Viking mythology and all that goes with it
- Thread starter Celtik Militia
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Tyra
Member
You wanna know something dumb? I've just finished writing a whole thesis in Swedish, but the abstract has to be in English. I've no idea why they do that. All papers at this level must have en English abstract, regardless of whether you write them in Swedish, English, French or German, or any of the other languages that a Swede might write a paper in. Tons of people write their masters thesis and doctorands in English at Swedish universities (if someone would have told me I was allowed to before I started writing, I would have, too - I was under the impression that this was only done for doctorands. It would have enabled me to be more precise and would have cut down on the number of pages necessary to get my point across a lot!), but for those of us who write in Swedish, like this author did, the abstract still has to be in Swedish.
Bates
Swamp Yankee
Bah, of course. I really do need to learn some Scandawhatsian language soonish. At least the grammar, and basic structural bits, can always look words up if I have to.
What's the deal with coin pendants? My in-laws gave me one for my birthday, the dragon coin from Hedeby. It's pretty neat.
What's the deal with coin pendants? My in-laws gave me one for my birthday, the dragon coin from Hedeby. It's pretty neat.
Tyra
Member
Now that I think I can find you an English version paper on... I'll have to dig. I don't know that much about them, but I do have books on the subject. Gimme time.
Here, for starters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracteate
http://www.stavgard.com/Sutton_Hoo.html
http://www.vitterhetsakad.se/fornvannen/pdf/2006/fornv2006-5-rundkvist.pdf
Hope that's the type you mean? Haven't found anything good in English yet, but that'll give you the gist of what they are, although yours is probably something from a later era. Most are from the Migration Period, but there are some later ones in the viking age and middle ages.
Here, for starters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracteate
http://www.stavgard.com/Sutton_Hoo.html
http://www.vitterhetsakad.se/fornvannen/pdf/2006/fornv2006-5-rundkvist.pdf
Hope that's the type you mean? Haven't found anything good in English yet, but that'll give you the gist of what they are, although yours is probably something from a later era. Most are from the Migration Period, but there are some later ones in the viking age and middle ages.
Vikingkid3
New Metal Member
- Jan 25, 2007
- 16
- 0
- 1
Has anyone here seen that Pathfinder movie yet? It looks like it could be kinda cool but yet again the hollywood bitches gotta make the vikings the bad guys. I've heard a couple of people say that it is based on an indian legend, but (please correct me if i'm wrong, this is the main point of this post) from what i've read the vikings that went to America didn't go to fight. They were basically explorers with no real means of, or purpose of, attacking the indians. This movie however, says that a kid was left behind by vikings and later after he grows up, somehow becomes a badass and kills hell of vikings that come with the sole purpose of killing all the indians.
My question is which is more true? The movie or the books. (I'm leaning toward the books since most movie goers are dumb and want to see shit like that.)
My question is which is more true? The movie or the books. (I'm leaning toward the books since most movie goers are dumb and want to see shit like that.)
Knarfi
Yaba-daba-doo!
Tyra
Member
"Vikings" never went to North America, but the Norse did. The term viking denotes the kind of pirates that you are thinking of when you say that they didn't go to fight - a viking would have gone there to raid and plunder and trade. This is not what happened in this case. This is how I recall the story (NOTE that it's been a while since I read up on this part of Sagas of Greenlanders): The original discovery came about because a Norseman on his way to Greenland was blown off course in a storm and saw that there was land to the west. The idea was, that if there's land (rather than the end of the world), there may be trees, and lumber was something the Greenlanders needed very badly. Therefore people went back to look for lumber and other useful things at a later date. Because of the weather, in places like Canada, going back means you have to stay a season, since the ice will trap you, so that's why L'Anse Aux Meadows was settled. The idea was to collect wood and such and if there was anyone to trade with, then also to trade with them. This is where the story goes awry, since the fleet was hit with a bad storm on the way over, and many lives were lost. When the indians met up with the Norse, the first thing the Norsemen did was - according to very old Norse custom - invite them for food and drink. The drink on hand in a ragular day was some form of dairy, to which the indians were intolerant. They got sick, and thought the Norse had tried to poison them. Since there were many more hostile indians (who didn't wish to trade after the poisoning incident) than there were Norsemen (due to the loss of life during the storm), and since the Norsemen found the place disappointing in terms of what they could use for Greenland, they left. On the way home the indians attacked them, which sealed the deal. Leif Eriksson said he did not want to return, but his sister Freydis went back with two tradesmen brothers, but due to the infighting between Freydis and her brothers, and the raids by the indians, that expidition left, too. They too lost many lives, some to a bad storm again (I think) but this time it was mostly because of the infighting - they killed oneanother off, simply put. After that, nobody went back again, partially because Leif said there was nothing there to bring back, so nothing worth going for, and partially because at this point in history, the Greenlanders really had to start looking after life and limb in Greenalnd and could not afford to waste resources on Vinland.
