The Victorian Invention of the Vikings - Literature review Example

The Victorian invention of the Vikings The emergence of writing on the Vikings has been attributed to the activities of the Victorians found in England whose work has led to modern depiction of the ancient communities. The Vikings were warriors and the name was adopted from the Scandinavian sea borne raiders who existed during the pioneer medieval years in Britain. The Vikings raided the monasteries in the United Kingdom and this explains the presence of a big number of literary work on their activities, way of life and fighting approaches. However, the Anglo-Saxon language had had the phrase ‘Vikings’ even before the raid and it described a behavior and way of life similar to that witnessed in this group of people. The innovation of the Vikings has been attributed to the works of the Victorians whose literature and poems depicted their lifestyle, way of war and motivation before any other literary scholars. The Anglo-Saxon poems were developed during the 10th century which described the way of life of the Vikings including the battle of maldon. In the 20th century, the Vikings reemerged as role models and figures that represent masculinity, a phenomena that was more dominant among the Christians of this century. The work of poets, novelists and film makers such as Robin Hood and King Arthur further illuminated the Vikings culture and wars. Due to the activities and interests on the Vikings, the Victorians are believed to have invented the modern day perceptions on the Vikings. In this paper, the works of different modern day and last century Victorian writers will be evaluated to demonstrate who they led to the invention of the Vikings in Europe and other parts of the world. Introduction Before the 12th century, different communities and societies existed in Europe that had different behaviors, cultures and way of life including the northern people of Iceland. The Icelandic commonly referred to as the Vikings occupied Norway, Iceland and other parts of England as a result of their war invasion and ruthlessness. Historians have developed interest in studying their actions, behavior, migration patterns and wars but the actual account of these are believed to be distorted. The distortion explains the variation that exists on the nature of helmet that the Vikings wore during warfare among other variations attributed to the Victorian inventions. This paper will therefore delve into the Victorian role in the development of the Vikings history and manner in which their actions, attitudes and beliefs may have affected the accurate account of the events. Horned helmet Horned helmet was first considered to belong to the Innsbruck in Austria who lived in the 15-16th century and ruled the country through the lineage. It is believed to have been part of the court of armor that was used by the holy roman ruler Maximilian 1. The armor and the horned helmet were presented to the successive rulers and this led to the tradition among the royal society in Leeds to use the armor and the horned helmet as a symbol of extraordinary appearance. The emergence of the horned helmet in ancient Europe has been depicted in different writings including the Victorians, the roman and the Greek ancient literature (Downham 37). Horned helmets are helmets that had double horns on both sides and were believed to have been worn by the Vikings during war. However, debate has existed over this myth, with different archeologists believing that the Vikings were not dumb enough to put on horned helmets during war. The Victorian writers have been blamed for the emergence of the belief that the Vikings wore the horned helmets during war though no archeological evidence has been found to support the same. In these writings, the northern Europe inhabitants who were mainly the Vikings were described as wearing the horned helmets, a perception that grew commonly among the 20th century film makers. For example, the Plutarch made a description of the Cimbri, one of the most commonly believed ancestors and forefathers of the Vikings, as wearing helmets. The helmets were made with features to resemble the wildebeest, a description that led to the horned helmet notion. In his writings, Diodorus described the Gaul’s as wearing horned helmets during war and aggressive behaviors such as wrestling, though this group of the Vikings were more of Celtics in origin (Downham 39). In Germany, it is believed that the priest was mostly commonly found with these helmets during special occasion, a fact that has been used by skeptics to argue that the Vikings were not using the horned helmets. However, Victorian literature attributes this behavior to the period between 1700-1800 when the Vikings are believed to have interacted with the Germans. Horns were used by the Vikings during celebration and feasting for drinking and blowing to pass important and urgent information to people within a closer distance (Olaru 66). This is explained by the current depiction of the horns within the Viking brooches and the pendants, an illustration that despite the Victorian invention of the Vikings culture, these horns were not actually worn on the head or any other part of the body. The invasion of England by the Vikings as captured by the Victorian monks depicted the group as marauding barbarians whose blood thirst led to the killing of a large number of the Britons. However, archeologists have refuted the Victorian monk depiction of the Vikings and argued that their biased description can be based on the fact