We were forced to look at their way of living in a Viking house. At the same time they tried to be good merchants; "Buy or die", they said. Was that the way the Vikings did business in the past? Was it not any "win-win"- situations with advantages for both parts? That was what I called "Noble savages".
Photo. The Vikings to good care of us.
As the British author Anna Yates puts it in her book "The Viking discovery of America"; the Post-Renaissance man, with his preconceptions about "Dark Ages", had difficulties with the concept of people who were warriors and visionaries, bandits and explorers. He could only perceive the Vikings as the destructive savages portrayed in many contemporary chronicles. This is a truth with big modifications. We should not overlook the evidences that proofs that the Vikings were also good merchants and had the ability to make good relations with other people.
But one thing is definitely obvious: the Vikings had unique navigational skills. On longships they crossed the Atlantic see, and became the first European to discover America (Vineland). At time when other seafarers dared not venture out of sight of land, the Vikings knew where they were going, and could find their way back again.
Photo. Leifur Eriksson, identified as the "Son of Iceland" and believed to be the first outsider to discover America (in Reykjavik).
Leifur Eriksson was a great Viking. At that time he and other Vikings were the only European seafarers who dared travel so far that they lost sight of land. The Vikings were not conquerors as the Spanish and other Europeans in the later time. They come to settle on new land, and they had no intentions to take the land by force.
I and my companions were invited (forced) to attend a Viking feast. Traditional food and drinks was served in the Viking Village. We were served chilled Viking schnapps in traditional lamb horns.
Photo. Songs were sung. The Vikings celebrated there caught.
Songs were sung. Swords were clinging. Women were carried around, but not with the same grip my forefather in Norway used for thousand years ago. When they captured women they took them around their knees and lifted them up on their shoulders. There the poor women sprawled wildly without any chance to be released. So the Vikings took "good" care of the women and carried them safely back to their Viking Village home. They were real gentlemen! The party took off and we all went Berserkers.
The Viking church paradox
On my stay I visited a church at the ancient seat of the Icelandic bishops, Skalholt. This revealed a part of Iceland`s religious past. How to qualify to be a Christian person? I just wondered when an observed several old churches around on Iceland. Is there space enough for a brutal Viking in God's house? And why did they start visiting churches when they behaved as they did? Was the acting in conflict with their faith? Who knows?
By looking back in the history, the Vikings were obvious not big writers. No testaments were written. The writers were mostly Christians. So in the end the Vikings became Christians too. The turned away from their old gods and started to go to church. Maybe it is because the Vikings had to do so much "botsgang"? Modern archaeology is probably the only means to answer questions about the Vikings and their culture. To find out more about the Vikings archaeologists excavate from mounds, graves and earthworks. That may reveal more. Nearly 1000 years after the Viking culture took an end, such discoveries have just started. Outside one of the church I visited archaeologists drag out finds from the ground.
Photo. Inside an old church on Island. Outside the church archaeologists did some excavations work to find more about the Vikings.
I assume that it was not easy to convert my forefather in to another belief. According to the famous old Icelandic author Snorri Sturluson, the Vikings had their own way to express their feelings (Heimskringla or The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway - The Ynglinga Saga, or The Story of the Yngling Family from Odin to Halfdan the Black - By Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179 - 1241): "Odin (the Viking chief) could make his enemies in battle blind, or deaf, or terror-struck, and their weapons so blunt that they could no more but than a willow wand; on the other hand, his men rushed forwards without armour, were as mad as dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and were strong as bears or wild bulls, and killed people at a blow, but neither fire nor iron told upon themselves. These were called Berserker".
Viking Gods
The Vikings believed that the natural world was full of elves, spirits and demons. I probably found one on my second day.
Photo. A big monster found in the forest (from a botanic garden). One of the Vikings natural Gods?
The creature looks scary. I definitely wanted it on my side. I wondered about sacrificing something, but ended up with a silent prey. I still wondered: would this be enough for the rest of my stay?
Photo. Souvenir portraying the strong God Thor carved out from the wood.
This souvenir is derived from a little bronze statue of the God Thor with the sledgehammer. He was a sky god, like the Roman Jupiter or Jove. Jove's day in the Roman week became after Thursday (Thor`s day). When the Vikings shacked by thunders and lightening they knew that Thor was hitting hard with his hammer. Sometimes Thor was very angry!
After the feast we finally manage to escape from the terrifying Vikings. We were all happy!!!
Riding in the volcanic landscape
In the little bit rainy afternoon I took my way out for a riding tour. I started my adventurous ride from the Ishestar Riding Centre, and so I rode straight in to the lava fields surrounding Mt. Helgafell volcano and into the Kaldarsel area. I kept my balance and manage to hold me on the back on the horse.
Photo. Riding.
Photo. Relaxing.
Photo. Lava area
I heard about the "hidden" (invisible) people on the island. They protect beautiful areas from road and house building. They also come and take you if you don't behave well. I met neither of them, but that was probably because I behaved properly (as I like to believe). So did the inhabitants. They were extremely nice and service minded, and made my stay "sunny".
Stein Morten Lund, 26 May 2002
Additional information
Book:
For they who are interesting in reading more about the Vikings:
Book: The Viking discovery of America - The story of Leifur Eiriksson and Vineland the good - Anna Yates.
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