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Chapter 40: Vikings - Plunder, Trade and Havoc
Scandinavia: The Homeland of the Vikings
The developments in Scandinavia during the ninth century would have been felt in a large part of Europe. The Jutish peninsula, the Danish islands, the firths of the Norwegian coast and the forests and clearings in Scania, Gotaland and Sweden would have been populated by North Germanic peoples, known to the outsiders as the Vikings.
The word Viking was used by the peoples on the other banks of the Noth Seas to relate to the dwellers of the firths; in the east, where the Old Norse would be more merchant-adventurers then looters and raiders they would be known mainly as Ruotsi (from the word to row), thus meaning sea people (hence the word Rus). Another name relating to them was Varangians, meaning oathbound, for many Varangians would form the Varangian Guard, a personal bodyguard of the Rhomaic Emperor.
Historians speak of a “Viking Age” in Northern Europe, caused by a demographic expansion in Scandinavia, resulting in overpopulation. This resulted in mercantile and military expansion, which was often demonstrated to the maritime populations under the form of Viking raids.
As for the Danes, they have already established themselves as a kingdom on the Jutland peninsula, on the Danish island and in Scania. Quite often, they have been at odds with their southern neighbours the Saxons, who had been crushed by Charlemagne. To defend themselves against the Saxons, they had built a border wall called Danevirke; this border defence would have been expanded and reinforced after the incorporation of Saxony to Francia.
Further northeast was the realm of the Geat, also known as Gotaland, extending from Goteborg to the islands of Gotland and Oland. Around Lake Malaren and in the region of Uppsala was the petty kingdom of Svealand; on the western side of the Scandinavian mountians, on the Atlantic and North Sea coast with many firths was the realm of Norway.
As for the large areas of Scandinavia roughly north of the Uppsala-Trondheim line, those areas would have remained unoccupied by Norse, and inhabited by the Sámi peoples, who would have lived as reindeer herdsmen. To the Norse, their northern neighbours would have been known as Kvens, and the area as Kvenland.
Havoc in Britain
The British Isles would have been one of the first targets of the raiding Norsemen. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms would have fallen one after the other, with Northumbria falling (with a rump kingdom persisting in Lothian), followed by Mercia. The lands ruled by the Vikings would come to be known as the Danelaw.
This would reduce the zone of Anglo-Saxon dominance to a line running roughly from Chester to London, to a region comprising Wessex, southwestern Mercia, Sussex and Kent. This would have given the Brythonic populace some breathing space. Unfortunately, however, this also the period of the of the Latinate Brittanic language in the area of Verulamium; a small latinate population of around 15 000 people would continue to survive in the southern border regions with Wales. That peninsula would have remained still disunited throughout the entire century.
As for the Danelaw, a large part of its people would flee to Saxon-held lands. With a stronger Frankish Empire, not having to fight Muslims, the Vikings would give up raiding Francia and would focus more on England; therefore, Yorkshire will have much more Danish presence than OTL.
In Ireland, the Vikings would have raided the coasts, and establish numerous coastal cities as maritime bases, such as Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford.
As for the northern part of the British Island, known to the Romans as Caledonia, one could all but wonder how there could be such a diverse population north of the Hadrian Wall. There was the remnant of Northumbria in Lothian; then you had a Cumbric to its west (the old realm of Strathclyde). The coastal areas in the southwestern corner would have however been populated by a mixed population of Vikings and Irish, or Gall-Gaidel as they would have called themselves. This would be simplified later to the form of Galloway. Further northwards the Scots of DalRiata and the Picts of Fortriu would have united themselves in the 840s, thus creating a kingdom of Alba. The core of Alba was the North Sea coast, for the western coast had been overrun by Vikings. The local populace, a mix of Norse and Gaels, would have organized themselves into two realms: the Yarldom of Orkney and the Lordship of the Isles, based around the Isle of Man
Exploration of the Northern Sea
The Norse had already reached the Orkney, Shetland and Faroes by the 800s, displacing, enslaving or mixing with the local Gaelic and Pictish population, with many Gaelic hermits known as Papar.
Modern reconstruction of the Viking Knarr
The Norse arrival to Iceland is traditionally been dated to 874 AD. Previous Gaelic inhabitants of Iceland were known as the Papar and have settled the peninsula of Reykjanes at hafnir and on the Vestmanneyrar Island off the southwestern coast. The first Norse settlements would have been established at Husavik and Bardharstrom.
The settlers were not Norwegians, at least not all of them. While some of them would have been dissidents to King Harald Fairhair of the newly unified Norway, others would have been Swedes, but many more would have been Irish or Scots ; quite a few would have been Norse-Gaels. It is likely that the Scottish and Irish would have arrived unvoluntarily as thralls and serfs, while the Norse would have been the ruling population.
