The difference between vikings and goths

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A Viking

Vikings, originally meant "people from fjords". Vikings generally refer to all Scandinavians who lived between AD 800 and 1066. They engaged in extensive overseas trade and colonial expansion. In the early days of the pirate era, vikings launched fierce attacks on monasteries, churches and other vulnerable places on the British coast and European continent. Therefore, they are portrayed as ferocious marauders. But in fact, they are both pioneers and invaders, great explorers and unscrupulous robbers, hardworking businessmen and ruthless conquerors. They are both pioneers and destroyers.

As we all know, the Nordic region where the Vikings lived was covered with thick ice and snow all the year round, which was unbearable in winter and the living environment was extremely cruel. The area of land available for farming and grazing is very small, and resources are very scarce. In order to survive, Scandinavian residents have to fight against nature all the time. Therefore, on the one hand, they are impatient, difficult to train, advocate courage, and have wildness and savage wildness. On the other hand, they have developed fine traditions such as thrift and strong vitality. Because of the lack of resources, they know how to use every limited resource most effectively and never waste it easily. The Vikings of the future, whether sailing in the rough sea or looking for a new place to live in the unknown world, can live well even in extremely difficult and harsh environments, which should be attributed to their culture and traditions.

However, due to the lack of local resources in northern Europe and the huge pressure on population and land, small countries are constantly competing for resources. In order to survive and develop, local people are also eager to explore across the ocean, trade with foreign countries and find new places to live, which forms their natural adventurous nature and exploration spirit.

In AD 5, a Roman fleet sent by Caesar Augustus landed in jutland, marking the first contact between the main European forces and the Scandinavian tribes, the direct ancestors of the Vikings. In the 5th century, the Roman Empire collapsed, which shocked the whole western world. Germanic tribes flocked to the European continent in search of trophies and fertile land, which triggered a large-scale immigration tide, so that historians called the period from 400 to 600 AD the era of immigration. In Scandinavia, this turbulent historical period is also an era of accumulating wealth. Scandinavians sail everywhere to engage in maritime trade. At this time, these guys are polite and shrewd businessmen, so they are not Vikings. The word Viking has a strong derogatory meaning, such as "looting and killing". The rich trade profits stimulated their natural wildness and adventurous nature. With the breakthrough development of Scandinavian shipbuilding technology, plunder and conquest gradually replaced trade.

From 800 to 1 100, the vikings left their homes in Scandinavia, crossed their known areas and set out to explore the unknown world. Modern historians have come to another view through textual research. Because of the trade in the previous centuries, the later vikings were familiar with the coastal geography of Europe, and their attack routes had obvious destinations, so they would not go anywhere blindly. ) Some pirates sailed north, crossed the Baltic Sea, set up trade bases in old Ladoga, Novgorod and other towns, sailed to Russia and arrived in Kiev. Some fleets sailed to the Caspian Sea, and some Nordic businessmen left their ships there?

Other pirates spread to the southwest, causing an uproar in the heart of Europe. They plundered the British peninsula and occupied Normandy. As colonists, Vikings migrated to Orkney Islands, shetland islands, Faroe Islands and other places on their way to Iceland. Icelanders have also established two settlement areas in Greenland. There is a saying that as early as 500 years before Columbus discovered the New World, the Nordic colonists had reached the coast of North America and made a short stay in Newfoundland.

In June 793, the Vikings landed on Lindisfarne Island on the north coast of England, attacked and plundered the monasteries there, slaughtered a large number of priests, and drove local priests and residents into their slaves. This sudden attack was like a bolt from the blue for Christian Europe, and this incident also announced the arrival of the pirate era.

800 years ago, the scope of such attacks was often limited to coastal areas. Generally, only one or two boats are dispatched, and as soon as they grab the property, they quickly retreat. But it didn't take long for Denmark, Norway and Sweden to have a well-organized fleet. Under the command of ambitious kings and military leaders, they began large-scale foreign expansion and colonization-invading other countries, demanding tribute and ransom, and plundering land.