that they were victims of the invasion. As a result, their writings are filled with emotional statements which are meant to portray the Vikings negatively as individuals without feelings and remorse for fellow human beings. Modern Victorian artists and writers were attributed to the current knowledge that people have about the Vikings, thanks to their depiction of the people. Today, the invention of the Vikings has led to the illustration of the early culture in movies, cartoons and even games and most of these depictions have the Vikings wearing horned helmets while at war or in ceremonies. It is believed that even though the Vikings did not actually wear the horned helmets, this idea was generated in the 19th century by Victorian writers who continued to depict the Vikings with horned helmets at war and in different ceremonies. This depiction continued and led to the reinvention of this group of people and the development of a new perception towards their culture, practices and behaviors (Olaru 63). The Victorian society The Victorian society and the Victorian era is a period in British history when queen victoria sat on the throne and ruled the country from 1837 to 1901. This period was marked by significant historical events in the country which is attributed to the growth and development of England as we know it today. Different activities were witnessed during this period including the architectural developments, the building of schools, the emergence of 19th century literature writers and poets and the reemergence of England as a major economic force in Europe. The Victorian era was marked with period of peace, prosperity and the development of great confidence in Britain which has been attributed to different historical events in the country in different aspects of the economy. Apart from the economic development, the Victorian era was occasioned by cultural transition from the Georgian era to a new society that was based on romance, mysticism and respects for religious and social values and the work of the artists in the country. As a result, different artists emerged in the country whose work are studied to this day and are categorized under the Victorian literary writers (Olaru 63). One of the contributions of the writers of the Victorian era was the reinvention and description of the Vikings, a process that led to a new depiction of the ancient community whose history has been marked with myths, truths and half-truths. The Vikings history as we know them today is because of the Victorian literature and work that is available in different forms including poems, stories and the depiction in movies such as the Vikings, game of thrones among others. The Victorians were believed to have invented the Vikings through new research and studies on their culture, behaviors and ways of life, a situation that led to the Victorians developing a view towards the group. It is believed that the Victorians had a great influence on the historical views on the people, life and activities of the ice and fire lands that is believed to have been occupied by the Vikings. Though not original inhabitants of the ice and fire lands, the Vikings are believed to have invaded the area and ruthlessly removed the original inhabitants through acts of war and terror to occupy it as is known today (Olaru 63). It is for this reason that the Victorians depicted the Vikings as cruel and wicked pagans who destroyed the monasteries without valuing their place in the lives of the people within the areas that they invaded. They murdered the holy men and raped and pillaged the women at, taking in slaves who were able to subdue to their authority and do as they demanded. The victims of the activities of the Vikings were believed to pray in earnest and hope that the spirits of their gods would be able to protect them from the cruelty of this group of people (Richards 34). This depiction by the Victorian society has been attributed to the current belief and illustration of this group of people through movies and poems. In movies such as the game of thrones and the Vikings, terror, lawlessness and immorality thrive among the Northman. The term Vikings was also developed in the 19th century and this has also been attributed to the Victorians who used the word to refer to the Vi-kings, the sea-kings and the sea-rovers who ruled the waters and fought water wars mercilessly against the lands that they invaded. The travels that were made by the north men who are believed today to have been the Vikings led to the emergence of the term within the Victorian society (Walton 112). They travelled fast away from their homes in need for trading partners and enemies to fight and grab their lands, women and properties. According to some sources, queen victoria is believed to have her roots from Hairy Breeches who were Viking leaders in the 16 and the 17th century and this explains the increased activities of this group of people within England and its environs once she took over as the queen of the country. Illustrations available today depict a society that loathed and loved the Vikings in equal measure with most men feeling proud to realize that the noble Viking blood flowed in their veins. This led to the growth of a patriotic bravery and devotion among this people during the time of war as illustrated by the Norse tales of King George (Richards 34). In Erling the bod: a tale of the Norse sea-kings, the Vikings is credited for the development of the industries and cottage manufacturing sites in ancient England. As a result, this literary work