Normans - this is one of the names of the northern peoples. So the inhabitants of Central and Southern Europe in the VIII-XI centuries called the detachments of fierce warriors who sailed from cold countries. The raids were regular, the troops turned into armies, and as a result, the map of Europe was redrawn.
Numerous synonyms
The huge empire of the Franks, created by the representative of the Carolingian dynasty, Charlemagne, disappeared from the face of the Earth. England was captured. The Spaniards, whose country the robbers also traveled to, called them pagan monsters - madhouses, putting all the horror in front of them in the name. The British called them Ascemans, that is, floating in boats made of strong ash. In ancient Russia they were called Vikings. They are also known under the name “Vikings” (it was later proved that the Normans called the sea voyage the term “Viking”). It can be said that the Normans are conquerors, as the Frankish poet said, "brave to excess." Thanks to the impudence, fearlessness, agility of the soldiers, their raids were always successful, but they were distinguished by cruelty. The fame for them stretched far - all European rulers were afraid of them, but also dreamed of having them in their service.
Warriors from generation to generation
Normans were born warriors. Not only the harsh nature and living conditions on the shores of the northern seas made them so. Religion and the laws of the country were, in fact, militaristic. In the happy afterlife, where they will always be pleased by the Valkyries, only the soldiers who glorified themselves in battles fell. Even a wounded and dying fighter could not leave the battlefield and had to kill enemies until the last breath. And then Odin himself (the supreme deity) appeared behind him and took him to the fabulous heavenly country of Wollhall for eternal bliss. Normans are people who do not know pity for enemies or for themselves. Their laws struck with cruelty. According to one of them, feeble old people and defective children (even with minor deviations) were killed. The norms of their life evolved over the centuries.
Reasons for the raids
The scarce nature, which did not make it possible to grow the required amount of food, forced them to abuse their loved ones, determined the need for raids on the nearby fertile and rich territories, which were both in the south and in the east and west. The conquerors did not disdain the lifeless northern territories, they actively settled them, forming their own colonies there. The rich lands were beyond the seas, and the water open spaces became the second home for the Normans. They had excellent vessels, steady and hardy. Warriors were rowers, they were not at all afraid of the sea and sailed far inland. Long before Columbus, they discovered America, though North.
Discipline and subordination
The Normans are magnificent sailors who walked perfectly on oars and sail, in the wind and against it. Beautiful warriors and unafraid pioneers, fear of whom reached the most remote corners of Europe, were surrounded by legends. The most talented, brave and ruthless warriors became badgers, who were considered werewolves. They were invincible. The army respected strict discipline, unconditional submission of rank-and-file warriors to senior rank, there was its own code of honor. They had obstinacy in achieving their goals and composure, which did not allow them to turn off the planned path. The character was "Nordic, seasoned." Most importantly, they had an ultimate goal - to create their own rich state, and all the methods for that were good. But over time, they changed.
The beginning of wide expansion
The history of the Normans (and there is documentary evidence for this) dates back to 789. Three ships moored to the shores of England, on which there were Danes from Harland, subjects of King Beotrick. And after the devastation of the monastery of the island of Lindisfarne, which followed after 4 years and received great publicity, several more raids were undertaken before the end of the century. After this came a 40-year relative lull. But in 835, with the destruction of Sheppy - an English island off the coast of Kent, it all started. The annual devastating campaigns of the Normans to the shores of the neighboring European states followed. On some English islands, the Vikings, who hiked mainly in the spring and summer, wintered.
Goals were achieved
The Anglo-Saxons called them pagans, or northern people. The name "Normans" was given to them by the Franks. In 855-856, a huge army of pagans landed on the shore of East Anglia forever. But England was completely conquered only in 1066 by the Duke of Normandy (northern France) Wilhelm, who is known in history as the Conqueror. That is, at first the Normans raided the north of France, and even Paris, founded their own state on the territory of the Franks Empire that collapsed under their blows, and from there attacked England.
The story of the Normans with the accession in the English and Sicilian throne, in general, ends. Yes, and they were then called Normans. The raids ended because the warriors became plowmen. The fertile land was enough for them now, and it was possible to secure a decent life without resorting to weapons.
