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The Vikings were not only among the most powerful warriors of the Middle Ages, but also among the most mysterious tribes of their time. Little was known about them. However, with certain modern representations of the Vikings, we tend to think that the Vikings were brutal and only knew looting and murder. The historical truth is that they were just humans who had to fight for their tribes and fight for food. Just like in medieval times. This blog post will focus on the four things you probably don't know about the Vikings.
If you know everything we are going to mention, you deserve a gold medallion for your good knowledge.
The Viking fortresses were known as trelleborg. Unlike the stone forts or castles you might see on TV shows, Viking forts were circular in shape and were built with grass, wood, and earth.
It is said that the Vikings learned these building techniques elsewhere during their travels. Of course, this type of circular fort was not invented by the Vikings. They probably learned it. But once the Vikings learned the building techniques, they mastered them.
The circles of the fort were almost geometrically perfect. Although these forts do not stand the test of time (and some farmers have leveled them for agricultural reasons one day.
These four kings were actually a generation of family. Sweyn Forkbeard, Knut the Great, Harald Harefoot, and Hardiknut. Sweyn Forkbeard was famous in his time because he was the son of Harald Bluetooth who inspired the modern name of Bluetooth - wireless connection technology.
Sweyn Forkbeard was a true pagan. His mindset reflected this very vividly, as Sweyn welcomed any new religion as long as it welcomed his own. But if a religion wanted to get rid of the Viking gods, Sweyn Forkbeard would declare eternal war on them. Just as he did with his father.
Sweyn Forkbeard's eyes were not focused on Scandinavian territory but also on others like the Anglo-Saxons. And he took the throne from King Æthelred well. His son Knut the Great and his grandchildren also took the throne.
One might think that all Vikings were buried in their viking ships and that their families pushed them into the ocean. Yes, this could be historically true.
But only those who were extremely rich could afford such funerals for themselves. Those who could not afford it were buried in a cemetery. Their burial mimicked the shape of a boat.
The ideal Viking sword was a double-edged weapon, light enough to be handled and used flexibly, but strong enough to shred enemies up to their knees. Viking warriors could use one or two hands to control their swords. So, if the swords were not light enough, the warriors could quickly tire and lose battles.
Most Viking swords were light, weighing about one kilogram, however, there were swords that weighed up to two kilograms.
The most important thing is that not all Viking warriors could afford a sword in their lifetime. Because they were very expensive. Only those who were rich or who had a high social status could afford them.
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