Viking is a notion that comes from the English term viking, which in turn derives from the Norse Vikingr. The concept alludes to the Scandinavian peoples who, between the 8th and 11th centuries, made multiple trips around the European continent.
The Vikings were great navigators who made numerous incursions into various territories. It is not clear what led these communities to leave the Scandinavian peninsula, although historians hypothesize such problems to develop trade in the region and overpopulation. Some even refer to a tactical decision: the Vikings would have taken advantage of the political and military weakness of other nations to attack them and conquer new territories.
In addition to the reasons that led the Vikings to sail to other regions, their decision was made possible by their naval power. The Vikings developed ships capable of crossing great distances quickly and safely. The attack on the British monastery of Lindisfarne in 793 is considered the beginning of the so-called Viking Age, marked by recurring raids and explorations by the Norsemen. In addition to the British Isles, the Vikings also toured France, Spain, Russia, and even certain regions of North America. Leaving aside their military and naval power, it can be noted that the Vikings used the writing of symbols known as runes and that their beliefs were polytheistic and pagan. Over the years, many Viking communities have adopted Christianity as their religion. In addition to all that, we have to say that there is a television series entitled “Vikings”. It premiered in 2013 and is co-produced between Canada and Ireland. Michael Hirst is the director of this production, made by The History Channel television channel, which revolves around the figure of the Viking Ragnar Lodbrok, considered one of the most famous characters of this culture. It was found that he was a great navigator, a fierce warrior, someone very ambitious and, above all, very brave. However, we cannot forget that there is also a film entitled “The Vikings”. It premiered in 1958 and was the film adaptation of the novel of the same name by American writer Edison Marshall. The film was directed by Richard Fleischer and featured a cast including Kirk Douglas, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis and Ernest Borgnine. It told the story of a Viking who abused the queen of the country during the invasion of England and from that sexual relationship a man was born. Thirty years after this birth, father and son will meet again without either of them realizing the emotional ties that unite them.
Also, consider an iconic cartoon series from the 1970s called “Vickie the Viking”. It revolved around a character created by writer Runer Johnson, a boy who lived in a Viking village who called himself Flake. Today, Norse people are often called Vikings, regardless of their historical connection.
