1. Introduction to Beowulf
Author Unknown

2. Part I: Vikings “Popular Misconceptions”
Did not live in one nation
They were not wild and dirty
They were not tall and blonde
They did not drink out of skull cups
They did not use crude weapons
Everyone did not hate Vikings
Viking helmets did not have horns

3. Were Not One Nation! Instead: Led by a chieftain
Home Base was in Scandinavia
Settled in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and Norway.

4. They were not wild and dirty
Excavations show Viking sites have turned up:
Tweezers
Razors
Combs
Ear cleaners made from bones and antlers
Bathed at least once a week which was much more frequent that other Europeans who would bathe in the Spring.

5. Vikings were NOT Tall and Blonde
Height
Men were 5 ft 5
Women were 5 ft 2
Today’s Vikings are about 4” taller.
Vikings would have had to look up instead of down.

6. Vikings Did Not Drink out of Skull Cups
The Danish originated drinking methods in 1636 where warriors would drink from “curved branches of skulls,” i.e., horns
No skull cups have ever been found in Viking context.

7. Vikings Did Not Make Crude Weapons
Vikings made the “Ulfberht” sword. One of the best ever made.
NOVA did a film on Viking swords.
Weapon of choice was the “Axe.”

8. The Vikings Were Not Hated by Everyone
Feared by many, appreciated (and employed) by others
French King Charles III, known as “Charles the Simple” gave the land the Vikings had settled on in France (known as Normandy).
And King Charles gave his daughter to the Viking Chief, Rollo.
In return, the Vikings protected France against wilder Vikings.
Normandy, thus was named after the Normans, also known as the Vikings.

9. Viking Helmets Did Not Have Horns
Vikings actually wore a netted/knitted helmet.
Experts do not know where the horns on Viking helmets comes from – the idea dates back to the early 1800’s and the first Viking helmet found was around 1943.

10. Part II: Daily Life Lived in Small Farming Communities
Typical Dwelling: Viking Longhouse where multiple families lived.
Contained a
Workshop
kitchen (which would keep the interior warm in the winter)
barn (with animals)

11. Negative Daily Aspect of Life
Barn was in the same dwelling area as the people lived – which often led to diseases (i.e., Arian flu, Bird flu, Swine flu)
When animals got sick, people got sick.

12. Viking Longhouse Lofoten, Norway
272 Feet long, size of a football field.
Roof resembles upside down Viking ship
People would spend a lot of time together so they spoke a lot to each other.
Tales called “The Sagas” out of New Finland.

13. Viking Diet Ate agricultural products raised on their own farms.
Meat: consisted of cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, goats, and poultry.
Cereals, Dairy Produce, Vegetables, Fruits
Whatever could be hunted, captured, or gathered (i.e., fish, rabbit, deer, bear, boar and elk)
Far North: seals, walruses, whales, puffins, bird eggs
In order to survive in this type of environment Vikings had to eat at least 3,000 calories a day.
There is no evidence to suggest malnutrition so they must have eaten quite a bit.

14. Clothing Limited information exists on clothing because
Textile decays
Limited Written sources
Only ornaments have been found
Textile found in association with Viking Oslo Museum in Oslo, Norway.
Now that the Icebergs are rescinding – archeologists are beginning to find artifacts.
Two layers of tunics have been found
Pants had no pockets nor a fly.
Wrappings from knee to foot
Shoes would last about a year.
Soles would be very thin.
Animals in barn are where hides were made for new shoes.
Cloaks were heavy and fastened with pins
Rich would have multiple clothes.
When Vikings would come out of cold, they would be all wet.
Middle Ages is when Vkings started wearing chain maille.

15. Women Clothing Ankle Length linen worn under the dress
Neck linings would be closed with a broach
Over garments – a shorter length woolen dress suspended by shoulder straps
Brooches, beads and leather pouches
Socks but they were not knitted instead an ancient technique was used known as “nalbinding” (needle binding) used instead.
A single large, thick needles was used.

16. Part III: Vikings Going-a-Viking
Vikings going over sea – where the word comes from
Viking is used as verb – to go a “viking”
This is a reference to summer time overseas expeditions
Purpose was the raiding of monasteries and cities along the coast.
Raids – Lindis farne Monastery (793)
Lindisfarne Stone; Viking era ends with Norman Invasion of England in 1066.

17. Trade Vikings engaged in trade, including in trading slaves.
They would abduct people and sell them.
The film, “The 13th Warrior” shows an element of truth in that film.
They loved silver and would always bring silver back with them when going a-Viking.
They would be careful how much silver they looted because other Vikings would catch wind of silver and invade each other.
They would bury their silver – thinking they would come back for it and they would forget where they had buried it.
There is evidence of silver as far as Baghdad.

18. Part IV: What is the Vikings Legacy?
Norwegian Rat due to migration and colonization trade.
When Vikings moved to Iceland, rats came with them on the ships.
DNA evidence was done on the Icelandic rats and found they match the Norwegian rats DNA.

19. Bezerker: Viking Warrior
This is when the Viking would go “Bezerk” or crazy before a war battle.
Ivar, the Boneless

20. Family’s name comes from Scotland
Sam Houston
Family’s name comes from Scotland
Scotland calls “Hyustooun” or “House Ton”

21. The Story of Harald Bluetooth
King of Denmark between 958 & 970.
He united parts of Denmark and Norway into one nation.
He converted the Danes to Christianity.

22. Icelandic has its own script.
Language
Icelandic language is the closest Viking Language that we know of today.
Icelandic has its own script.

