2011 was a good year for the Vikings. In pop-culture itself, they found themselves featured in the video game Skyrim and the movie Thor. I’ve also noticed an influx of Viking books and music over the last few years. Perhaps that is why I am writing this now. Historically, three discoveries were unearthed and four revelations came to light from studying former discoveries, these and their importance are what I’ll be focusing on during my month long blog dedication.
With each new discovery and revelation, we understand the Vikings a little better. In 2011 alone, we’ve learned much more about their presence in the lands they so ruthlessly, or maybe desperately invaded.
Hopefully by the end of January as we learn what the dirt reveals to us about the oft misunderstood Norse-Cultural-offshoot that are the Vikings, you’ll also have learned something new about these magnificent warriors.
This post is the first post of the January is Viking Month blog series. To read the next post, The Truth About Vikings, click here. To see the series page click here.
Hey Cindy! Are you aware that Vikings pretty much formed Russia as a nation? The Romanov family can trace its lineage back to the Viking mercenar… err, peacekeepe…umm… conquerors. Yeah.
Wiki offers an interesting trip down the memory lane if you start clicking on fathers of emperors. The articles get shorter and shorter, until it descends into folklore and fairy tales…
EvilEye, I don't think I ever looked at it that way. I know the Varangians were a Scandanavian people who raided South and East up the rivers of Europe, establishing themselves in Russia and as a high ranking guard unit in the Byzantine empire.
They are usually considered Vikings due to their origin, as the Norse, Finns, Sweeds, Danes etc… all are. And the Vikings all wanted to find a nicer place to live. Establishing monarchy is not a bad step up in life from mercenary.