attributed the birth of civilization and industrialization in the country to the activities of the Vikings within the English and Victorian societies. In the novel, the brilliance, hard work and innovativeness of the Vikings has been attributed to the Norse blood in their veins which is believed to have made them wots and readers of the England of scotch (Olaru 63). The invasion of the society the north men and their occupation for centuries left a lasting and beneficial impress on the Victorian customs and characters. The memories of the Vikings must therefore be regarded with respect due to their contribution to the growth of the Georgian and the Victorian England societies according to this novel written by Ballantyne. In the song of Frithiof, the medieval Icelandic activities and culture within the Victorian society and era is described and depicted variably by the author. The epic story describes the Vikings culture through the eyes of love, treachery and the adventurous activities of the group that was punctuated by the love of war and aggression. It is believed that is work by Thomas Robinson may have led to the emergence and growth of the myths currently witnessed towards the Vikings. In this artwork, the Frithiof is depicted as handsome man in a horned helmet whose love for war and bravery led to the emergence of his strength and rule. The songs of Frithiof was therefore the initial work that attributed the Vikings to the horned helmets and the use of armors during warfare, a myth that though doubted today, has stuck despite lack of archeological evidence to support it (Doherty 15). According to Andrew Wawn, the Victorians invented the Vikings in many ways and the views we have today towards this ancient group can only be attributed to the works of the Victorian society and era. According to Wawn (8), the Victorian Britons joined the societies and developed great interests on their lectures, the cantatas and searched for the archeological evidence on the activities of the Vikings. Today, the have continued to illuminate the culture and behaviors of this group of people by deciphering their cross carvings and using their nicknames in different areas. For example, streets, buildings and individuals are named according to the Vikings culture and names, a process that was began during the Victorian era after the emergence of the Victorian artwork that depicted the activities of the Vikings. The Victorian and the Edwardian Britons learnt the language of the Vikings by buying the phrase-books and this assisted in the communication process with the Vikings descendants that were found in Norway and Iceland regions. As a result of the literary and artwork of the Victorian society and era, a new illustration of the Vikings was developed and this took prominence of previous illustrations (Holman 137). People viewed the Vikings, their culture and activities through the eyes of the Victorian works and though some have been disputed as myths and nonfactual, the current and previous perceptions about the Vikings were based on the Victorian artists and poets whose works are present in various forms today (Richards 34). The Pirate by Sir Walter Scott Among the literary works that had clear depiction of the Vikings and their ways of life were the novel pirates, written by Walter Scott in the 19th century. Based on the plot of the novel, a depiction of the Vikings living is made in which a sea sailing pirate is tangled in life full of illicit love relationships, the emergence of illegitimate children and the rivalry of brothers. Though the work makes little direct reference to the way of life, Scott through his early work made wide range reference to the Vikings in line with his fellow Victorian writers (Seaver 32). For example, the works of Caesar and Tacitus were viewed as being a mixture of truth, myths, untruths and strong perception towards the Vikings way of life, culture and activities. Most of these remain undifferentiated mythical and historical statements which are believed to have been filled with personal and emotional perception towards this group of people. The Vikings are thus depicted albeit falsely as being half ogres, noble savages and people with little morals who intermarried within families and led to the emergence of dwarfs and descendants with a number of deformities (Richards 34). Scott captured the activities of the Vikings which led to the emergence of the great buildings and structures within Scotland and other parts of Victorian England. For example, the great cathedral building and the castles came after the Vikings deserted their dominion and control against the Saxons and other native Brits to venture further into other parts of the country. Based on this depiction and others within the novel pirates, Scott contributed immensely to the modern perception of the Vikings due to his Victorian novels especially the pirates (Holman 137). The illustration of the Viking stories by Scott portrays a Victorian society that was highly infatuated by the Vikings history and culture. As a result, educational materials and books were all concentrated on the topic of the Vikings and this dominated the educational curriculum. The fact that young children were provided with Vikings genre demonstrated the love or infatuation that the Victorians had towards the Vikings. Grammar and Sunday school books and prices were all dominant of the Vikings culture, raids and this explains the birth of the horned helmet theory (Hutton 52). The old Norse-Icelandic culture was given in public lecture across the