The post Surprising Countries You May Not Realize the Vikings Raided appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>After sacking Bourdeaux, France in 844, the Vikings weren’t quite ready to head home just yet. Instead, they journeyed into Spain, laying siege to its coastal villages. It took the intervention of King Ramiro I of Asturias in the northwestern region of Galicia to put a stop to the Viking onslaught.
One group of Vikings traveling east made it all the way to the grand Turkish city of Constantinople. Craving the gold and riches that lay in the regal city, the Vikings were never actually able to breach the walls of the heavily fortified city. Instead, in 987, 6,000 Viking mercenaries would enjoy Constantinople’s treasures by choosing to defend the city, not sack it. This is because they were recruited by Byzantine Emperor Basil II to quell an internal uprising.
Centuries before the expedition westward led by Christopher Columbus, Vikings from Greenland arrived in the United States, establishing a trade route centered on the export of timber to Scandinavia. When they encountered Native Americans, whom they called “Skraelings” due to their screaming battle cries, the Vikings decided against settling in North America due to the difficulty in communicating with the locals and being vastly outnumbered.
The post Surprising Countries You May Not Realize the Vikings Raided appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Fun Facts About Vikings You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>As surprising as this might sound, not all Vikings were blonde. However, they sure tried to be. To keep up with the beauty ideals of their people, Viking men and women used various techniques to bleach their hair.
It is easy to believe that all Vikings were raiding and pirating seafarers. However, the truth is that only a small number of them were dedicated to this life. The majority of Vikings were actually farmers who worked the land and raised cattle.
When most people think of Vikings, they think of horned helmets. And there is nothing wrong with that except the fact that Vikings never wore those kinds of helmets. This is actually a modern myth that somehow stuck around.
Vikings loved skiing and engaged in it as both recreation and a way to travel around. They even had a God of Skiing named Ullr.
Considering all their pillaging, you would think that Vikings didn’t have much time to worry about hygiene. However, it was quite the opposite. They not only bathed at least once a week, which was a lot for that era, but also had various beauty tools like combs, razors, and ear cleaners.
The post Fun Facts About Vikings You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Surprising Countries You May Not Realize the Vikings Raided appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>After sacking Bourdeaux, France in 844, the Vikings weren’t quite ready to head home just yet. Instead, they journeyed into Spain, laying siege to its coastal villages. It took the intervention of King Ramiro I of Asturias in the northwestern region of Galicia to put a stop to the Viking onslaught.
One group of Vikings traveling east made it all the way to the grand Turkish city of Constantinople. Craving the gold and riches that lay in the regal city, the Vikings were never actually able to breach the walls of the heavily fortified city. Instead, in 987, 6,000 Viking mercenaries would enjoy Constantinople’s treasures by choosing to defend the city, not sack it. This is because they were recruited by Byzantine Emperor Basil II to quell an internal uprising.
Centuries before the expedition westward led by Christopher Columbus, Vikings from Greenland arrived in the United States, establishing a trade route centered on the export of timber to Scandinavia. When they encountered Native Americans, whom they called “Skraelings” due to their screaming battle cries, the Vikings decided against settling in North America due to the difficulty in communicating with the locals and being vastly outnumbered.
The post Surprising Countries You May Not Realize the Vikings Raided appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Fun Facts About Vikings You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>As surprising as this might sound, not all Vikings were blonde. However, they sure tried to be. To keep up with the beauty ideals of their people, Viking men and women used various techniques to bleach their hair.
It is easy to believe that all Vikings were raiding and pirating seafarers. However, the truth is that only a small number of them were dedicated to this life. The majority of Vikings were actually farmers who worked the land and raised cattle.
When most people think of Vikings, they think of horned helmets. And there is nothing wrong with that except the fact that Vikings never wore those kinds of helmets. This is actually a modern myth that somehow stuck around.
Vikings loved skiing and engaged in it as both recreation and a way to travel around. They even had a God of Skiing named Ullr.
Considering all their pillaging, you would think that Vikings didn’t have much time to worry about hygiene. However, it was quite the opposite. They not only bathed at least once a week, which was a lot for that era, but also had various beauty tools like combs, razors, and ear cleaners.
The post Fun Facts About Vikings You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on History Chronicle.
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