Friday, May 11, 2007

The Viking Reach

Dymphna just bought me a fascinating book entitled The Vikings: Life, Myth, and Art, by Tony Allan. It’s filled with wonderful illustrations.

Check out this map:

Viking map

The Viking reach extended from far above the Arctic Circle to Tunis, from Newfoundland to the west, and past the Aral Sea to the east, on the verge of the Silk Road.

They even made it to Baghdad.

Of course, they’re in Baghdad again today, in the company of their cousins from Vinland…



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9 comments:

Peter Mc said...

Don't forget European Christians used to say prayers hoping to fend the Norsemen off, and here our good Yorkshire priests wore their feet off traipsing around the county with St Cuthbert's body to keep it away from the horrid pillaging Vikings.

lugh lampfhota said...

Where has all that fierce Norse blood gone? The scariest thing in the old countries today is a summons weilding bureaucrat.

shoprat said...

I am proud to be descended from Vikings on my mother's side. They were not only some of the fiercest warriors in history but also brave explorers and successful merchants. Scandinavia needs to remember their heritage. (My last name connects to a family of English knights who fought the vikings so courage on both sides)

Mikael said...

they’re in Baghdad again today

Actually we´re in Basra. :)
The Danish batalion will be pulled out in August in order to reinforce the contingent in Afghanistan.

Douglas V. Gibbs said...

Great history lesson

JDinOslo said...

History books are fascinating, if for no other reason than that they tell us how "great" we once were. Nowadays things have changed albeit that the Danes are in Basrah and the Norskies in Afganistan. The Swedes stay at home, producing and selling weapons to both sides, like they did during WWII.
And apart from a few awakening and vigilant 'Holgers' here and there, the three countries are filled with smug and self-righteous Lefties.
Sorry I missed you on your travels in our parts, Baron, hopefully we can put this right on another occasion in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, please keep up the good work!
Best regards, JD in Oslo

Yorkshireminer said...

There was once a program on English Television called simple “THE VIKINGS” Magnus Magnusson an Icelander who had settled in England was the Narrator. It was absolutely fascinating, he showed how they used bone ice skates to get around, he traveled all over most of Europe from the holy groves of Upsalla, and from Paris to Istanbul. It seem that on one of the Balcony's in the Hagia Sophia, a piece of graffiti had been scratched by one of the Varangian guards. It simple said “HALFDAN WAS HERE”. I have often wondered who the other half was?
sfwfz

JDinOslo said...

As a reference to my above comment about the Lefties , you may want to check out Bruce Bawers has to say here: http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/05/why_all_the_che_tshirts_on_stu.php

Anonymous said...

Those vikings were cool, especially Leif Eriksson, the first white dude in America (Vinland).
But they didn't treat the English people very well. The British, typhical read-headedness derives from the Vikings (and their fellow rape victims in Britain...)
In their religion, the Asatron, it was believed that if one died in combat, one would go to Valhall (the paradise, were women and mead awaited them...Hey, it reminds me of the Muslim terrorists of today! They also wanna die in combat in order to have a one-way ticket to paradise, were women and alcohol awaits them...)
Personally, I'm a moderate Viking!