Vikings
The Vikings were a people the seemed to have appeared from nowhere to the people of Europe during the middle ages. The people of Europe feared these new people and believed them to be a dangerous threat to their way of life. However, with their new technology for the time, they're religious views and their military tactics the Vikings were as dangerous to the European civilization as they are often portrayed. The Viking settled in Iceland, the land of ice and fire. They believed the gods to inhabit the earth that the gods chose for them, they owned the land with the gods created them. In order not to disrupt the gods and to maintain their trust they committed different acts of honor and respect. Sacrifices were offered, people were slain, new lands were settled and slaves were taken. The Vikings believed that the more they did to please the gods the likelier it was to get to Valhalla after their earthly life, where they would fight the whole day and rejoice, drinking ale all night long. Valhalla was inhabited by the ęsir. Óšinn the highest of all ęsir, Žor the god of thunder, Tżr the god of war, Freyja the goddess of love, Freyr the god of fertility, Valkyrjas and Einherjar. Each Viking's highest goal was to inhabit Valhalla with
the gods. These religious beliefs accompanied with their all around mental toughness gave the Vikings a huge advantage over any foe they were to encounter. The Vikings lived a tough life in the north therefore to them the toughness of the battlefield was nothing new to them. So the cold and harsh weather no matter the circumstances did not affect them as it did many of their enemies, which is a huge advantage as one, can see. This along with the fact they had no real fear of dieing for to die in battle was considered a huge honor. These things left the Viking one step up on any foe for they would fight in ways and use strategies most wouldn't and that in it could turn the battle in their favor. These enabled the Vikings to fight with an uncontrollable ferocity unmatched by any. It is not so much that the ships of the Viking era are revolutionary in any one particular area. For at least several centuries sailing ships had been used, and likewise had rowed vessels been utilized in domestic trade and transport. Raw tools, materials, and construction techniques endured no great advance during this period. The general shape too had been prevalent in northern Europe for quite some time. What made the Viking boats special was a remarkable synthesis and refinement of previously developed ideas. These ships represented the crowning accomplishment of a long line of evolution, and thus the collective knowledge allowed for a result that truly was outstanding. The unique technical features of Viking ships are plentiful, and each is purposeful in that it allows for increased functional capability. The first observation one may readily make is of the basic geometric form. Viking ships were disproportionately long and narrow, typically with a length to width ratio of 6 or more, some being as large as 11. This narrow section allowed for excellent low drag performance in cutting through the water, yielding higher speeds. At the same time, the ships were very low in height, both above and below the water. The total height from base to gunwale, the upper edge of a boat's sides amidships on the Gokstad boat, considered to be the most representative example of a raiding vessel, was less than 2m. . This statistic in itself is stunning even for mode
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Approximate Word count = 1510
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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