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Norse Pirates - Q and A

© Cindy Vallar

From where does the word 'viking' come? No one knows for sure. The most accepted derivation is from the Norse word vik, which means a creek, bay, or fjord, because pirates lurked in sheltered waters.

While we often refer to them as Vikings, their contemporaries did not. The Anglo-Saxons called them 'Danes.' The Franks referred to them as 'Northmen,' while the Germans used 'Ashmen.' Although the Irish often distinguished between whether the pirates had fair hair or dark, all were considered Gaill or 'foreigners.' The Spanish had a simpler name for them - Heathens. Slavs and Arabs called them 'Rus,' from which Russia got its name. The pirates, themselves, distinguished one from the other by the region from which they hailed.

Most Scandinavian peoples, however, were not pirates. They were farmers, merchants, and craftsmen.

Why did they go í víking, plundering? To accumulate wealth. Gold and silver were far easier to procure through raids on undefended monasteries than through trade. They attacked and left with such speed that few victims could mount a counterattack before the pirates sailed for home. "In those days, trade and piracy went hand in hand...this was an age when everyone was his own master, when the power of the state was unknown and unchallenged..." (Eric Graf Oxensteirna, The World of the Norsemen, 1967)

What did viking pirates wear? Most wore trousers, long-sleeve shirts, and belted tunics. If they wore cloaks, brooches pinned them to right shoulders to allow access to their weapons. Some wore helmets, but most went bareheaded.

Many didn't own shirts of chainmail. Instead they wore padded leather armour. Most Norse, however, simply deflected injurious blows with their shields.

What weapons did they use? Their deadliest weapon was the double-edged, lightweight sword, measuring almost thirty-six inches in length. This prized possession often had a name like Flame of Battle, Foot Biter, Gnawer, or Hole Maker. Since few could afford such expensive weapons, they used spears and short swords. Some favored broad axes that possessed names of the Valkyrie or female giants. They often carried round wooden shields with a centered metal boss on one side and a leather handgrip on the other.

Perhaps the most powerful weapon, though, was the longship. This low vessel had a sleek design that allowed quick and easy navigation across the sea. It was light enough for the raiders to either land on the beach or carry over their heads with ease. The single rudder, affixed to one side of the vessel, steered the longship while a single mast supported the square sail that allowed the ship to skim across the waves when the wind blew. When it didn't, the pirates propelled the vessel with oars. The shallow keels allowed them to go where no one else dared.