The Norse have not reached Greenland just yet.
Founding of Rus
Varangian (that is) Swedish merchants would discover trade routes leading to the southern seas: to the Black Sea, giving access to trade with the Rhomaic Empire via the Dnieper, Daugava and Vistula rivers, and to the Caspian through the Itil or Volga river.
They would establish a network of trade posts, such as Holmsgardr (Novgorod), Aldeijuborg (Old Ladoga), Pallteskja (Polotsk), Smalleskja (Smolensk),Súrsdalar (Suzdal), Móramar (Murom) and Radhstofa (Rostov). Collectively they would have been known to the Varangians as the Gardhariki. That was not to be viewed as the unified state of Kievan Rus just yet, but rather as a cultural area of East Slavic settlement. Varangians would be engaged in trade, piracy and serving as mercenaries.
The Varangians are likely to have ruled the area around Kiev and Holmgardr under the name of the Rus Khaganate. This early state, with also Khazar influences (such as using the trident tagma, or the title of the Khagan) was however overthrown in 862 by a rebellion of both Slavic and Chudic (Baltic Finnic) peoples. All of the major settlements would have been burnt.
Soon however the tribes failed agree with each other and strife would occur. Thus he tribes invited the Varangians to come and rule them, to restore order and peace. The Varangians would thus return and under the leadership of Hrorekr (Rurik) establish a principality at Holmgardr (Novgorod). Trade would have shifted once more from the Itil trade route (because of decline of the Khazars and havoc in Persia?) to the Dnieper
Monument to Hrorekr and Helgi and Ladoga
Upon his death Hrorekr would be succeeded by Helgi (Oleg), who would unite the majority of the East Slavic lands, or at least their core by conquering the rival city-state of Kiev, which however becomes his new capital. Thus one can start talking about the state of Kievan Rus.
Kievan Rus must not be viewed as a precedent to Muscovy, no. Musocvy was a Slavic, Orthodox state, with Tatar influences and Merya substratum. Kievan Rus was a pagan tribal confederation or chiefdom, with a Varyag nobility or upperclass, an East Slavic, but also Finnic population of Izhorans, Votes, Veps and Chudes. Moreover, there would have also been Baltic Galindians in the realm, although by now mostly assimilated. Muscovy was geopolitically based on the tributaries of the Volga, Rus was based on the north-south axis from Holmgardr to Kiev, thus connecting norse Scandinavia with, and open to, Rhomaic influences.
By 874 however, the Rus welcomed some disciples of Cyril and Methodius; and an Archbishop of Rus, residing in Kiev was consecrated.
Rival to the Rus, the Varyags trading on the Itil trade route have prompted the consolidation of a more centralized tribal realm among the Merya. Its capital is Arsa, and the location has a great number of artifacts pointing to native Merya presence, especially beaver-themed objects. On the other hand, Runic inscriptions also hint Varyag presence. The principality was located in the Upper Valley and from there to the border of the Middle Oka basin. This Merya State, will, due to butterflies, a slightly more prosperous Iran and my personal sympathy to the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia continue to play an important role in the region.
Balticum
The southern and eastern banks of the Baltic Sea would also see some more development. In Esthonia e.g., the population in this period increased dramatically, and several forts with wooden palisade have been built.
In Pomerania, Slavic tribes had been in contact with their Germanic northern neighbours ever since their settlement in the region. Scandinavian trade posts had been larger than the early Slavic ones, which would have been built in their vicinity. Major Scandinavian trade posts in the Mecklenburg region would include Reric, Dierkow and Haithabu; in Pomerania it would be Wolin, Ralswiek, Menzlin and at Kolberg. Wolin is thought to have been identical with Jomsburg, the legendary base of the Jomsviking
Viking stone ships in Pomerania
Scandinavian settlements would have also been set up in the regions of the Baltic tribes: at Truso (near Elblang) and Krup/ Viskiautian (at the southwestern end of the Curonian lagoon) among the Prussians and at Grobin in Curonia (until the mid-ninth century, when the Curonians rebelled and destroyed the Gotland colony).
Major exports from the Baltic coast would include amber; one would trade also livestock, horses, honey, wax and salt. Linen, iron and silver would be used for payments, with iron in the form of small daggers and silver in the form of coins. Of course one must not forget that Viking raids in the area had a primary motif of acquiring slaves.
From the political point of view, one can witness the emergence of more organized tribal chiefdoms, among the Pomeranians, with the Obodrites in Meckhlenburg and around Ljubica (Luebeck), Veletis in Brandenburg and West Pomeranian, Rani on the Ruegen, and Kashubia between the lower Oder and Vistula.
