Vikings as explorers and settlers

Introduction

The Vikings were Norsemen who came from Scandinavia and lived between the end of the eighth and twelfth century. Although Vikings are often remembered as barbaric raiders, they were also accomplished explorers and settlers. This chapter highlights the exploration and colonisation achievements of the Vikings. Refer animation

Early exploration: raids and trade

It is often suggested that the Vikings began to embark on their seafaring expeditions for the purpose of exploring and colonising new land. History indicates, however, that the early Vikings were more interested in raiding and pillaging coastal settlements in the British Isles. One of the first recorded Viking attacks was in AD 793 on a monastery on Lindisfarne (off the north-east coast of England). The Vikings continued to raid various parts of England, Scotland and Wales. The Vikings began to settle there in the second half of the ninth century.

The British Isles were not the only region to be invaded by the Vikings. The longship enabled Vikings to travel in even the shallowest of rivers and streams, so some Vikings turned their attention to riverside villages in the east. It was also in the east that the Swedish Vikings established a number of trade routes. Swedish Vikings explored much of western Europe by sailing along the European coastline and rivers, including the Volga and Dnieper. Historians suggest that the Vikings explored as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and even the Caspian Sea. The Vikings were thought to have travelled further inland than any other Europeans.

Exploration and colonisation

Between AD 800 and 1000, the Vikings went on a number of expeditions to explore the North Atlantic Ocean which lay to the west of Scandinavia. It was often through losing their way during a storm, however, that the Vikings made their most significant discoveries.

Iceland
Around AD 860, a Norwegian Viking named Naddodd was credited with discovering Iceland after his ship was blown off course. Rather than land in the Faroe Islands, as he had intended, Naddodd found himself exploring a new and uninhabited coastline. He named it 'Snaeland' (Snowland).

Following reports back in Norway of an uninhabited land, a number of expeditions were organised. One of those who attempted to colonise the land was a Norwegian man by the name of Floki Vilgerdarson (Raven-Floki). Floki had a smooth journey to the new land, but after enduring an exceptionally harsh winter in Snaeland in which all of his cattle died, he decided to return to Norway. This was not before Floki renamed the land 'Iceland,' the name it still bears today. Refer Image 1

It is thought that around 874, two Norwegian brothers named Ingolfur and Hjorleifur went on a voyage of exploration to Iceland. After finding the land to be fertile, the brothers returned several years later with a number of settlers, including family and some Irish slaves. Despite Hjorleifur being murdered by some of the slaves, Ingolfur and the settlers decided to stay on in Iceland. By 930, around 10 000 Vikings were living there.

Greenland

In about 920, Greenland was discovered in much the same way as Iceland. A Norwegian man named Gunnbjorn Ulfsson was travelling from Norway to Iceland when he lost his way. He spent the winter in the rocky and cold Greenland before returning home to tell his news. It is thought that a man named Snaebjorn Galti attempted to colonise Greenland not long after, but failed to do so.

Around 982, a man named Erik Thorvaldsson (Erik the Red) sailed to Greenland after being sent into exile from Iceland. Erik spent several years exploring the land, before returning to Iceland to persuade settlers to join him in Greenland. The name 'Greenland' (Groenland) is mostly attributed to Erik the Red. Many believe that he used the name to entice people to assist him settle the harsh new land.

North America

One of the Vikings' greatest exploration achievements was the sighting of North America. This was accomplished in 985 by the Icelandic merchant, Bjarni Herjolfsson. The Greenland Saga documents Bjarni losing his way during a storm and spotting an unknown land of forests and lush meadows. Bjarni, however, turned away from this land west of Greenland and returned home. Refer Image 2

After hearing Bjarni's stories and buying his knarr ship, around AD 1000, Leif the Lucky (son of Erik the Red) sailed to settle in North America. After finding the new land, Leif the Lucky gave names to the places in which he had landed. He called the country Vinland (land of vines), after the grapes which were growing there.

Despite several other Viking expeditions to Vinland, it was never permanently settled by the Vikings. There are some suggestions that the Indigenous peoples already living in Vinland prevented the Vikings from establishing a permanent colony there.

Ships and navigation

The Vikings' superiority in ship-building enabled them to travel long distances across the rough oceans, rapids and through turbulent storms. Viking ships are thought to have been the first ships to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

The knarr (cargo ship) was exceptionally seaworthy. It was able to remain buoyant in rough seas, carry a large quantity of supplies and only required a few rowers. This made the knarr the ideal ship to rely on when exploring and transporting settlers and their belongings to a new colony.

While the Vikings had remarkable ships to assist them on their journeys, they could not have explored as they did if they had not been exceptional navigators. Without the accuracy of modern maps, the Vikings had to rely on simple maps, which they sketched. When in the open sea, the Vikings navigated according to position of the stars and the sun. Refer Image 3