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Male god of ertility
From Vanir family
Twin brother to Freya
His ship carries the dead |
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Swedish vikings--"men of the east"
this name is likely the root word for Russia |
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Archbishop of the church of Bremen
responsible for making Scandinavians christian
wrote the History of Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen: Hammaburgensis ecclasiae Pontificum that contains details about nordic life |
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| Constantine Porphyrogenitus |
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Byzantine emperor from 913-959
Wrote the accounts of contacting the "Varanglan" (vikings)
details the Dneiper River route from Kiev to black sea and the seven rapids
Accounts of trade and treaties between Constantinople and the Rus |
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Island off the Atlantic Coast of France
Location of the first recorded Viking raids in Europe
Raiders attacked the monastary of Saint Philibert of Jumieges in 799 |
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Hammer of Thor
Incredibly powerful and Thor cannot lose it |
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Poem in Elder Edda
Survived as part of Codex Wormianus
Early 10th century (probably Danish origin)
Prior to Christian because references pagan gods
Describes the three classes:
Slave/Serf
Karl/farmer/peasant
Chieftain/ warrior |
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Farmers;freeman (red hair, ruddy complexion)
The Karlakyn class, first member was Karl (born to Grandmother and Grandfather)
middle class
Dominant Agricultural class with the names of Karl's children reflecting aspects of agricultural society
self-sufficient and productive
described in the Rugsthula |
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One of the first Viking towns
Abandoned because of falling sea levels
Important trading center in Sweden
Goods such as silver, gold, and silk fabric traded in Birka
On the island of Bjorko (literally: "Birch Island") in present day Sweden
Handled goods from Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Orient |
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Sweden's largest island where many picture stones with runic carving from the viking age can be found
Commercial hub during Viking Era |
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Norse trickster god, father of Hel, the wolf Henrir, and the world serpent Jormungandr
Sometimes aids gods, sometimes hurts them
Thor's best friend |
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God of love, peace, forgiveness, justice, lightn and purity in Norse mythology/religion
He is the second son of Odin and Frigg
Killed by Loki's doing (mistletoe, the only objest that could harm him) |
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Sacrificed his hand to bind Fenrir
Known as the boldest and most courageous of the family of AEsir (family includes Odin and Thor)
Son of Odin
God of combat and heroic glory |
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Rainbow bridge that connects Asgard with Midgard
guarded by Heimdall |
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Give birth to Jarl
Upper class of Viking society in Rigsthula
Begins with the birth of Jarl
Grows up with special training and skills
Rig returns to mentor Jarl
Jarl's youngest child was named Kon (king) |
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monstrous wolf
father of the wolves
Foretold to kill Odin in the battle of Ragnarok, but is killed by Odin's son Vioarr
Son of Loki
Represented chaos and disrupted order
Was captured by the gods and fed Tyr's arm in order to properly restrain him with the magical chain |
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First living being was a giant (Jotun) who's name was Ymir
From Ymir the world was created using his body after the gods killed him
In the eventual battle of Ragnarok, the giants will storm Asgard and defeat the gods in war |
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Legendary hero of norse mythology
His mother was slain by Odin
Is helped along his path to slaying a dragon by Odin |
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Give birth to Karl
Second class in Rigsthula
Karl is farmer class |
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| Name given to Sweden by the Finnish and Eastern European empire |
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written (880s-1140s) by Alfred the great and accounted for every battle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings from 880-1140
Contains info on first ever raid
Most important piece of evidence that led to the belief that the Vikings were travelers, raiders, and commercially based civilization |
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Met the Vikings on a trading expedition on the Volga in 920
Learned much about Viking Culture including how they dressed and how a burial ritual was performed
Wrote account of Meeting with Rus (922)
Arab traveler/diplomat for the Abbeasid Caliph of Baghdad
Description of Volga Rus (Vikings) and ceremony of ship burial
"Perfect physical specimens, tall as date palms, blond and ruddy" description of Vikings |
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First Frankish king to have to deal with the Vikings, he prevented attacks by blocking rivers and ports
He also helped to account for some of their first attacks |
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Origin of the word Viking
Means to leave, turn away, to depart
An individual or group embarking on the act of leaving for the specific purpose of raiding was said "to go a-viking"
the word Viking was a verb |
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Wife of Njals Saga who marries main character
Kills a lot of in-laws and then divorces main character (look up) |
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In Codex Regius
Poem is sayings of the High One
Guide to conduct, not virtue
Derived teachings of Odin |
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Aristocracy
Jarl born to mother and father
Upper class described in Rigsthula
Rigsthula described specials skills learned by Jarl and Kon
These skills and personal attributes are the markers of the chieftains, kings and aristocrats |
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Norse term for market-place
Today used as name of the first town-like market in SE Norway
important merchant and craft center during Viking time
Currently first known Norwegian trading outpost
Found in 780AD |
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The Book of the Iclanders (early 12th cent.)