In about 8 10, the Danish king Godfred attacked the coast of frys (in today's Netherlands) and began to attack a part of Charlemagne's empire, causing considerable damage. The success of the first battle inspired Godfrey, who threatened to conquer the whole empire, but his plan died in an assassination before it was implemented. Charlemagne also took this opportunity to strengthen his defense, basically keeping these pirates out of the heart of Germany. (But France won't care. )

After that, the Vikings turned their eyes to the British Isles and Frank. In 85 1 year, the Danes began to attack Britain. From 865 to 880, the Danes' flags traveled half of England. In 873, Emond, a small English country, was captured and killed by an arrow. Only the kingdom of Wessex in the southwest of England, under the command of Alfred the Great, kept the invaders out of the kingdom with fortresses and fortifications arranged in a circular chain. At the same time, I personally designed and set up a new type of fast fleet, which has extremely high side (to prevent pirates from boarding) and fast draught (to deal with Viking long ships) to fight against the Vikings at sea.

Alfred's greatest is his diplomatic strategy. In 886, he signed a peace agreement with Danish military leader Guterres in order to show peaceful and friendly exchanges with his new neighbors. According to the agreement, the Danes formally controlled the northern and eastern parts of England, from the mouth of the Thames to the Irish Sea, which is a fertile land with an area of 25,000 square miles. This is the famous "Danish law enforcement place" in history. But in fact, the British didn't get much hurt. They not only maintained the peace between the west and the south, but also Alfred the Great persuaded Guterres to accept the baptism of Christianity and become his godfather. Guterres vowed to be loyal to the godfather for the rest of his life. Although Danes were allowed to keep their worship of Odin and Saul, they were inevitably assimilated by the powerful cultural forces of Christianity in the process of integrating into the local area, and then gradually became obedient subjects of England. At the same time, in the 9th century, the Norwegians who fought in the east also controlled most of Ireland, and established Dublin (now the capital of Ireland) and a series of towns.

In 885, the Danes marched into the Seine and besieged Paris. Although they failed to retreat from Paris in the end, they still occupied a large number of coastal colonies and settled down. Finally, they forced King Charles III of France to make a covenant with Rollo, the leader of the Viking in 9 1 1, made him a duke, and put the estuary of the Seine under his rule, and named him Rollo. Later, a large number of vikings came here to settle down and helped the vikings to re-enter slowly. By 1 1 century, Normandy had completely belonged to France and became a big feudal territory of France. In 907, the Swedes attacked Russia, and then attacked Constantinople from the sea, sweeping all the fortresses on the Byzantine coastline. The Byzantine Empire was forced to pay tribute to them and signed a commercial agreement to give Russians (actually Swedes who settled in Russia) trade privileges.

After that, the settled Vikings gradually began to be assimilated by the Christian world. Although their spirit is still there, their wildness has faded a lot, and the era of piracy in Europe has finally become silent. Around 1000, Viking forces no longer had such a huge threat and uncontrollable wildness. Christianity has replaced the traditional worship of Odin in Scandinavia and has been widely spread. Those vikings became more and more "European" in manners and customs. Two centuries of immigration activities and the basic unification of national politics have alleviated the survival pressure of northern Europe to some extent, and fewer and fewer young people are eager to engage in overseas colonial adventures. 10 16, the Danish pirate leader Canut forcibly seized the throne of England and successfully ruled England for nearly 20 years (101035). The Vikings reached the peak of their military achievements, and then inevitably began to go astray.

1042, the Canut Empire collapsed and England regained its independence. Witenagemot made Edward the Confessor, the son of the late King Ethel Ledel, king (1042- 1066). Edward died childless, so Vitnajimott put Edward's brother-in-law harold godwineson on the throne. Just as Harold was delighted, Norwegian King harald Haraldi, who hoped to get ancestral glory in Skyworth Beijing, began to invade Yorkshire, and William, Duke of Normandy, landed in Pevense again, and both joined the battle for the throne. Edward's cousin William sided with Edward in the dispute with his father-in-law, Earl Godwinson. In return, Edward promised to inherit the British throne. However, Earl Harold, Godwinson's son, was appointed as the heir before Edward died. William felt cheated and went to war.

1066 10 months, just beat back the Norwegians, and King Harold's army hasn't had time to catch his breath. In fact, this guy lost again and again in the battle with the ruthless king, but he killed harald Haraldi in a raid, and as a result, he took the opportunity to beat back the Norwegians who lost their leaders. In the southeast corner of England, Hastings fought a decisive battle with the Normandy army. As a result, King Harold and many British nobles died in battle. The Battle of Justin laid the foundation for William, Duke of Normandy, to conquer England. Later, William was officially named "William the Conqueror".

