery and were not willing to reveal it. both the man and his wife were hanged dudo claims that this result so deterred future robberies that normandy remained free of petty crime for a hundred years dudo also relates that two of king charles' warriors visited rallo's wife, gisla gisla entertained The two men in private and then rumors circulated that Rallo had not consummated their marriage, suspecting that visitors without geese started rumors that the duke executed both men in the Ruwan public market today many questioned the validity of the conversion From Rallo to Christianity, certainly his conversion had a political dimension, but to claim that Rallo was completely cynical and that adopting his new faith could mean reimagining him as a nihilist modern Vikings were amazed by the supernatural, although there must have been a split between Rallo's conception of the divine and that of his Frankish associates who might have perceived himself as possessing some kind of dual loyalty, Dudo predictably portrays Rallo as completely sincere in his conversion, but other chroniclers are not so sure. that adam or chabon wrote about 100 years after rallo's death that they described the ruler's last days as a time of religious madness in which rallo the pagans fought with ralph the christian upon seeing that he was dying rallo was terrified by rallo's anger.

Thor and Odin and ordered the sacrifice of 100 captive Christians to calm the anger of the ancient gods, but the sick ruler then became afraid that Christ would now condemn him to hell and so he distributed large amounts of gold and riches to the churches of his kingdom. I doubt he would ever have recalled such uncomfortable incidents, and it is possible that Adamer's story is exaggerated or false, but Robert Ferguson says the story provides a rare and persuasive view of the violent tensions that could arise when devoted men change the object of their love. devotion as a matter of political expediency in Rallo's case were apparently heartbreaking some of Rallo's followers refused to convert or return to their previous beliefs after baptism we have a 10th century letter written by the archbishop of Rouen to a colleague asking for advice on how to deal with apostate pagan converts.

Archaeologists have also discovered 10th-century Viking burial sites in Normandy. Edward Gibbon insists that within a couple of generations the conversion was genuine and the sons of the Rallo Vikings forgot it. thor and odin and fully embraced faith in christ our alan brown says that the religious revival in normandy began almost immediately and was led mainly by the successor of the rallo dukes, william longsword, refounded the monastery of jumiege around the year 940 and He longed to become a monk there himself His son Richard the Bold restored St John's Abbey at Rowan Monastic life was at the center of the Norman religious revival From the beginning the Normans could identify with the idea of ​​monks as spiritual warriors engaged in a perpetual battle against the forces of darkness through unceasing prayer the monk and the knight became the dual arms of the norman state and in the 11th century the abbeys of normandy would be the most powerful centers of western christianity now learn about the christian descendants From the Vikings to the Undefeated Normans Watch our full length Documentary on the Norman Conquest of Sicily, click the link on your screen or see the link in the description below.