Victorian England and different people, scholars, nobles and the normal citizens attended to learn the way of life of the Vikings. Odin and his way of life dominated the debates according to Scott’s work with different theories and myths emerging about the abilities and qualities of the mighty Scythian leader believed to have been a Viking. To demonstrate the infatuation and love towards the Vikings, the Victorians sang songs themed with histories of the Vikings during parlours and the works of Edward Elgar dominated most of these songs, a demonstration of the role of these songs in shaping the history of the Vikings among the Victorians English (Downham 17). However, it is believed that the love and obsession towards the Vikings did not begin with the Victorian era as other poets and writers were lovers and fans of the group. Wordsworth and Coleridge for example exemplified their love and affection towards the poetic Edda, Walter Scott’s pirates which was adapted in different stage plays during and before the Victorians. Britain has had interest in the Iceland and the north, an illustration of the feeling towards controlling the emergence, growth and culture of the northern Vikings. This began in the 16th and 17th century during the Edwardian and Georgian eras in England which was spilled into the Victorian eras of the 19th century (Seaver 12). The Arts (Poetry, Sagas and Drama) Apart from the Victorian novelists, artists such as the poets and the actors used their power to depict the culture and introduce a new perception towards this group of people. Different plays, poems and sagas were introduced during this era to explain the emergence, growth in influence and demise of the northern Icelandic Vikings. It is believed that lack of prior information about the Vikings before the Victorian era is due to the lack of familiarity with the Roman alphabet (Hutton 52). Before the adoption of Christianity by the group, the commonly used Roman alphabet was alien to the group and this may have impeded the development of their historical documentation, giving the Victorians dominance over its invention. However, the Vikings used the runes as their common forms of lettering and archaeological evidence has pointed out this through artefacts recovered from the grounds of war. The runes were carved instead of being written and this led to the emergence of the short stone inscription which described the emergence, growth, spread, trade and participation in war by the Vikings during their dominance of the north (Holman 137). The Victorian sagas are believed to be some of the most detailed accounts of the historical progress of the Vikings during their dominance of the north and Icelandic regions. The sagas portray the actions of dome of the most powerful rulers among the Vikings including the kings of Norway and other earls who ruled the places dominated by the Vikings including Orkney. Apart from the leaders and the rulers, other sagas have been discovered that talk about the ordinary Vikings and their practises, war conquests and trading activities in the north (Downham 17). However, the Victorian sagas are attributed to the invention of the Vikings because it is believed that none was documented before the 12th century. The famous saga that are considered to have described some of the most famous rulers among the Vikings is believed to have been written several years after the invention of saga documentation and this explains the belief that the Victorians may have contributed immensely to the invention of the Vikings as we know them today. Based on these facts, it is believed that the sagas upon which the history of the Vikings is based may have been written over 300 years after the actual events. This makes it unclear on whether the writers of the sagas had actual information on the events during the time they are writing about or merely based on myths and beliefs like the horned helmet debate (Holman 137). The fact that the writings of the Vikings presented by the sagas are literature makes most historian denounce the over reliance on them to decipher the history and growth of the Vikings. If the writings were made over 300 years after the actual events and the writers had no actual facts on these events, then the Victorian sagas may have brought a new face of the Vikings that may not actually represent the actual scenario as it was, a fact that has led to the belief that they actually invented the Vikings as we know them today through their sagas. In the 19th century, historians relied on the sagas to document the progress and development of the Vikings though they indicated that some of the sagas were based on myths and fantasies of the writers (Hutton 52). The emotional nature of the Victorian saga writers may have affected the authenticity of their accounts of the Vikings and led to the emergence of a new group of people, different from the actual Vikings that inhabited the north. The fact that historians argue over the value of the sagas in developing the historical development of the Vikings further cast aspersion on their accuracy and reliance on building the progress and development of the Icelandic people (Downham 17). Some of the sagas are believed to be written in a manner that reflects a much later period when the Vikings had controlled the north and assimilated into the people of England, Norway and Iceland. Despite the argument and counter arguments on the credibility of the sagas, their value in developing the history of the Vikings remain viable. Some outlines in the Victorian sagas are