Viking is how the Scandinavian Norse Viking era (793 to 1066) became known. The origin of the term “Viking” may be related to the Old Norse term “vikingr”, used to refer to sailors who performed acts of piracy. The Vikings, in addition to being great navigators, were great warriors and were known to have been quite feared in medieval Europe.
Accessalso: Norman Invasions
Did the Vikings value war?
War was extremely important in Norse Viking Age society for a number of political, social and religious factors. In political matters, war could be important to strengthen bonds of friendship between two kingdoms. In society, those who engaged in battle gained prestige and wealth if they survived.
On the religious side, the importance of war is worth mentioning, as the Vikings believed that all warriors who fell in combat would join Odin (the god known as "Father of All") in the Valhalla, the hall of the dead. The Vikings believed that soldiers killed in battle were chosen and led by the Valkyries (mythical servant figures of Odin). At the Valhalla, the soldiers would become einherjar and there they would spend the ages celebrating and fighting each other until the moment that Heimdall (the god who protected the bridge which linked the world of the gods to the world of men) sound his horn and summon the soldiers of Odin to the Ragnarok, the final fight that marked the end of the Universe for the Vikings and the death of their gods. at the end of the Ragnarok, a new era would be started.
Every free man had the right to become a warrior and bear arms in Viking society, so every man's military training was carried out within his own family. Members of wealthier families, such as the nobles (jar), had access to better quality and more specialized training.
Throughout Viking Age history, some troops have become known. This was the case of GuardVarangian It's from GreatArmyDanish. The first consisted of a group of elite warriors of Viking origin who were hired in Rus (kingdom that gave rise to Russia) to carry out the protection of the Byzantine emperor in the 10th century. The second was a gigantic army that invaded England and attacked the Saxon kingdoms in the ninth century.
Accessalso: Byzantine Empire
What weapons were used by the Vikings?
Vikings used weapons for both offense and defense. In this sense, the main weapons of attack were the sword it's the Axe, and for defense the shield it was very important. Despite this, the Vikings used other items in battle, such as knives, spears, bows and arrows and coats of mail.
The sword was the most important weapon used by the Vikings and, due to its length, it guaranteed a good radius of attack in battle. The possession of a sword, however, was restricted to warriors who had a better financial condition. One who carried a sword had great status in society. This weapon was mostly produced in Scandinavia itself, but there is evidence of swords produced by the Franks.
The ax, on the other hand, is the weapon that the Vikings used best known in popular culture. The use of the ax was quite widespread for being a cheap weapon and for being used in a series of daily activities – which made many have great skill in handling it.
The spear was very important for its religious symbology, as it was the weapon of Odin (the god of war). The Vikings even asked for Odin's favor before the battle, firing a spear. The knife was used in combats in which hand-to-hand combat took place more closely, and the bow and arrow was widely used in naval battles and in raiding attacks.
In the case of defensive weapons, the emphasis is on the wooden shield. The Viking shield had metal bands that gave it greater resistance to blows suffered and was used by the Vikings for their best-known war formation: the Wallinshields. Vikings also defended themselves with metal helmets (no horns), worn to protect their faces, and wore chain mail to protect their torso.
