First off, that titular word's more a verb than a noun. Derived
probably from {vík} for inlet, bay or fjord, the derivation suggests a pirate
lurking within these waters, going {a-viking}. Second, while the Vikings
receive a bad reputation, and their descendants may revel in such, the peoples
of Scandinavia who undertook such raids did so not merely to carry out rapine,
but to break out of a stratified, limited society. This led war-bands to
assemble. Violence became institutionalized in the Northern lands.
The division of the peoples into a king {jarls}, (earls), {bóndis}
(freemen) and thralls reminds readers of the harsher reality beneath the boasts
and brawls of a militant troop. Slaves could be snatched up by raiders and
delivered to Dublin or Byzantium markets. Without forced labor, farms could not
operate, for the freemen had to serve in the royal levy. Some farmers sold produce
in town. Others sought their own fortune {a-viking}. While they invaded monasteries
such as Lindisfarne and gained ecclesiastical condemnation early in the
medieval period, the Viking targets, one of the joint authors of this book
avers, were selected not out of a desire for desecration as much as sudden
self-valuation.
The Church and State did not collude to restrict aggression outside
the English Saxon kingdoms. Therefore, the Vikings aimed for lucrative centers,
whether monks lived there or lay-folk in a trading port or river town. Those
privateers marshaled against the Continental or British and Irish storehouses
formed a "fundamental combat group," with ties beyond blood linked to
a gift economy connecting a warrior to his lord. Freely pledging their troth, the
fealty of a Viking to his commander could be tenuous rather than
permanent.
The flexibility of this arrangement enhanced their fighting
tactics. The combination of nimble sailing and rapid mobility enabled
shield-walls, with soldiers formed up to five deep in a phalanx. These
"artificial tribes" as {Jomsvikings} formed professional cadres.
Norwegian king Harald Hardrada tried to claim the throne of England in 1066,
using this arrangement. He met his doom at the hand of Harold, Godwin's son,
who too soon after was forced to rush to Hastings with the same battle plan,
only to lose his exhausted men and his own life to another Viking descendant,
William the Conqueror, less than three weeks later. The intricate web of those
from the North who sought a greater share of the Northlands draws in many from
the territories; Harald had been a mercenary in nascent Russia and among the
Byzantines as part of his long and storied career as a Viking overlord.
This wanderlust compelled some such as Harald to journey south. The
Russians, Greeks and Arabs all called these intruders Varangians. A guard of
this name protected the Byzantine monarch in the city his guardians called Miklagarðr, that is, “big wall/stronghold.” One
roamer gave his name to Russia. Others fared as far as Newfoundland to settle,
if temporarily given their combative temper and disdain for the natives. The
lively illustrations in this little volume will appeal to those curious about
how the Vikings dressed, fought and celebrated. Motivated to join Odin in
Valhalla, those fallen in a bravely conducted struggle found reward with more
daily fighting in their eternal hall, followed by feasting.
The last section of this primer explains the function of the
longship. These crafts evolved to carry trade and terror more widely. But the
voyages must have wearied even doughty crews. For no fixed seats were installed
on the vessels. Instead, for that same flexibility, rowers made do with
crates.
This colorful compilation of excerpts from the military publisher
Osprey's series of historical guidebooks lacks some cohesion, not to mention a
proper introduction and conclusion. Marketed as a "gift book," the
results will appeal to the fan of strategy, war-games, history and re-creation
of venerable warriors. They sought fame in this world and continual strife, if
for play themselves, in the next realm. (Spectrum Culture 1/19/17; Amazon US 2/16/17)
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