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Lot Essay
The Vikings are predominantly recognized as a militaristic culture of sea raiders from Scandinavia (modern Denmark, Norway and Sweden), whose violent warriors pillaged the British and Irish countryside between circa 800-1100 A.D. Churches and monasteries were a primary target, purposefully isolated to preserve their religious missions but ripe for plunder by Viking warriors. The raids were done by groups of men who descended from ships, plundering loot such as precious metalwork and livestock such as cattle and sheep, as well as carrying out ransoms and extortions.
The cause of these attacks is unclear and debated by scholars: was it a reaction to the aggressive spread of Christianity in Europe or the result of overpopulation of Viking lands? More likely it was a wealth-redistribution exercise, focused on gaining riches for the raiders to ensure status in their society. As J. Carroll, S. Harrison and G. Williams explain (p. 11, The Viking), "The practice of dividing inheritances between several relatives in Scandinavia meant that a family's wealth would be spread more thinly with each generation unless new sources of wealth could be found."
The 13th century Icelandic sagas give insight into Viking military practices, although these were not contemporary. There were semi-permanent groups of warriors, who worked for Viking kings and other leaders, and others who engaged in long campaigns as part of the Great Army. The raids were carried out by hundreds if not thousands of men in certain cases, attacking larger targets rather than one-off sites.
Viking warrior graves rarely preserve helmets despite the abundance of weapons. However enough have survived to provide insight into the fashion of the times. Contrary to 19th century notions from popular culture, Viking helmets did not have horns or wings. Rather, the Viking helmet was an adaptation of the cavalry helmets of the late Roman period, from which they took the well-honed methods to protect the head, face and neck. As seen here, the basic design was a conical bowl with a nose guard. This type of helmet was used by the Anglo-Saxons, Franks and Slav through the 10th century, and was highly individualized, with decoration varying based on the region, status and preference. For a similar conical helmet from the 10th century, found in Chernaya Mogila, Chernihiv, Ukrkane, now in the State Hisorical Museum, Moscow, see no. 44 in G. Williams, P. Pentz, and M. Wemhoff, ed., Vikings: Life and Legend.
The cause of these attacks is unclear and debated by scholars: was it a reaction to the aggressive spread of Christianity in Europe or the result of overpopulation of Viking lands? More likely it was a wealth-redistribution exercise, focused on gaining riches for the raiders to ensure status in their society. As J. Carroll, S. Harrison and G. Williams explain (p. 11, The Viking), "The practice of dividing inheritances between several relatives in Scandinavia meant that a family's wealth would be spread more thinly with each generation unless new sources of wealth could be found."
The 13th century Icelandic sagas give insight into Viking military practices, although these were not contemporary. There were semi-permanent groups of warriors, who worked for Viking kings and other leaders, and others who engaged in long campaigns as part of the Great Army. The raids were carried out by hundreds if not thousands of men in certain cases, attacking larger targets rather than one-off sites.
Viking warrior graves rarely preserve helmets despite the abundance of weapons. However enough have survived to provide insight into the fashion of the times. Contrary to 19th century notions from popular culture, Viking helmets did not have horns or wings. Rather, the Viking helmet was an adaptation of the cavalry helmets of the late Roman period, from which they took the well-honed methods to protect the head, face and neck. As seen here, the basic design was a conical bowl with a nose guard. This type of helmet was used by the Anglo-Saxons, Franks and Slav through the 10th century, and was highly individualized, with decoration varying based on the region, status and preference. For a similar conical helmet from the 10th century, found in Chernaya Mogila, Chernihiv, Ukrkane, now in the State Hisorical Museum, Moscow, see no. 44 in G. Williams, P. Pentz, and M. Wemhoff, ed., Vikings: Life and Legend.