supported by sources that are reliable and this makes them critical sources in the invention of the Vikings during the Victorian societies. Apart from sagas, the poems were also used during the Victorian era to depict the Vikings and some of the sagas that were doubted actually made reference to the poems that were developed before the 12th century. The poems were written in traditional form that is known as the skaldic verse and portrayed the feelings of the rulers, warriors and normal people towards each other and the enemy. Though the skaldic verses were written in complicated forms, their value and contents have been relied upon by the historian in developing an account of the Vikings. Most of the skalds who wrote the poems were actually present during the conquests of the Vikings and this makes their account more historically reliable than the sagas. However, the preservation of the skaldic remains controversial as the period that the Vikings lived was marked with lack of roman alphabetical writing approach as was developed after the 12th century. Historical evidence and literature works published by the Victorian artists believe that the skalds preserved the poems orally until after the invention of the sagas that they were actually documented and made available in written form (Downham 17). However, the rigid structures of the skaldic have been attributed to the accuracy of the information which has enabled historians to rely on them for developing an account of the Vikings progress. Any changes made by the oral custodians of the skaldic would results into a disruption of the flow and the sequence and this assisted in the oral preservation of these poems until the Victorian era. Base on the nature of the skaldic verses, historians have argued that they are more reliable sources of historical information on the Vikings as compared to the sagas that may have been affected by the emotional and mythical approach of the Victorians. Therefore, the skaldic verses have been considered as being more reliable by historian due to the structure that may have prevented the Victorians from changing the lines. Apart from the sagas and the poems, plays and drama were used in varying levels to show the historical development of the Vikings during the Victorian era. Cinemas and films about the Vikings are today common in Hollywood and other production centres, thanks to the depictions of the Victorians. Most of these dramas, including the epic series Vikings, showing in Vikings television network is developed based on the information that historian acquired from the Victorian accounts of the Vikings. The new series the game of thrones currently filming the fourth series was also developed in line with the depiction of the 18th century historians found in Victorian era. This explains the nature of the wars, the relationships between the different kingdoms and the nature of war materials used. In most instances, the soldiers wore horned helmets, a depiction that was created from the Victorian accounts. Though historians have refuted the accuracy of this account, most epic movies produced on the account of the history of the Vikings have these helmets. This demonstrates the contribution of the Victorians in the development of modern knowledge and information towards the Vikings and other Icelandic inhabitants of the early centuries (Downham 17). Conclusion The Vikings history has dominated major historical studies across the globe and this has led to the development of different perceptions towards the actual account of events during this time. The Vikings are believed to have lived during the early centuries and their activities influenced the growth and modernisation of England during their ruthless invasion. However, the historical accounts that form part of history today are filled with personal feeling and encounters and this explains the lack of trust on them. The Victorians are considered to have considerably contributed to the emergence of this group in the modern centuries through their description and historical studies. The Victorians used different literatures such as novels, poems and sagas to provide an account of the Vikings, accounts that have been refuted by historians as new invention of the ancient communities. Due to the variations that are currently seen between the archaeological, historical and the literary sources from the Victorians, the latter are believed to have had a significant impact on the perception available today on the ancient group. Work cited Doherty, Charles. "Ireland in the Viking Age." History Ireland 22.2 (2014): 14-17. Downham, Clare. Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin, 2008. Print. Holman, Katherine. The A to Z of the Vikings. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2009. Print. Hutton, Ronald. "The First Scandi Drama." New Statesman 143.7 (2014): 52.  Olaru, Victor. "John Ruskin, an Interpreter of Victorian Society." Revista De Stiinte Politice 40 (2013): 59-71. print. Polmar, Norman. "Vikings at Sea." Naval History 26.4 (2012): 12-13 Richards, Julian D. The Vikings: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print. Seaver, Kirsten A. The Last Vikings: The Epic Story of the Great Norse Voyages. London: I. B. Tauris, 2010. Walton, Susan. Imagining Soldiers and Fathers in the Mid-Victorian Era: Charlotte Yonges Models of Manliness. Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2010. Wawn, Andrew. The vikings and the Victorians: inventing the old north in 19th century Britain. Weydell & Brewer limited, 2010. Print. Read More