English sources typically date the beginning of the Viking
Age by the burning of the monastery at Lyndisfarme on a small British island in
793 AD and the end at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD. However, the time period is more accurately
described as “Old Norse” since the term Viking or “fara í víking” referred only
to those Norsemen who went exploring or raiding, returning with loot and slaves
to a home base. Possibly due to
population expansion with limited agricultural resources or just exploiting a
power gap after the collapse of Charlemagne’s empire in the 830s, groups of
Norse from Scandinavia began to expand across Europe at this time (Viking,
Wikepedia).
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| Map showing Norse Expansion from Wikipedia |
Norse ships were capable of sailing cross large expansions
of open ocean and navigating far inland up rivers. Establishing trade routes and forming both
permanent and temporary settlements, the Norse groups founded outposts in pockets
of coastline and rivers along current day France, Spain, North Africa and
western Italy. Additional settlers
headed to England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Shetlands, and Faroe
Islands. Other trading groups navigated
the major river ways of Eastern Europe and Russia--eventually reaching the
Black and Caspian Seas. Eric the Red and
similar adventurers sailed to North America and established short term
settlements in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, and Labrador.
The map to the left shows Norse expansion during this time. Certainly the Norse would have picked up horses on their travels and brought them to Iceland. But what types of horses would have they have selected? See tomorrow's post.
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