Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- PART I THE GEOGRAPHY AND PREHISTORY OF SCANDINAVIA
- PART II FROM VIKINGS TO KINGS
- 5 The Viking expansion
- 6 Viking culture
- 7 Scandinavia enters Christian Europe
- 8 Early political organisation
- PART III MATERIAL GROWTH (to c. 1350)
- PART IV THE HIGH MEDIEVAL KINGDOMS
- PART V HIGH AND LATE MEDIEVAL CULTURE
- PART VI LATE MEDIEVAL SOCIETY (c. 1350–1520)
- PART VII SCANDINAVIAN UNIONS (1319–1520)
- Conclusion
- Select bibliography: primary sources, general surveys and secondary works arranged by part
- Index
- Plate Section"
- References
6 - Viking culture
from PART II - FROM VIKINGS TO KINGS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- PART I THE GEOGRAPHY AND PREHISTORY OF SCANDINAVIA
- PART II FROM VIKINGS TO KINGS
- 5 The Viking expansion
- 6 Viking culture
- 7 Scandinavia enters Christian Europe
- 8 Early political organisation
- PART III MATERIAL GROWTH (to c. 1350)
- PART IV THE HIGH MEDIEVAL KINGDOMS
- PART V HIGH AND LATE MEDIEVAL CULTURE
- PART VI LATE MEDIEVAL SOCIETY (c. 1350–1520)
- PART VII SCANDINAVIAN UNIONS (1319–1520)
- Conclusion
- Select bibliography: primary sources, general surveys and secondary works arranged by part
- Index
- Plate Section"
- References
Summary
Almost everything we know about the culture (and technology) of the Viking Age derives from archaeological and textual evidence. The archaeological evidence, constantly growing and with a range of important finds now precisely dated by dendrochronology, is contemporary with the period. The textual evidence, on the other hand, was – apart from runic inscriptions – usually written down long after the Viking Age; therefore the reliability of much of it is still a matter of debate. However, new attitudes and new questions have provided new perspectives on and insights into the textual evidence.
The culture of the Viking Age was strong, independent, rich in tradition and vibrant. It was good at copying, adapting, developing and creating – and foreign ideas could be incorporated or rejected. The many points of contact meant that well-informed and well-travelled Scandinavians were familiar with a variety of nationalities, environments and cultures. Their tolerance of other cultures was presumably an important factor in the Scandinavians’ astonishing ability to establish themselves as traders, conquerors or colonists in new countries.
Regions and communications
The lands of Viking Age Scandinavia, apart from Finland and the Sami areas in their northern and central parts, shared a substantially common culture. This arose from their situation furthest north in Europe and the fact that this sparsely populated territory was almost completely surrounded by water, so that its regions could be linked by seaborne traffic. The varied natural resources of Scandinavia encouraged shipping and trade; almost all necessities could be found somewhere in the region: cattle, grain, fish, wool, iron, timber, furs, etc. Much of this could also be exported.
Keywords
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge History of Scandinavia , pp. 121 - 146Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003
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