The Baltic tribes would not have been so organized as the Pomeranians, with larger tribal chiefdoms of the Prussians, Sudovians, Samogitians, Polochians and mainly Curonians
The developments in Scandinavia during the ninth century would have been felt in a large part of Europe. The Jutish peninsula, the Danish islands, the firths of the Norwegian coast and the forests and clearings in Scania, Gotaland and Sweden would have been populated by North Germanic peoples, known to the outsiders as the Vikings.
The word Viking was used by the peoples on the other banks of the Noth Seas to relate to the dwellers of the firths; in the east, where the Old Norse would be more merchant-adventurers then looters and raiders they would be known mainly as Ruotsi (from the word to row), thus meaning sea people (hence the word Rus). Another name relating to them was Varangians, meaning oathbound, for many Varangians would form the Varangian Guard, a personal bodyguard of the Rhomaic Emperor.
Historians speak of a “Viking Age” in Northern Europe, caused by a demographic expansion in Scandinavia, resulting in overpopulation. This resulted in mercantile and military expansion, which was often demonstrated to the maritime populations under the form of Viking raids.
As for the Danes, they have already established themselves as a kingdom on the Jutland peninsula, on the Danish island and in Scania. Quite often, they have been at odds with their southern neighbours the Saxons, who had been crushed by Charlemagne. To defend themselves against the Saxons, they had built a border wall called Danevirke; this border defence would have been expanded and reinforced after the incorporation of Saxony to Francia.
Further northeast was the realm of the Geat, also known as Gotaland, extending from Goteborg to the islands of Gotland and Oland. Around Lake Malaren and in the region of Uppsala was the petty kingdom of Svealand; on the western side of the Scandinavian mountians, on the Atlantic and North Sea coast with many firths was the realm of Norway.
As for the large areas of Scandinavia roughly north of the Uppsala-Trondheim line, those areas would have remained unoccupied by Norse, and inhabited by the Sámi peoples, who would have lived as reindeer herdsmen. To the Norse, their northern neighbours would have been known as Kvens, and the area as Kvenland.
Havoc in Britain
The British Isles would have been one of the first targets of the raiding Norsemen. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms would have fallen one after the other, with Northumbria falling (with a rump kingdom persisting in Lothian), followed by Mercia. The lands ruled by the Vikings would come to be known as the Danelaw.
This would reduce the zone of Anglo-Saxon dominance to a line running roughly from Chester to London, to a region comprising Wessex, southwestern Mercia, Sussex and Kent. This would have given the Brythonic populace some breathing space. Unfortunately, however, this also the period of the of the Latinate Brittanic language in the area of Verulamium; a small latinate population of around 15 000 people would continue to survive in the southern border regions with Wales. That peninsula would have remained still disunited throughout the entire century.
As for the Danelaw, a large part of its people would flee to Saxon-held lands. With a stronger Frankish Empire, not having to fight Muslims, the Vikings would give up raiding Francia and would focus more on England; therefore, Yorkshire will have much more Danish presence than OTL.
In Ireland, the Vikings would have raided the coasts, and establish numerous coastal cities as maritime bases, such as Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford.
As for the northern part of the British Island, known to the Romans as Caledonia, one could all but wonder how there could be such a diverse population north of the Hadrian Wall. There was the remnant of Northumbria in Lothian; then you had a Cumbric to its west (the old realm of Strathclyde). The coastal areas in the southwestern corner would have however been populated by a mixed population of Vikings and Irish, or Gall-Gaidel as they would have called themselves. This would be simplified later to the form of Galloway. Further northwards the Scots of DalRiata and the Picts of Fortriu would have united themselves in the 840s, thus creating a kingdom of Alba. The core of Alba was the North Sea coast, for the western coast had been overrun by Vikings. The local populace, a mix of Norse and Gaels, would have organized themselves into two realms: the Yarldom of Orkney and the Lordship of the Isles, based around the Isle of Man
Exploration of the Northern Sea
The Norse had already reached the Orkney, Shetland and Faroes by the 800s, displacing, enslaving or mixing with the local Gaelic and Pictish population, with many Gaelic hermits known as Papar.
Modern reconstruction of the Viking Knarr
The Norse arrival to Iceland is traditionally been dated to 874 AD. Previous Gaelic inhabitants of Iceland were known as the Papar and have settled the peninsula of Reykjanes at hafnir and on the Vestmanneyrar Island off the southwestern coast. The first Norse settlements would have been established at Husavik and Bardharstrom.
The settlers were not Norwegians, at least not all of them. While some of them would have been dissidents to King Harald Fairhair of the newly unified Norway, others would have been Swedes, but many more would have been Irish or Scots ; quite a few would have been Norse-Gaels. It is likely that the Scottish and Irish would have arrived unvoluntarily as thralls and serfs, while the Norse would have been the ruling population.
The Norse have not reached Greenland just yet.
