Read A Brief History of the Vikings Online
Authors: Jonathan Clements
A Brief History of the Vikings (35 page)
1
DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion
, p.49, quoting Adam of Bremen.
2
Heimskringla
, p.501.
3
Ibid., p.514.
4
Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, quoting
Skjaldedigtning
, p.209.
5
Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, p.210, outlines several alternate sources to confirm Harald’s location in these years.
6
Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, p.191.
7
The inscription on the Piraeus lion (now in Venice) is illegible, and Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, discounts speculation that it contains reference to its carver as ‘Harald the Tall’, p.190.
8
Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, p.211; DeVries,
The Norwegian Invasion of England in 1066
, p.29; but compare to Turville-Petrie,
Haraldr the Hard-ruler and his Poets
, p.13, who regards his glorious career advancement with significantly more critical eyes.
9
Jones,
History of the Vikings
, p.405.
10
Ibid., p.208.
11
Norwich,
Byzantium: The Apogee
, p.288; for Harald’s involvement see Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, p.220.
12
Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, p.223.
13
Heimskringla
, p.587.
14
DeVries,
The Norwegian Invasion of England in 1066
, p.35, includes yet more possible explanations, one from William of Malmesbury, who claimed that Harald had raped a noblewoman (could this be the Maria of the sagas?), and Saxo Grammaticus, who gives the reason for his imprisonment as homicide.
15
Heimskringla
, p.588.
16
Davidson,
Viking Road to Byzantium
, p.227, DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion of England in 1066
, p.37.
17
Heimskringla
, p.590.
18
Magnusson and Palsson translate the term as ‘golden lady in Russia’ in
King Harald’s Saga
, p.63; Hollander,
Heimskringla
has the more exacting ‘gold-ring-Gerth from Garthar’ – Gerth being a goddess’s name, and Garda referring to Gardariki or Holmgard, both terms for Jaroslav’s domain.
19
Also known as Svein Ulfsson. As his mother’s pedigree was of greater value to Svein in Norway, Svein used her name in the place of the traditional patronymic.
20
Heimskringla
, pp.593–4; DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion
, p.45, sees this as an attempt by Snorri to retroactively justify Harald’s changing sides, but the incident is presented without editorial comment, and after Snorri has already revealed the initiation of secret negotiations. While Harald may have used the incident to justify such behaviour, Snorri does not allow him to get away with it.
21
This is, of course, Harald’s version of events. Svein himself would describe an equally self-interested account of wrongs done against him to Adam of Bremen, whose history of Scandinavia becomes decidedly less reliable on some occasions in which he leans on his kingly informant.
22
Heimskringla
, p.598.
23
Ibid., p.601.
24
King Harald’s Saga
, Magnusson and Palsson, p.80; compare to the translation in Hollander,
Heimskringla
, p.602. The former implies that Harald raped the girls before returning them, the latter is more ambiguous.
25
King Harald’s Saga
, Magnusson and Palsson, p.92. Once again, I have elected to go with the freer translation of this version; more exacting scholars may prefer Hollander,
Heimskringla
, p.611.
26
Ibid., Magnusson and Palsson, p.93.
27
The match may have been born of politics or passion, or perhaps from dynastic concerns – Ellisif gave Harald only daughters, while Thora provided him with two sons.
28
Ibid., Magnusson and Palsson, p.102.
29
Weir,
Britain’s Royal Families
, p.38.
30
Tostig’s argument was so persuasive that several contemporary accounts mistakenly believed that he was Godwin’s oldest son. To confuse matters further, Godwin’s first-born was actually another Svein, who infamously claimed to be the bastard son of King Canute. Luckily, that Svein was already dead by the time of the succession crisis, otherwise it would have been even more hard-fought.
31
Heimskringla
, p.643.
32
I mean, of course, by William Shakespeare although those in search of more historical sources can look to DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion
, pp.173–4.
33
Heimskringla, p.644
.
34
Ibid.
35
Heimskringla, pp.646–7
.
36
DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion
, p.242ff., mounts a series of convincing arguments concerning Tostig’s double-dealings with the Normans. He may have even been hoping to play Harald the Ruthless against William the Bastard, and emerge as the ultimate victor. But such discussions belong to a study of English history, and we must concern ourselves specifically with the Vikings.
37
DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion
, p.255. The town has grown to such an extent that there are now streets and houses all over the original site of the battle.