Written by Ari the Learned
Account of discover and settlement of Iceland
Establishment of the Althing and the conversion to Christianity |
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chief of wisdom, poetry and war
Extremely important iconically to Vikings, used in many stories to teach
He was mentioned more times than any other in the Havamal |
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One of the nine worlds
home to the AEsir tribe of gods
High council meets and the dead from battle go here for eternal life
It is surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svaoilfari, according to Gylfaginning
Odin and his wife, Frigg, are the rulers of Asgard |
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City in Sweden
Long known as the Pagan center of Sweden, now known as the Christian hub of Sweden |
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| God who guards the Bifrost/Rainbow Bridge |
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Viking written language:
Runic alphabet: Futhark
Prior to Christianization |
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| In viking times: a composer and reciter of poems honoring heroes and their deeds |
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A sea serpent
The middle child of Loki
According to the Prose Edda, Odin tossed Jormungand into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that he was able to circle the whole earth. As a result, he is called the Midgard Serpent. When he lets go, the world will end. He is the arch enemy of Thor and they kill each other in Ragnarok |
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Youngest son of Jarl
Kon means king |
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| Icelandic woman whose life and relationships are described in the Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu. She is the daughter of Porsteinn Egilsson and his wife Jofrid and is the daughter of Egill Skallagrimsson. Helgs is trapped in a love triangle with Gunnlaugr Ormstunga and Hrafn Onundarson, which enevtually leads to the men's deaths |
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Prose histories mostly describing events that took place in Iceland in the 10th and 11th centuries, during the Saga-age
They are the best known specimens of Icelandic literature
(one thought to be written by Snorri Sturlusson) |
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1179 to 23 Sept 1241
Was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. Icelandic poet who saved many stories of the Viking Age in the 13th cent usually in the form of poetry or narrative.
Save the oral tradition through literature.
Was a Christian (may have influenced his writing)
Wrote sagas of the Norse kings and the Prose Edda |
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Alcuin of York (Latin: Alcuinus, c. 735 - 19 may 804) also called Ealhwine, Albinus or Flaccus
Was an English scholar, ecclesiastic, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria.
Alcuin used the idea that God was punishing Christians in trying to explain the Viking attack on Lindisfarne in 793 CE |
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The ship of Frey
It was made at the request of Loki and was given to Frey as part of Loki's reparation for the theft of Sif's golden hair.
Transported the dead to the afterlife |
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Originally 24 characters
During the Viking age, the written Futhark shortened to 16 characters
Language is carved on stones, wood, and metal
Written form generally monumental/memorial |
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| A "bay" or "inlet" - because some of these people we called Vikings lived in places like these |
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Old Norse lit written in the early 13th cent
Together with the Poetic Edda, it comprises the major store of scandinavian myth
The work is is assumed to be written/compiled by Snorri Sturluson around 1220 |
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Literally Slave/Serf (son of great-grandmother and great-grandfather)
Lowest class of Viking society
Slaves were a trading commodity
Some captured people and some native
Slaves were usually social outsiders
Slaves could be freed through a process of manumission |
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Adventurer in the Rigsthula who helps couples give birth to the classes in viking society
Also was Heimdall |
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Important trading settlement in the Danish-northern German borderland during the Viking age.
It flourished from the 8th to 11th cent.
Most southerly town on the Jutland Peninsula |
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World tree that connects the nine worlds.
Gods assemble at the tree |
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| Hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility |
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Sagas of the Norse Kings--early 13th cent.
An epic story of the kings of Norway including myths, legends and supernatural tales. |
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On the Danish island of Zealand, hub of the Viking land and sea trade routes over a thousand years ago, is one of Denmark's oldest cities.
From the 11th cent until 1443, it was the capital of Denmark. By the Middle Ages, with the support of kings and bishops, it had become one of the most important centres in Scandinavia
Became the city for Catholicism |
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Involved separation of property, women were able to have a divorce if they were hit or had their relatives disrespected.
Male or female could divorce the other is cross-dressing occured
HAD TO BE ANNOUNCED:
Bedside--Divorce is mutual between parties
Threshold--Divorce must be announced in the house (more public but still private setting)
Assembly--Public beyond the family [comm] |
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Island off NE England that was the first monastary to be raided by the Vikings in June 8th, 793.
Easy target because of the wealth and monks' pacificism.
Seen as the beginning of the Viking age |
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Majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin.
Chosen by Odin, half of those who die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freya's field Folkvangr |
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| Names that accompanied actual names based on appearance, occupation, habits, temperament, birthplace, or biographical reference. |
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| Bands of Scandinavians who traveled and joined formally as companies, swearing oaths of mutual assistance, defense, and support. |
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| popular way of appealing to leaders/those whose respect one desired. |
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Used in Skaldic Poetry:
Descriptive metaphors
Rigid structure
Refrence myths
EXAMPLES:
"serpents of wounds" - sword
"tree of battle" - warrior
"storm of spears" - battle
"hors of ygg" - (ygg=Odin) the yggdrasil
"hair of Sif" - (Sif=Thor's wife) gold |
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