This is only my recollection of the story. The first caucasian child (that we know of for sure) to be born in Canada was a baby named Snorri. He grew up in Greenland. I suppose that hypothetically speaking, a child could have been left behind or stolen, but then that ought to be in the annals of Norse history, because they took very careful note of who was born, who died and so on. I do not know of any such notations, and I am sure there would have been at least one if a child would have been lost.
All that is besides the point that if a baby had been left there, no Noreman or -woman went back to Vinland at a time when such a child would have been an adult like in the movie.
Either way, I don't think the movie is meant to be historically accurate. It's just an action movie with an interesting storyline. If not, you don't need to pick the storyline apart for its historical accuracies - you could just look at how both the indians and the supposed vikings are dressed and how they behave. Neither and indian nore a viking would recognize their own culture the way it is depicted here. It's just a movie - emjoy it for what it is, the cool effects and such, and forget about vikings and indians.
This is only my recollection of the story. The first caucasian child (that we know of for sure) to be born in Canada was a baby named Snorri. He grew up in Greenland. I suppose that hypothetically speaking, a child could have been left behind or stolen, but then that ought to be in the annals of Norse history, because they took very careful note of who was born, who died and so on. I do not know of any such notations, and I am sure there would have been at least one if a child would have been lost.
All that is besides the point that if a baby had been left there, no Noreman or -woman went back to Vinland at a time when such a child would have been an adult like in the movie.
Either way, I don't think the movie is meant to be historically accurate. It's just an action movie with an interesting storyline. If not, you don't need to pick the storyline apart for its historical accuracies - you could just look at how both the indians and the supposed vikings are dressed and how they behave. Neither and indian nore a viking would recognize their own culture the way it is depicted here. It's just a movie - emjoy it for what it is, the cool effects and such, and forget about vikings and indians.
Bates
Swamp Yankee
Thanks T, didn't see the edit until today. Mine's dated from the beginning of the Viking Age (800 CE roughly)... unfortunately, the chain it came on would barely make an armband for me, so I have to remember to get some more latigo, or perhaps make myself a good chain for it. I should get one of those dragon/wolf head ones, just so I can use it as a mold and cast my own. 
The Greenland Saga stuff sounds about right, I've been reading bits and pieces of those and a Smithsonian book on Norse in the North Atlantic, and that jives with it pretty well.
The Greenland Saga stuff sounds about right, I've been reading bits and pieces of those and a Smithsonian book on Norse in the North Atlantic, and that jives with it pretty well.
Tyra
Member
Hey, Bates, did you happen to check out the SCA stuff at CafePress while you were at it? Some funny stuff. There's a Frey fish (Jesus fish only Frey) that's one of the funniest things I've seen for a long time. It' got the fish carrying a twig, wearing a helm and sproting a really long dick dragging on the ground...
Vikingkid3
New Metal Member
- Jan 25, 2007
- 16
- 0
- 1
Thanks Tyra, thats also what i've read just wanted to clear things up, i'm not a movie critic either and usually like the action movies with badass fight scenes even with bad acting and other crap (like steven segal, van damme, and arnolds pimp ass 
), was just a little curious.
), was just a little curious.
