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The Viking reputation as bloodthirsty conquerors has endured for more than a millennium but new research shows that some Norsem*n approached these islands with more than a little trepidation.
Uppermost in the minds of the Icelandic merchants weighing anchor off Scotland in the Middle Ages were the ferocious reception they expected from hostile locals, dangerous landings, the incomprehensible language and the terrible weather (very foggy).
Advice handed down to Norse travellers in the 13th century warns those making the journey to Scotland that they did so at their own peril. A new analysis of the classic Icelandic Sagas (Islendingasagur) has unearthed the following counsel: "Icelanders who want to practise robbery are advised to go there ... but it may cost them their life."
Another tells of a Scot identified as Grjotgard, a kinsman of Melkolf, king of Scotland (Malcolm II). His flotilla of 13 vessels bristling with fierce, angry-looking warriors intercepted a party of arriving Icelandic traders in a western sea loch: "You have two choices. You can go ashore and we will take all your property, or we'll attack you and kill every man we lay our hands on," the Scot warned them.
The chronicles set down on yellowed calf vellum eight centuries ago have been reinterpreted by Gisli Sigurdsson, a historian at Reykjavik University, who suggests that the ancient Norse were more tentative than other accounts suggest, especially when it came to contact with the Scots.
Though written down in the 13th century, the part-fact, part-fiction accounts based on the travels of the leading Icelandic families pertain to a period 200 years earlier.
At the height of their power the Scandinavian seafarers claimed Orkney, Shetland, Iceland and Greenland as their own. They had also established powerful colonies in mainland Scotland, England, Ireland, France, North America and Russia.
At this time the Scots were fighting off the Norman kings of England as well as coping with the bitter struggles of their own clans. But as their sphere of military influence grew, the Norse became more interested in trading than fighting. They were not always met with open arms, according to Mr Sigurdsson. "The only places the Norse expected a safe reception was Orkney and Shetland, where the people were basically like them and where they would be greeted as kin," he said. They were particularly nervous in the western sea lochs then known as the "Scottish fjords". The Vikings were also wary of the Gaels of Ireland and west Scotland and the inhabitants of the Hebrides.
Orkney historian Tom Muir said the raiders typically preyed on easy targets such as monasteries but the trouble was not all one way: "The truth is there were raids both ways and the Norse had every reason to fear Celtic neighbours."
FAQs
At this time the Scots were fighting off the Norman kings of England as well as coping with the bitter struggles of their own clans. But as their sphere of military influence grew, the Norse became more interested in trading than fighting. They were not always met with open arms, according to Mr Sigurdsson.
Why were the Vikings such fierce warriors? ›
Fighting was very important for the Vikings. They attacked and raided settlements to find treasure and slaves. They fought wars as a way of taking control of more land.
Why couldn't the Vikings conquer Scotland? ›
Were the people there too tough even for their Vikings? Well, the first reason was because Scotland didn't exist yet. There were at least four significant countries in the region that would become Scotland: The Kingdom of Dal Riata, which was then the land of the Scots in Britain.
How did the Vikings have an impact on Scotland? ›
The Viking raids were undoubtedly traumatic for the Scots. They also led to a significant exchange of cultural and linguistic ideas. Norse settlers in Scotland brought with them their own language. The language, Old Norse, had a lasting impact on the Scots Gaelic language.
What were the fiercest Viking warriors known as? ›
The berserkers and the wolfskins (also known as 'heathen wolves') were a special group of very skilled and dangerous warriors associated with the god Odin.
What did the Vikings say about Scotland? ›
Scotland is full of dangerous natives who speak an incomprehensible language and the is weather awful. That was the verdict of a series of 13th century Viking travel guides that warned voyagers to visit at their peril.
Why were the Vikings fierce warriors that didn t fear death? ›
Because Vikings feared one thing more than dying in battle. To die without a good reputation. Most Vikings didn't saw the afterlife as some great prize after death. What they did know was that you where only in this world as long as you were remembered.
Did Scotland beat the Vikings? ›
Eventually in 1263 the Viking King Haakon IV decided that a show of strength was required to overcome the persistent aggression from the Scots. On the 1st of October 1263 they met in the Battle of Largs, which was a victory for the Scots and a defeat for the Vikings, who set fire to their stranded ships and retreated.
Did the Vikings try to conquer Scotland? ›
Donnchadh Ó Corráin is a proponent of this view and claims that a substantial part of Scotland—the Northern and Western Isles and large areas of the coastal mainland—were conquered by the Vikings in the first quarter of the 9th century and that a Viking kingdom was set up there earlier than the middle of the century.
What Scottish surnames are Viking? ›
Surnames ending in -son or -sen are an obvious sign of Scandinavian ancestry – but other names such as 'Linklater', 'Flett', 'Scarth', 'Heddle', 'McIvor', 'MacAulay' and 'McLeod', 'Roger/s' and 'Rogerson' and 'Rendall' could also be a sign.
In terms of external threats, the Vikings feared several groups, including: Other Viking tribes: The Vikings were not a unified people but were rather composed of many tribes and clans. These groups often warred with each other, and the Vikings feared raids and attacks from rival tribes.
Why was England so weak to the Vikings? ›
Answer and Explanation:
England was relatively weak during the Viking Age because it did not consist of one country. England at this time was composed of several independent kingdoms. One of the most powerful of these was Wessex.
Are Vikings Irish or Scottish? ›
It's believed that the first group of Vikings to invade Ireland were from Scandinavia. They had also settled in Scotland and would later became known as Gallowglass, an elite warrior group. From the mid-13th to the early 17th centuries they fought for hire in Ireland itself.
Who is the most famous Scottish warrior? ›
William Wallace is remembered for leading the Scottish resistance forces during the struggle to free Scotland from English rule. Many of the popular stories about Wallace—which are not supported by documentary evidence—have been traced to a late 15th-century romance ascribed to Harry the Minstrel, or “Blind Harry.”
Are there a lot of Norwegians in Scotland? ›
We estimate the total of Norwegian-like ancestry in Orkney and Shetland to be about 20 to 25%. The proportion of Norwegian-like ancestry also tends to be higher in individuals with ancestry from the north of Orkney and of Shetland.
Did the Vikings ever control Scotland? ›
The end of the Viking Age is traditionally set to the mid-11th century, although in Scotland Scandinavians continued to rule the islands. After three centuries of Viking occupation in Scotland, the Scottish Kings made great efforts to recover the Western Isles from Viking rule.
Did the Vikings ever fight the Scots? ›
The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland.
Who was the toughest Scottish clan? ›
Clan Campbell (Scottish Gaelic: Na Caimbeulaich [na ˈkʰaimbəl̪ˠɪç]) is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan.
Did the Vikings successfully invade Scotland? ›
Donnchadh Ó Corráin is a proponent of this view and claims that a substantial part of Scotland—the Northern and Western Isles and large areas of the coastal mainland—were conquered by the Vikings in the first quarter of the 9th century and that a Viking kingdom was set up there earlier than the middle of the century.