Founding of Rus
Varangian (that is) Swedish merchants would discover trade routes leading to the southern seas: to the Black Sea, giving access to trade with the Rhomaic Empire via the Dnieper, Daugava and Vistula rivers, and to the Caspian through the Itil or Volga river.
They would establish a network of trade posts, such as Holmsgardr (Novgorod), Aldeijuborg (Old Ladoga), Pallteskja (Polotsk), Smalleskja (Smolensk),Súrsdalar (Suzdal), Móramar (Murom) and Radhstofa (Rostov). Collectively they would have been known to the Varangians as the Gardhariki. That was not to be viewed as the unified state of Kievan Rus just yet, but rather as a cultural area of East Slavic settlement. Varangians would be engaged in trade, piracy and serving as mercenaries.
The Varangians are likely to have ruled the area around Kiev and Holmgardr under the name of the Rus Khaganate. This early state, with also Khazar influences (such as using the trident tagma, or the title of the Khagan) was however overthrown in 862 by a rebellion of both Slavic and Chudic (Baltic Finnic) peoples. All of the major settlements would have been burnt.
Soon however the tribes failed agree with each other and strife would occur. Thus he tribes invited the Varangians to come and rule them, to restore order and peace. The Varangians would thus return and under the leadership of Hrorekr (Rurik) establish a principality at Holmgardr (Novgorod). Trade would have shifted once more from the Itil trade route (because of decline of the Khazars and havoc in Persia?) to the Dnieper
Monument to Hrorekr and Helgi and Ladoga
Upon his death Hrorekr would be succeeded by Helgi (Oleg), who would unite the majority of the East Slavic lands, or at least their core by conquering the rival city-state of Kiev, which however becomes his new capital. Thus one can start talking about the state of Kievan Rus.
Kievan Rus must not be viewed as a precedent to Muscovy, no. Musocvy was a Slavic, Orthodox state, with Tatar influences and Merya substratum. Kievan Rus was a pagan tribal confederation or chiefdom, with a Varyag nobility or upperclass, an East Slavic, but also Finnic population of Izhorans, Votes, Veps and Chudes. Moreover, there would have also been Baltic Galindians in the realm, although by now mostly assimilated. Muscovy was geopolitically based on the tributaries of the Volga, Rus was based on the north-south axis from Holmgardr to Kiev, thus connecting norse Scandinavia with, and open to, Rhomaic influences.
By 874 however, the Rus welcomed some disciples of Cyril and Methodius; and an Archbishop of Rus, residing in Kiev was consecrated.
Rival to the Rus, the Varyags trading on the Itil trade route have prompted the consolidation of a more centralized tribal realm among the Merya. Its capital is Arsa, and the location has a great number of artifacts pointing to native Merya presence, especially beaver-themed objects. On the other hand, Runic inscriptions also hint Varyag presence. The principality was located in the Upper Valley and from there to the border of the Middle Oka basin. This Merya State, will, due to butterflies, a slightly more prosperous Iran and my personal sympathy to the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia continue to play an important role in the region.
Balticum
The southern and eastern banks of the Baltic Sea would also see some more development. In Esthonia e.g., the population in this period increased dramatically, and several forts with wooden palisade have been built.
In Pomerania, Slavic tribes had been in contact with their Germanic northern neighbours ever since their settlement in the region. Scandinavian trade posts had been larger than the early Slavic ones, which would have been built in their vicinity. Major Scandinavian trade posts in the Mecklenburg region would include Reric, Dierkow and Haithabu; in Pomerania it would be Wolin, Ralswiek, Menzlin and at Kolberg. Wolin is thought to have been identical with Jomsburg, the legendary base of the Jomsviking
Viking stone ships in Pomerania
Scandinavian settlements would have also been set up in the regions of the Baltic tribes: at Truso (near Elblang) and Krup/ Viskiautian (at the southwestern end of the Curonian lagoon) among the Prussians and at Grobin in Curonia (until the mid-ninth century, when the Curonians rebelled and destroyed the Gotland colony).
Major exports from the Baltic coast would include amber; one would trade also livestock, horses, honey, wax and salt. Linen, iron and silver would be used for payments, with iron in the form of small daggers and silver in the form of coins. Of course one must not forget that Viking raids in the area had a primary motif of acquiring slaves.
From the political point of view, one can witness the emergence of more organized tribal chiefdoms, among the Pomeranians, with the Obodrites in Meckhlenburg and around Ljubica (Luebeck), Veletis in Brandenburg and West Pomeranian, Rani on the Ruegen, and Kashubia between the lower Oder and Vistula.
The Baltic tribes would not have been so organized as the Pomeranians, with larger tribal chiefdoms of the Prussians, Sudovians, Samogitians, Polochians and mainly Curonians
- Tomislav Addai
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