![]() ![]() The monks might have exaggerated the butchery and depravity of the Vikings, but compared to what? Who else in medieval Europe was a paradigm of virtue and saintly conduct on or off the battlefield? In the monks’ defense, English words derived from Old Norse include berserk, ransack, and slaughter. History is usually written by the winners, but in the case of the Vikings, it was written by the losers, the literate monks whose priories, monasteries, and churches the Vikings often targeted. Russia and Belarus would derive their name from these Norse people. They reached Byzantium and the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad, even traveling as far east as Mongolia. It sent a shockwave throughout Europe, and for more than two centuries they were the most feared warriors on the continent and even beyond - the Volga Vikings, primarily trading furs, honey, and slaves, traveled east from Sweden and the Baltic to follow Russian rivers to the Black and Caspian Seas. The Vikings were scarcely known before 793 when they raided the prosperous Church of St Cuthbert on the tidal island of Lindisfarne on England’s northeast coast. The view of the Hanseatic wharf area | Credit: Macduff Everton But they have their sleek ships as well, and they use them.” As we’ll see everywhere we visit, their descendants are still farmers, minding their sheep. “Many of the Vikings,” she continues, “are simply looking for rich locations they can raid when they can go out on a foray, hit it quickly, grab whatever they can get, then return home with their loot and have a nice winter at home on their farm. She is also wearing a jaunty tweed hat from her home on the Isle of Lewis. Knott, zipped up in outerwear against the elements, has the focused look of someone who studies her surroundings. It was only at the end of the eighth century that they sailed westward.” At first it was local, around the Baltic. ![]() “It was the practice for the Vikings,” Knott explains, “to go out in summer and sail wherever you could and beat up the people and bring back as much booty as you could - this was generally understood among them to be a good thing to do. The maritime culture of the Norse people we now refer to as the Vikings had a tremendous impact on Europe and beyond as they were the first Europeans to open up the North Atlantic and reach Greenland and North America more than a thousand years ago. Since 1988 she’s worked as an archaeologist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, living in a crofting village on the Isle of Lewis.Ĭottontails Dance Club | Credit: Macduff Everton I am part of the staff that includes naturalists, a geologist, an historian, an undersea specialist, a cultural specialist, and a National Geographic photographer.Ĭarol Knott is our onboard ship historian. Our Lindblad/National Geographic Expedition MV National Geographic Explorer is 367 feet long with an ice-strengthened hull, capable of handling sea ice or a wild crossing of the North Sea. I’m here to explore the world of the seafaring Vikings - the Orkney and Shetland Islands of Scotland, the Faroes in the North Atlantic, and finish with a near circumnavigation of Iceland. A crowd gathers to watch and is invited to participate. I join the dancers - members of The Cottontails, a dance club for American swing dances - who normally have to practice indoors, but tonight they are on the street dancing to a cassette on a boom box. For residents used to long dark winters and rainy days, a day of sun and blue skies stretching into the night is a gift. The summer sunshine entices everyone outside: to eat fresh seafood, to walk along the harbor, or even dance along the historic Hanseatic wharf at ten o’clock at night. We finish our tour with some sightseeing around the island on our way back to the pier.Cottontails Dance Club practicing in Hanseatic wharf area on a beautiful evening | Credit: Macduff EvertonĮveryone tells me how lucky we are today enjoying blue skies. Glimpse life in the Arctic Sea in the aquariums and experience Arctic phenomena in the panoramic cinema. Next is Polaria, where you can watch Arctic bearded seals and harbor seals swimming around the underwater tunnel. Dominated by glass mosaic windows, its structure was inspired by Arctic nature. Explore the plateau or have a snack while you admire the view from Fjellstua restaurant.Īfter, we stop at the Arctic Cathedral. Get your bearings as you take in the spectacular views across the city and the fjords, mountains, and islands that surround it. Your tour begins with a ride up Tromsø’s famous cable car to the top of Mount Storsteinen (1,377 ft above sea level). It’s no surprise that it has become a vibrant hub for culture, research, and education. It has also served as Norway’s seat of government and been a destination for timber transport from Russian rivers. Over the centuries, Tromsø has been the starting point for numerous polar expeditions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |