Федеральное Государственное Бюджетное
Образовательное Учреждение
Высшего образования
УФИМСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ НЕФТЯНОЙ
ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ
Кафедра иностранных языков
РЕФЕРАТ
THE VIKINGS
Выполнил: Богданов Владислав (гр. БМП-14-03)
Руководитель: к. филол. н., доцент Лопатина Е.В.
Уфа 2015
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................... 3
Chapter I The territory of expansion ……………………………………… 5
Chapter II The religion of the Vikings ......................................................... 7
Chapter III Family and social structure ......................................................... 11
3.1 The relationships between the wife and the husband ............... 11
3.2 Children ……………………………………………………… 11
3.3 The Vikings social classes …………………………………… 12
Chapter IV Weapons and warfare …………………………………………. 14
4.1 Spear …………………………………………………………. 14
4.2 Sword ……………………………………………………… 15
4.3 Shields and helmets ………………………………………… 16
4.4 The Viking axe ……………………………………………… 17
4.5 Ships ………………………………………………………… 19
Chapter V The Viking culture …………………………………………… 21
5.1 Literature and language …………………………………… 21
5.2 Runestones ………………………………………………… 22
5.3 Burial sites ………………………………………………… 23
5.4 Farming and cuisine ………………………………………… 24
5.5 Sports and entertainment …………………………………… 25
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………… 27
Bibliography ……………………………………………………………… 28
Introduction
Over a period of many centuries there were a huge number of different nations in our world. Some of these nations are still alive, but others were extinct. Our report is devoted to one of these nations, which were great and warlike- the Vikings. They were called “Northern people” in Europe, “Normans” in France, “Danes” in Germany, “Warangs” in Byzantium and “Vikings” in Ancient Rus.
Vikings were Germanic Norse seafarers who raided and traded from their Scandinavian homelands across wide areas of northern and central Europe, as well as European Russia, during the late 8th to late 11th centuries.
The period from the earliest recorded raids in the 790s until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 is commonly known as the Viking Age of Scandinavian history. Vikings used the Norwegian Sea and Baltic Sea for sea routes to the south. The Normans were descended from Vikings who were given feudal over lordship of areas in northern France – the Duchy of Normandy – in the 10th century. In that respect, descendants of the Vikings continued to have an influence in northern Europe. Likewise, King Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, had Danish ancestors.
Geographically, a Viking Age may be assigned not only to Scandinavian lands (modern Denmark, Norway and Sweden), but also to territories under North Germanic dominance, mainly the Danelaw, including Scandinavian York, the administrative centre of the remains of the Kingdom of Northumbria, parts of Mercia, and East Anglia.
Viking navigators opened the road to new lands to the north, west and east, resulting in the foundation of independent settlements in the Shetland, Orkney, and Faroe Islands; Iceland; and Greenland.
The Vikings explored the northern islands and coasts of the North Atlantic, ventured south to North Africa and east to Russia, Constantinople, and the Middle East. They raided and pillaged, but also engaged in trade, settled wide-ranging colonies, and acted as mercenaries.
In IX century Vikings conquered Ireland and England, ruined and burned Nantes, Hamburg and Pisa. In 845 one of the most famous jarl –Ragnar Lothbrok entered Paris. The Vikings founded the city Dublin in Ireland and conquered all the east coast. Also they attacked Arabian Spain and Italy. Descendants of the Vikings – Normans – conquered Naples and the Silician island and founded The Kingdom of both Silicia there.
The most suffering territory was England which was attacked during 3 centuries of the Vikings campaigns. It will never liquidate from the Vikings influence because in 1066 William I the Conqueror proclaimed himself the King of England.
But the Vikings were not only great conquerors. Being the professional warriors they became mercenaries in Byzantium, Ancient Russ and even Western Europe, where they fought against theirs tribesmen.
In spite of their endless campaigns, the Vikings were good craftsmen and handicraftsmen. They did it very well; they were good at stock keeping and householding. The Vikings had a reverent attitude to his family, its knowledge and religion. It contributed to the preservation of all the long-standing traditions of the Vikings in every generation. Probably, owing to the preservation of a family’s memory, they became one of the most powerful nations of our planet history.