38
DeVries,
Norwegian Invasion
, p.269–70. The exact site of the final showdown is unknown today, as the river has changed course, but Battle Flats, where many skeletons were unearthed during the Victorian age, would appear to be a rather obvious contender.
39
Heimskringla
, p.653.
40
Ibid., p.655. There are elements here of the Balder legend (or that of Achilles), since Harald’s long coat of mail, incongruously named ‘Emma’, was said to be impervious.
41
Swanton, The
Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
, p.199.
1
The last battle between the English and the Normans was fought in Albania, where Anglo-Saxon Varangians took great pleasure in attacking invaders from Norman Italy in the name of the Byzantine Emperor. They were, however, defeated.
2
Haywood,
Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age
, p.45.
3
Ultimately, the falling sea levels would cut off several of the greatest Viking ports – the waters around Hedeby were too shallow for deep-draft ships by 1071, and the famous entrepot was replaced by nearby Schleswig. Haywood,
Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age
, p.95.
4
Marcus,
Conquest of the North Atlantic
, p.155.
5
Haywood,
Historical Atlas of the Vikings
, p.97.
6
Jones,
History of the Vikings
, p.309.
7
Rink,
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
, p.323.
8
Ibid., p.313.
9
Marcus,
Conquest of the North Atlantic
, p.162.
10
Ibid.
11
Wawn,
Vikings and the Victorians
, p.16.
12
Niitema et al.
Old Friends Strong Ties
, pp.14–18.
13
Ibid, p.72.
14
Wahlgren,
The Kensington Stone
, p.3.
Abasgun
108
Abbasid Caliphate
106
Advice to an Emperor
193
Aegir
18
Aelfgifu
184
Aelfheah, Archbishop of Canterbury
172
Aella, King of Yorkshire
74
Aethelred Unraed (‘Unready’)
121
,
127
,
128
,
163–5
,
167
,
168
,
169
,
170
,
171
,
172
,
173–5
Aethelstan (son of Aethelred Unraed)
174
Aethelwulf, King of Wessex
75
Aifur
103
Åland
99
Alcis
34
Alfheim, King of
58
Alof
88
America, North, Viking landings in
13
,
53–4
,
143
,
148–59
,
222–8
Anatolia
192
Andersen, Magnus
53–4
Andover
129
Andvari
40–1
Angantyr
23
Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, The
7
,
9
,
48
,
50
,
125
,
163
,
164
,
166
,
169
,
170
,
173
,
211–12
language
50
Angul
24
Anna, Princess
114–15
Annales Bertiani
104
Annals of Ulster
69
Arcadiopolis, battle of
113
see also
burial mounds; cemeteries; grave-goods; ship-burials
Arctic Sea
100
Argyllshire
216
Ari the Learned
143
Arnarson, Ingolf
141–2
Arthur, King
6
Asia Minor
191
Asleifarson, Svein
216
Assandon
, Battle of
175–6
Astrid (daughter of Olof Skötkonung)
180
Astrid (mother of Crowbone)
124
,
198
astronomy
17
Asvaldsson, Thorvald
145
Athelstan, King of England
78
,
92
,
93
,
172
Athens
191
atrocities
Aud the Deep-Minded
142–3
Aud (wife of Turgeis)
72
Audhumla
20
Aurelianus, Ambrosius
6
aurora borealis
27
Azerbaijan
108
Badon Hill
6
Baffin Island
150
Baku
108
Basil II, Emperor (the Bulgar-Slayer)
114–15
,
190
,
191
Batavii
4
Bath
173
‘bear-shirts’
26
beliefs, Viking
16–17
,
36–7
,
44–5
Benjahir
105
Beorhtic, King of Wessex
50
Beorhtric
169
Beothuk Indians
154
Berda
108
Berezany
106
Bergljót
203
berserkir
26
Bjarni Herjolfsson
148–50
Björkö
98
Bjorn (son of Fairhair)
91
Black Sea
4
,
18
,
102
,
104
,
106
,
109
,
196
,
215
boar, worship of the
23
Bodvar the Wise
56
Boe
43
Boudicca, Queen
1–2
Bragi
18–19
Brentford
175
Britain
Crowbone circumnavigates
124–5
and Iceland
221–2
kingdoms of
6–7
Saxon settlement of
5–6
Vikings control eastern coast of
80
see also
England; Ireland; Scotland; Wales
Brittany
7
Bructeri
3
Brusason, Rognavald
188–9
Brynhildr
27