1066 is the year when Norwegian king harald Haraldi died in battle. As the last real Viking leader who fought all his life with an insatiable and endless spirit of exploration, his death marked the end of the Viking era of crazy aggression and expansion in Europe. The glory of Viking heroes is gone forever, but it can never be erased!

(Although William the Conqueror was also a descendant of the Vikings, Normandy was already French at this time, and he was considered a Norman. )

Viking battleship

As early as the end of the 8th century, ships became an important symbol of Viking spirit. Viking ships are generally 70- 100 feet long and well-made, which can be said to be a work of art and a perfect embodiment of the superb skills of Viking shipbuilders. They can be divided into two different categories.

One is a navy ship specially designed for sea looting or long-distance travel. It is light and narrow, with paddling holes on both sides. When sailing against the wind or paddling hard, the rower can easily put down the sail and control it flexibly. Although light, it is strong and resistant to wind and waves, and it is easy to dock on the coast or connect to a fleet on the river.

The other is a cargo ship, which transports goods for trade. The hull is tall and wide, and the hull is heavy. The 42-foot-high mast (A ~ ~ high) is fixed and hung with square sails. This kind of ship is designed to be stable when sailing heavily on rough seas and can cross the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

There is a similarity in the construction technology between the two types of ships: the hull is wrapped with a layer of wood and fixed on the hull with long iron rivets. The gaps between the boards are filled with clues made of animal hair and plant fibers. There is also the famous high bow, carved from a whole piece of oak. Viking ships used tall and straight oak trees as keel materials. The middle of the keel is bent to increase the bearing capacity, while the two ends of the keel gradually narrow, forming a streamlined channel. The ship ribs are made of solid oak, and all materials are taken from natural bent wood. After careful construction, they are placed in various parts of the keel. The ribs are wrapped with an inch-thick hoop plate (or hull plate), which is made of overlapping oak blocks, fixed on the ribs with rivets and tied with cables made of Chinese fir roots.

Viking warships, which frightened Europeans, had shallow draft, fast speed and flexible steering, and were very suitable for raiding when exploring different places. Often appear quietly on the coast and go straight to the beach, and the sailors on board shout and rush to the shore.

Every coin has its two sides. Viking warships have light hull and shallow draft, but the deck is open, which can't protect them from the wind and rain. Although some parts of the ship are covered with leather soaked in oil, it is conceivable that small leather plays a role in the stormy waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Sailors wear fur clothes and sleep in fur sleeping bags (which can accommodate two people). Wind, rain and huge waves still make them cold and wet. It is common to freeze to death and drown in the sea by huge waves at night. It can be seen that the Vikings' conquest of crossing the sea undoubtedly required incomparable courage and firm perseverance, and they had to endure great pain before they could win. It is understandable that the word Viking has a strong derogatory meaning in the symbolic meaning of courage from the Middle Ages to today.

Living habits

Different from our initial impression, Vikings did not make a living by plundering, but by raising livestock and farming fields to achieve self-sufficiency, supplemented by hunting and fishing, and women were a very important labor force. Nordic men explore the sea and trade overseas every year when the weather is favorable in autumn, but in winter they go back to their hometown and are busy repairing ships and making all kinds of exquisite handicrafts.

In movies, Vikings are often portrayed as barbarians with horns and skins, but this is not the case. According to historical research, the horn helmet was actually worn at a sacrificial ceremony, and only a few respected German military leaders would wear it. It was a helpless move to put on an animal skin. No resources. What to wear without skins? Can I still be naked? In fact, the vikings paid great attention to appearance and decoration. At first, their extensive overseas trade was to exchange all kinds of high-quality furs and walrus carvings for silver and Arabian glass beads. Later, they acquired a lot of gold and precious stones through plunder. Unfortunately, they are not used as circulation products, but only as decorations. Viking women are proud to have these exquisite decorations to show their dignity and taste.