23. Vinland
When the Vikings landed in North America between 983 to 986 A.D. they discovered that grapes were growing in this particular region. They decided to name this land Vinland, Icelandic for “grapes.”
The climate was harsh and the Vikings left to further explore other areas where they could cultivate and live, eventually this land would become known as Canada.

24. Introduction to Beowulf
Story isn’t about the English—it’s about the Danes and the Geats.
Romans controlled England (up to Hadrian’s Wall) until the 5th century
Waves of post-Roman invasions by Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Danes, and Irish
Native Britons couldn’t hold them off
Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Romans to keep the Barbarians out.
The wall is named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian who ruled Rome between 117 and 137 AD.

25. Map from C. Warren Hollister, The Making of England, p. 64
Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms
Map from C. Warren Hollister, The Making of England, p. 64

26. I. Historical background
A.D. -- Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade (Beowulf set)
410 A.D. – Rome renounces control of Britain
521 A.D. – Hygelac invades the Netherlands
597 A.D. – St. Augustine
625 A.D. – Sutton Hoo
A.D. -- Christian poet composed the poem

27. The Danelaw
Viking raids in late 8th century along East coast of England, Ireland, northern France
In 850, Danish Vikings began to settle in Kent
In 865, a large Danish army invaded and took control of nearly all of England except Wessex
In 870, Danes attacked Wessex

28. The Danelaw 871: Alfred the Great becomes king of Wessex
Warrior, diplomat, administrator, scholar, Christian; Greatest Anglo-Saxon king
872: Alfred had to bribe the Danes to stop the fighting
Built a navy of 60-oared ships, bigger and faster than the Danes’ ships

29. The Danelaw
After almost losing his kingdom in 872, Alfred’s military reforms allowed him to begin retaking land
By 886, Alfred had retaken London and made a treaty with the Danes establishing their area of authority in England—the Danelaw
By Alfred’s death in 899, the Danish threat was over, and subsequent kings reconquered the Danelaw

30. Sutton Hoo
Ship burial of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon king, possibly Raedwald (d. 624/625)
Found in 1939 at Sutton Hoo in eastern England, formerly the Danelaw
Ship was nearly 80 feet long, laden with treasures and everyday equipment (even if it is everyday equipment made of gold)
Window into the early Anglo-Saxon world

31. Sutton Hoo
Photos from British Museum

32. Sutton Hoo

33. Sutton Hoo

34. Oslo, Norway

36. Introduction to Beowulf
Oral vs. written text
Many ancient works were memorized and recited—and were not written down until centuries later (Odyssey, Iliad, Beowulf)
Only surviving Beowulf manuscript dates from late 10th century
Probably composed mid-8th century

37. Introduction to Beowulf
The scop: Anglo-Saxon equivalent of a singing poet
Oral techniques: alliteration, repetition, variation, kennings, half-lines, metonymy (one thing substituted for another), synecdoche (part for the whole)

38. Beowulf Manuscript (Note the burn marks on the top and sides—the ms
Beowulf Manuscript (Note the burn marks on the top and sides—the ms. was severely damaged in a fire)

39. Poetics Hwaet! Wē Gār-Dena in geārdagum þēodcyninga þrym gefrūnon,
hū ðā æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaþena þrēatum
monegum mægþum meodosetla oftēah,
egsode eorlas syððan ærest wearð
fēasceaft funden. Hē þæs frōfre gebād,
wēox under wolcnum, weorðmundum þāh
oð þæt him æghwylc þāra ymbsittendra
ofer hronrāde hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs gōd cyning!

40. Kennings A metaphorical expression used in place of a noun
Sea = “whale-road” or “swan’s way”
Joints, ligaments = “bone-locks”
Sun = “sky-candle”
Icicles = “water-ropes”

41. Metonymy and Synecdoche
Metonymy: Name of one thing is substituted for the name of something else that most people would associate with the first thing
“Iron” for “Sword”
“Crown” for “king” or “monarchy”
Synecdoche: Substitute a part for the whole
“keel” for “ship”
“All hands on deck”
“Heads of cattle”

42. Anglo-Saxon Society
Tribal society with kinship bonds and a heroic code of behavior
bravery
loyalty to one's lord, one's warband (comitatus), and one's kin
willingness to avenge one's warband or lord at all costs – death preferable to exile.
generosity of lord to thanes and of hero to warband and lord--gift-giving
heroism (i.e., great deeds) brings honor, eternal fame, and political power

43. Stavanger, Norway

44. Anglo-Saxon values Loyalty Fighting for one’s king
Avenging one’s kinsmen
Keeping one’s word
Generosity -- gifts symbolize bonds
Brotherly love -- not romantic love
Heroism
Physical strength
Skill and resourcefulness in battle
Courage
Public reputation, not private conscience

45. What about the women?
Women make peace, bearing children who create blood ties
Women pass the cup at the mead-hall, cementing social bonds
Women lament loss, don’t avenge

46. Stavanger, Norway

47. Religion in Anglo Saxon Times
Mix of pagan and Christian values--often in conflict.
Pagan (secular (non-religious) lineage vs. Christian lineage;
Eternal earthly fame through deeds vs afterlife in hell or heaven;
honor & gift-giving vs. sin of pride (hubris);
revenge vs pacifist view (forgiveness);
Wyrd (Anglo-Saxon "Fate") vs God's will, etc.

48. Epic hero traits Is significant and glorified Is on a quest
Has superior or superhuman strength, intelligence, and/or courage
Is ethical
Risks death for glory or for the greater good of society
Is a strong and responsible leader
Performs brave deeds
Reflects ideals of a particular society