Having made their way to Ireland approximately 1200 years ago, the Vikings have become infamous characters of myth and legend (as well as TV stardom). They have been remembered in popular culture for their ships, their fashions and their not-so-subtle approach to plundering foreign lands.
But who were the Vikings? And where did they get their name?
Well, strictly speaking, the term ‘Viking’ should only really be applied to sea-faring pirates and their activities - Víkingr was the word used to describe sea-pirates from the area we now call Scandinavia. You might be thinking raiders and invaders. But the word is now commonly used to describe all Scandinavian peoples of the Viking Age and their culture.
It is not certain where the word Víkingr comes from, but it
could be connected with the Old Norse word vík, meaning inlet, creek or bay.
Since sea-pirates sailed in and out of them to attack and steal from passing
ships, it may very well have formed the basis of Víkingr. Or, another view is
that traders from Víken (now Oslofjord) in Southern Norway were the original
source of the name. If these traders were also raiders, it is easy to see where
the new meaning may have gradually crept in.
While the Vikings lived in violent times, their blood-thirsty, thievish reputation is only one part of a far bigger picture. Crafters, tradesmen, farmers and phenomenal shipbuilders; the Viking Age has left us with many legacies, both here in Ireland and across Europe.
We'll be taking a closer look at many aspects of Viking life in later posts!
We'll be taking a closer look at many aspects of Viking life in later posts!