Born to win
The conquest of the Normans stretched over three centuries. As a result, parts of Ireland and Scotland were conquered in the 9th century. Constant attempts to conquer England led to the fact that in the IX-X centuries the Normans occupied the northern, eastern and central parts of the country. And the conquered territory was called Danelare (“Danish Law Area”).
They raided Frisia, a coastal region between present-day Denmark and the Netherlands. The Norman conquest extended not only to Spain and Portugal. In 859, a large flotilla, consisting of more than 60 ships packed full of loot in Spain, arrived on the shores of North Africa. Since 844, raids on Spain have been regular, for a time they even managed to capture Seville.
Any territory was available to them.
During all their campaigns, the Norman Vikings very successfully adapted to the environment and assimilated with the local population. They entered southern Italy at the beginning of the 11th century, and by 1071 it had all come under the rule of the Normans.
A very important role went to the Vikings in the Crusades. They actively participated in the creation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. On the rivers Volkhov, Lovat, Dnieper and Volga, the Norman Vikings reached the Black Sea and came to the shores of the Byzantine Empire. Some of them engaged in trade along the Volga and the Caspian Sea reached Baghdad. Not only warm lands attracted the Normans. The famous Viking Eric Red in 985 founded a colony in Greenland, which, despite the very harsh climate and difficult living conditions, lasted 400 years. Sagas are dedicated to the famous leader of the settlers, which indicate that one of the sons of Eric the Red visited North America around the year 1000.
Raids are not an end in themselves
For the Vikings, especially in the X-XI centuries, raids were not an end in themselves. In many areas they settled, forming states, regions, colonies. Part settled in Scotland, part in southern Italy. The Norman state was created in Sicily, in France, in England. Somewhere, the result was achieved by the direct seizure of the country and the overthrow of the legitimate monarch, as in England. The troops of the last king of the Anglo-Saxons, Harold Godvinson, were defeated at Hastings. The throne goes to the winner William the Conqueror. In the county of Aversa, the first Norman state arose in southern Italy. It was followed by Melfi and Solerno, Calabria, Apulia and Naples. Later all these entities were united in the Sicilian kingdom. As a rule, first the Vikings entered the service of the local nobility, and then overthrew them.
The rise of Normandy
It should be noted that the Normans possessed a managerial genius. They did not destroy previous structures of power, they took all the best from what was achieved. The remarkable ability of the Vikings to adapt the already formed legal and cultural institutions to their own needs is noted. They respected the customs and achievements of the defeated peoples. The Norman state in France, called Normandy, began with the occupation of these lands in the 9th century by the Norwegian and Danish Vikings. Hrolf Pedestrian controlled them, so named because no horse could carry his huge body, and he was forced to move on foot. The Normans forced Charles III the Rustic to recognize the lands at the mouth of the Seine as their property. Hrolf recognized himself as a vassal of Karl, married his daughter and adopted the Christian name Rollon. The Normans, who arrived with him, adopted Christianity and eagerly mixed with the local population. Taking all the best from feudal France, the Normans created a good state power structure both in Normandy and in England and Sicily.
Revived popularity
The meaning of the word "Normans" is the simplest. It is translated from the Scandinavian northman literally - "northern man." As already noted, these peoples living in Scandinavia gained wide fame thanks to the wide expansion in the VIII-XI centuries. The Normans combined warriors, sailors, merchants, discoverers and travelers.
Naturally, the great people had their own traditions, religion, and literature. Norman culture is a branch of ancient Germanic culture. Impressions of the many campaigns were passed from mouth to mouth, composed sagas. In a special honor were poets called skalds. The Viking religion, captured in myths, has conveyed to our days the names of the pagan gods - the main deity of Odin and 12 more - Thor, Loki, Bragi, Heimndall and others. There were 4 goddesses - Frigg, Freya, Idun, Seth. Mythology was formed from the 5th century until the adoption of Christianity. Written in poems "Elder Edda" and the prosaic "Younger Edda" - the main sources of Norse mythology. Across the entire territory where the Normans lived or ran along their paths, steles cut up by runic signs have survived to our times, archaeologists find jewelry and talismans. Everything about the Normans has given rise to a powerful pop culture these days - hundreds of video games, cartoons, and popular novels.
