Vikings were an impactful group of people during the Middle Ages. Vikings were an intimidating group of people that defeated enemies, won battles, and influenced European culture. The viking religion influenced later religion. Their warfare strategies are still used today. Vikings were influential. Vikings were polytheistic in their religion. The vikings worshipped seven gods in their religion. “Viking gods were believed to be part of nature and could be as foolish as humans.” Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, Balder, Idun, and Frey, The father of the gods was Odin, and he was the god of wisdom. Odin is missing an eye, and he gave that eye for wisdom and knowledge. Odin rode into battle on an 8 legged horse (Higgins, 2015). In the afterlife, vikings thought that they would go and be trained by Odin in preparation of a battle (Lamoureux, 2009). Thor was another of the main viking gods. Thor was the Viking strength and meteorology god. Thor has a goat carriage he rode on when he went to war. Freya was the main goddess in the viking religion. Freya rules Folkvangar where viking warriors killed in battle rest in the afterlife. Freya was the goddess of love, death, war, and beauty. Viking legend says that Freya is in search of her lost husband in the afterlife. Her carriage is pulled by cats. Loki was the god of mischief and he caused the other god trouble. Balder was the goodness god and had a strange weakness to mistletoe. Idun was in control of springtime and that made her the goddess of spring. “Frey was the farming and fertility viking god,” (Higgins, 2015). Vikings worshipped their gods as many religions nowadays still do. Their gods were important to them, and they had many more beliefs The vikings also had other beliefs on how the world was ran and had customs to honor the gods. Vikings believed that fallen soldiers went to Valhalla, “ the hall of the slain,” and that the creatures that took them there were Valkyries. Vikings also believed in Norns. Norns chose when each viking and god would die. According to the lore of the vikings, Odin and Thor die at the end of the world. Odin is eaten by a wolf and Thor is killed by a snake. Loki also dies, but he is poisoned by the other gods as revenge to all the jokes and pranks he has played on them. The vikings also believed that they and their gods inhabited different realms, and that they lived in Midgard while the gods resided in Agard (Higgins, 2015). When a viking ruler died, they would be “buried” on a ship with his pets and items, and the ship was set ablaze (Lamoureux, 2009). Another viking custom would honor Odin before a battle. Odin had a spear named Gungnir, and a spear would be thrown over the enemy during the battle by vikings to honor Gungnir (Higgins, 2015). The viking religion impacted Western European culture. Vikings later followed Christianity as their religion. The gods and beliefs of the vikings were not forgotten, thought. Other groups claimed the gods and beliefs of the vikings, and pagans took most of the beliefs and customs (Lamoureux, 2009). The viking religion influenced them. For example, the vikings beliefs most likely impacted how they fought and their tactics in battle. The tactics and strategies of the vikings were unique and were used later in European warfare and later Western society warfare. The vikings were trained with
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Their goal was to intimidate and take prisoners and loot. Attacks would happen very swiftly to prevent loot and important people from being hidden. They would often capture monks while they were raiding and hold them as slaves or until the ransom was paid. To intimidate the enemy, they vikings had grooves carved into their teeth. The most intimidating soldiers were the berserkers. The berserkers were fearless in battle, and they were so amped up and aggressive that scientists think they may have took drugs (Higgins, 2015). The berserkers main goal was to cause carnage and capture the enemy leader (Ager, 2011). The vikings used many weapons in their strategies and they took care and honored their
Their goal was to intimidate and take prisoners and loot. Attacks would happen very swiftly to prevent loot and important people from being hidden. They would often capture monks while they were raiding and hold them as slaves or until the ransom was paid. To intimidate the enemy, they vikings had grooves carved into their teeth. The most intimidating soldiers were the berserkers. The berserkers were fearless in battle, and they were so amped up and aggressive that scientists think they may have took drugs (Higgins, 2015). The berserkers main goal was to cause carnage and capture the enemy leader (Ager, 2011). The vikings used many weapons in their strategies and they took care and honored their