Every Viking is a talented artist. In winter, they hide at home and concentrate on making all kinds of jewelry, weapons, tools, daily necessities, as well as the weather vane and bow image of the ship. Everything is engraved with complex and exquisite patterns and patterns. They get creative inspiration from nature and describe animals, raptors and so on. However, the production is very fine, which deserves the evaluation of wonderful workmanship. I bought some books with many photos of Viking artworks, which were really dazzling. At first, due to the lack of precious metals, they carved many vessels in bronze, and then melted the gold and silver that came back from the hard voyage and plated them on the surface of bronze vessels. Due to the excellent craftsmanship, these works of art are still glittering and beautiful today after thousands of years. Another thing that impressed me deeply about their beauty-loving nature was that there was a photo of a piece of hoe used in farmland, which was actually engraved with extremely complicated and beautiful patterns. You can imagine the beauty and artistic talent of the vikings.

Of course, after all, whether they love beauty, have artistic talent, or are hardworking and thrifty, their wildness is inherently difficult to cultivate. Once they get angry, their own people will kill each other, not to mention their contempt for human life in the process of conquest.

Goth (Goth)

(200 ~ 7 14)

Goths, also translated as Goths, are a Germanic people in Europe.

history

Since the first century A.D., the Romans have known that they lived in the Danube Valley. It is also said that they are actually immigrants from Gothland Island (now Sweden) in the Baltic Sea to Central Europe.

In the 4th century AD, the Gothic nation split from within. Some of them became later Visigoths, that is, Visigoths, who lived in Romania today. Another tribe became ostrogoths, that is, ostrogoths. They migrated eastward until the lower reaches of the Danube and established towns near the Black Sea. As soon as the Huns appeared, they launched a fierce attack on the two branches of the Goths. Unable to resist, the visigoths were forced to move westward to avoid the fate of genocide. The Otto Goths were not so lucky. They finally succumbed to the powerful force of the invaders, were annexed by other nationalities, and became a part of the Xiongnu Kingdom.

The Visigoths continued their westward journey and soon found a place suitable for survival and development in today's Spain. At this time, the Roman empire had gradually begun to decline, and the Romans tried to bring the Visigoths into the jurisdiction of the empire. The visigoths, on the other hand, were able to declare their independence and strength by force, and then establish their own sovereign kingdom through constant attacks. They swept the whole Italy and Greece with irresistible force, and during the period from 407 to 4 10, barbarian troops led by alaric, the leader of visigoths, laid siege to Rome, the former imperial capital, three times on a large scale. After breaking the city, they plundered it for three days at will and returned with a great victory. After that, the Visigoths continued to advance westward, and finally established a kingdom with Spain and Gaul as the main bodies. In the late 5th century, Frank Clovis drove the Visigoths from France to Spain outside the Pyrenees. With the death of Clovis, his kingdom was also divided, which made the Visigoths breathe a sigh of relief. 7 1 1 year, the new threat comes from the south. Moorish (North African Muslim) troops crossed the sea from North Africa, and it took only four years to finally conquer Spain and the whole Visigoth kingdom.

At the same time, the fate of ostrogoths is also a history of ups and downs. They have lived under the rule of Huns for decades, but they can still get rid of the shackles, gain independence and freedom through unremitting efforts, and further establish their own kingdom. The territory of the new kingdom is located in the west of ostrogoths's native land, which is roughly equivalent to the position of Hungarians, Croats and Austrians today. The new kingdom and the Byzantine Empire, the descendant of the Eastern Roman Empire, have always had entangled diplomatic relations. After several struggles, they returned to peace. In 488 AD, ostrogoths began to invade Italy, just as their brother did half a century ago. This invasion was instigated by the Byzantine Empire, because the Byzantine Empire wanted to consume the power of these peoples and then rule Italy as a governor. Ostrogoths completely conquered Italy in 493. However, shortly after the death of Theodoric, the outstanding leader of ostrogoths, in 535 AD, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I sent troops to Italy, and in 554 he completely defeated the Kingdom of East Goth. Finally, the Byzantine Empire restored the territory of ancient Rome in the West, and the Eastern Gothic Kingdom perished. In the late 6th century, Italy was invaded by the neo-barbarian Lombardi, ostrogoths was destroyed, and the survivors collapsed into small groups.

It was not until the eighth century that the Gothic nation was completely extinct.