1. On the battlefield, a Viking's attack of choice was to cut someone's legs - hence immobilising the ennemy. I'm glad I've never encountered an angry Viking - yet.
2. There is only one remaining complete Viking helmet in the world - it's in the Historical Museum of Oslo. However, contrary to the legend, they didn't wear horned helmets.
3. Important persons were buried with their ship, along with horses, dogs, jewellery and fine linen. The Oseberg ship was found in 1903, and it took 21 years to dry out the wood. It served as a burial ship for two women, whose remains were also found. One was in her seventies, and died of cancer, while the younger was in her fifties.
4. The ship and all the objects found in it are part of the Saving Oseberg project: at the time of their discovery, all the findings were put in alum salts, which slowly deteriorated them.
5. Vikings liked to play music with that (which could equally serve in a religious ritual):
2. There is only one remaining complete Viking helmet in the world - it's in the Historical Museum of Oslo. However, contrary to the legend, they didn't wear horned helmets.
3. Important persons were buried with their ship, along with horses, dogs, jewellery and fine linen. The Oseberg ship was found in 1903, and it took 21 years to dry out the wood. It served as a burial ship for two women, whose remains were also found. One was in her seventies, and died of cancer, while the younger was in her fifties.
 |
| The Oseberg ship |
4. The ship and all the objects found in it are part of the Saving Oseberg project: at the time of their discovery, all the findings were put in alum salts, which slowly deteriorated them.
5. Vikings liked to play music with that (which could equally serve in a religious ritual):
6. In 1960, Norwegian archaeologists Anne Stine and Helge Ingstad found a Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadows (Canada), now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Norse settlement dates from the 11th century. According to recent research, L'Anse aux Meadows could be part of Vinland.
7. J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired by Norse tales such as the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and the Hervarar saga. He also based his Cirth alphabet on the runic alphabets used by Vikings from the 2nd century AD.
8. Brodir of Man was a Danish Viking, settled in the Isle of Man and in Ireland, and said to have killed the last High King of Ireland Brian Boru (whose life is supposed to hit the screen in an €80m blockbuster, according to the Independent last May).
9. Before being cast as the main character of an intellectually charged and eponymous blockbuster, the Norse God Thor also gave his name to the weekday Thursday. In Romance languages, it's Jupiter's Day. One way or another, the fourth day of the week is related to a God of Thunder.
10. The Orion constellation used to be known in Scandinavian folklore as "Frigg's distaff", Frigg being a Goddess, queen of Asgard, and Odin's wife.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire