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Viking swords are very characteristic due to their peculiar design. Easily recognizable. The supposed reasons for the sudden appearance of the Vikings at the end of the 8th century are many and varied. The overpopulation of their lands is one of the primary factors that is often cited, a demographic explosion that occurred in Norway and Denmark during the 7th to 8th centuries.
In addition, the gradual establishment of firm rule in almost all of Western Europe, especially on the continent with the founding of the Carolingian Empire under Charlemagne, had resulted in a considerable increase in European trade, which gave rise to increased opportunities for piracy.
The basic weaponry included a sword or axe, spear and shield, while most men carried a short knife tied to their belt. Of these weapons, the sword was clearly the most popular and was treated with a certain reverence, especially in the case of old swords that had been passed down from generation to generation, or looted from riots.
Viking is the name given to the members of an ethnic group originating from Scandinavia, from the Nordic countries, who lived between the years 789 and 1100. They were descendants of a people of Germanic origin who settled in the Scandinavian peninsula around the year 2000 BC. C.
His attacks and appearance on the European political scene began with the sack of the Lindisfarne monastery (793) in northern Britain, which was soon followed by attacks on other monasteries. The annals and chronicles of the following two centuries are full of terrifying stories.
In more or less numerous groups, the Vikings attacked the European coasts with their ships, ascended the rivers of France, Germany and Russia, conquered a large part of the territory of the Slavic peoples of ancient Russia, the British Isles Ireland and England and devastated the Mediterranean.
His violent actions terrified the ancient communities who, although accustomed to war, had no way of predicting when there would be an incursion. These attacks indirectly influenced the creation of a period of instability that favored the political decentralization of feudalism.
During the following centuries, the Vikings had great influence on European history: they ruled the British Isles for many years until they were finally conquered by the Normans, descendants of Vikings; in Russia they contributed to the formation of the Russian state; In France they ended up receiving the Normandy region as a fiefdom; In Italy they founded the Norman kingdom of Sicily and even influenced the Caliphate of Córdoba and the Byzantine Empire with their incursions.
The last hostile stronghold was represented by King Harald the Merciless, who died in the Battle of Stamford Bridge in the year 1066 when trying to take possession of the territory of England. The Viking Age ended in 1100, the year in which the Viking raids ended.
Explore Viking World: Norse Swords, Clothing and Accessories