TheLastWithPaganBlood
Nordman
I had a computer game about a Viking named ssomething who apparantly was a native american who was adopted by the norse. It seemed like it was backed up by historic evidence too.
Tyra
Member
Holy Shit, Bates, how much do you think this dude's armour weighs??!
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2023579917
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2023579917
Knarfi
Yaba-daba-doo!
Bates
Swamp Yankee
The leather scale? It's not all that heavy, I made myself a similar jerkin with bigger scales (16oz 4"x2") on a 5oz split hide backing, it's easier to wear then my riding leathers. Probably would suck against real steel, but it absorbs a rather large amount of shock. The guy with the round shield, well, I see cloth, I assume plastic. I did have to trade in my 34" round for a 28" one though, was just too heavy. Been slacking off lately, I really need to quit smoking to be competitive :/
Oops, my bad, it's metal... missed the jingly sounds the first time around. One of the guys in my barony has a similar jerkin, it's actually about the same as leather, since the leather is a lot thicker. A lot noisier too, I can still sneak up on people in full gear.
Oops, my bad, it's metal... missed the jingly sounds the first time around. One of the guys in my barony has a similar jerkin, it's actually about the same as leather, since the leather is a lot thicker. A lot noisier too, I can still sneak up on people in full gear.
TheLastWithPaganBlood
Nordman
A lot noisier too, I can still sneak up on people in full gear.
But who would want to do that?
Bates
Swamp Yankee
Who wouldn't? Not that I have anything against a straight up fight, but victory comes through tactics.
Tyra
Member
Works well in any "Baroness' walk", for example, when the object is to overpower the fair Baroness and entourage when they least expect it (while she's at the vendors' stalls, while she's alone at camp or asleep in her encampment etc) and bring her back to the "castle" and hold her hostage. It also works well when the war is held in the woods, and silentium is a bonus in the beginning stages of any "backstreet brawl" (generally done at night in the dark).
Hey, I've found a course at a different uni that offers military history of the western world from the Antiques and onwards that I can count towards my degree. Think I'd like that, but I can't take it until next spring since it's not offered until then. Not that I need any more schooling, but it looks so damn interesting...
Hey, I've found a course at a different uni that offers military history of the western world from the Antiques and onwards that I can count towards my degree. Think I'd like that, but I can't take it until next spring since it's not offered until then. Not that I need any more schooling, but it looks so damn interesting...
Bates
Swamp Yankee
I need to get myself schoolable sometime. Too much nifty stuff I only get secondhand access too without it.
I'm a bit puzzled because of the Valknut-symbol and it's interpretation. Here's what I know: It is made out of 3 triangles. They can be seen as a symbol for faith (like the three Norns: present past and future). But they are also a symbol for the three realms of existance ... which would be Midgard (our world), Asgard (the world of the gods) and Uttgard (the "underworld"). And the Valknut is made out of 9 lines ... representing "the nine worlds".
... and here is where I get lost. What are the nine worlds?
Ok, there's Niflheim, Hel and so on, but are they considered as seperate worlds? (And could someone name all nine?)
I always considered the 3 realms as beeing the "worlds", and Niflheim, Hel and so on beeing a part of Utgard ... like Valhall is a part of Asgard ...
(talking about different worlds actually feels strange to me in the first place, since in my mind there's only ONE "world". The 3 realms are just three "dimensions" of that world, and everything else (Niflheim, Hel) are just places (localities) within the realms ...)
I guess if there is someone out there who can get me out of this confusion, this here is where I have to ask ... right, Tyra?
... and here is where I get lost. What are the nine worlds?
Ok, there's Niflheim, Hel and so on, but are they considered as seperate worlds? (And could someone name all nine?)
I always considered the 3 realms as beeing the "worlds", and Niflheim, Hel and so on beeing a part of Utgard ... like Valhall is a part of Asgard ...
(talking about different worlds actually feels strange to me in the first place, since in my mind there's only ONE "world". The 3 realms are just three "dimensions" of that world, and everything else (Niflheim, Hel) are just places (localities) within the realms ...)
I guess if there is someone out there who can get me out of this confusion, this here is where I have to ask ... right, Tyra?
