Notes 3/16/10

Vikings

• They lived in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.
• Were not Christianized unlike the Celts, because they lived outside of the Roman Empire
• In England from 7th through 9th centuries, but their influence stayed until passed the year 1000
• There are 9 worlds in the Norse world
• They are Midgard, world of average human experience; Alfheimr, world of Alfar(elves); Scartalfaheim, world of the Scartalfar (black elves); Vanaheimr, world of the Vanir; Muspellheim, world of fire; Jotunheimr, world of the jotnar; Niflheim, world of ice; Asgard, world of the AEsir; Hel, world of the Nioavellir; Ginnungagap, part of the Atlantic Ocean, but may translate as Ginn- Kein, A place where no one lives.
• Edda, Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, contains the stories of the gods
• Alphabet is in Runes
• Ragnarok is battle at the end of the world between the gods. All of Midgard is going to burn. A new world will grow from the ashes.
• They were not afraid of death.
• Heimskringla is the other book. Written by Snorri Sturluson. It is about the kings. Most of the primary sources are written by the Vikings' ancestors
• Leif Ericsson went to North America
• Vikings went down as far as Palestine
• River journeys and open water were the two types of ships they built