Longhsips

I wrote about the long ships during the 6^th century. The long ship is considered on the more impressive technological pieces of the time. It is regarded as the reason as to why the Vikings were able to dominate the seas. Tech wins wars just ask any conquered nation throughout time.  The USA took home WW2 in large part due to their advantages in tech. Now someone would argue Germany was more advanced and to large part that is true, the atom bomb is what I mean. Just to highlight the effectiveness here is a quote from an article “Technical marvels, Viking long ships sailed seas and rivers, or served as floating battlefields”, “The sacking of Lindisfarne is remembered as the opening act of the "Viking Age of Invasion," an incursion made possible by one of the technological wonders of the period, the Viking longship. More than 120 years of exhuming buried longships have given modern archaeologists and historians a closer look at how these amazing warships were built, while the writings of the Christian and Muslim civilizations they attacked clearly indicate the longship's importance to the Vikings' success as marauders,”( Carey). 

 http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/04/16/viking-longships-fearless-dragonships-daring-the-oceans-and-seas/

                The Vikings for all their rape and pillaging did add some valuable knowledge on the side of economics. The Vikings are credited for establishing trade routes that were passed on for he generations. Normally we think of Vikings as dumb brutish warriors only good for their war. Turns out some of them were also smart. The smart Viking was Ohthere and in the article “Viking longships brought rape, pillage and cod” we learn more about him, “Evidence is growing that Ohthere was a shipping magnate, a commodity trader who regularly travelled the route he described to Alfred. During the sailing season from April to September, in daylight hours and with favourable winds, adventurous Vikings travelled south in ships laden with riches from the north.,”( Vines).       

           https://www.historyonthenet.com/vikings-as-traders

                My last point is that the Vikings were able to use their ships to explore the world to discover lands that had not been discovered by the Europeans at the time. This was possible due to their long ships which were built in a manner that allowed for crossing of oceans. “They found the Faroe Islands, and then Iceland and Greenland. They settled each in turn. After the year 1000, they also made excursions from Greenland to the coast of the North American mainland, especially the east coast of Canada” (Unger 21). They were able to rule the seas not only in terms of war but also trade and exploration. Quite the accomplishment for a group. The importance of this is that it makes us believe that the Vikings were truly one of the great powers at the time. When we think great powers typically, ancient Rome, British Empire and modern United States. The Vikings arguably on a relative case could be considered to be included on that list of impressive civilizations. 

                The Vikings were quite impressive. A large part of this is due to their long ship which was the undisputed champion of the sea in their time period. We are all familiar with the show Vikings on history which shows Vikings as a brutal group of people. This was true but as shown by Ohthere it was not all brawn as there was some brain. 

References 

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https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.monmouth.edu/stable/41727826?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=The&searchText=Archaeology&searchText=of&searchText=Boats%3A&searchText=Ships&searchText=of&searchText=the&searchText=Vikings&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DThe%2BArchaeology%2Bof%2BBoats%253A%2BShips%2Bof%2Bthe%2BVikings&refreqid=search%3A1b78872ad9b7ca171514ea6f250cb00c&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

               

Archaeology, Symbolism, and Literature: Anglo-Saxon Helmets

There are few times in history where literature is proven true by historical records and archaeology. However, armor, and specifically helmets of the Anglo-Saxon period, have provided this intersection. Archaeological evidence of the helmets discovered in the twentieth century across England prove that primary texts can be extremely informative regarding culture and importance, especially when they carry information about items from that time period that are not present without the archaeological record.  

Before the twentieth century, little was known about the armor of Anglo-Saxon warriors. None had been preserved above-ground for the thousand years since their use. Evidence regarding them came from literary works, like Beowulf and Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the British People. These texts describe the looks and functions of the helmets, as well as their importance to Anglo-Saxon's warrior culture. In order to shed light on the accuracy of the literary works, including their descriptions of helmets and their importance, archaeology had to be used. 

Archaeology regarding the Anglo-Saxon experience began with the 1930s excavations of Sutton Hoo, in Kent, England. Sutton Hoo was home to an Anglo-Saxon burial mound, the resting place of an elite Anglo-Saxon warrior. Within his burial ship rested a beautifully-preserved helmet. This helmet had depictions of boars on both of its cheek guards. This supported a description given of the helmets of elite warriors from the time found in Beowulf, where lines 303-306 and 1448-1454 display imagery of boars on armor. The boar was a wild animal, fearless and an epitome of strength. Archaeological evidence of the animal and its depiction on helmets supported the thousand-year-old text, supporting the importance of the helmet to the Anglo-Saxon warriors. 

The helmet’s location also gave support to its importance. The helmet was buried in a burial ship, under a mound containing riches and weaponry. This was possibly the site of a king with great wealth and connections. Helmets of this magnitude were reserved for only the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, the Sutton Hoo helmet provided only one example of a helmet from the period buried with a rich, elite warrior. Archaeology needed to be used further to support the idea. 

One surviving example of a helmet from the time period was not enough to prove its widespread use. Archaeological excavations in York, England, a Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Viking city added more evidence to the idea of helmets and their importance to Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. Another helmet, the Coppergate Helmet, was discovered in the excavations of mounds within York. The helmet’s discovery furthered the idea that helmets were a status symbol of the Anglo-Saxon rich and powerful, where warriors could display their status by obtaining elaborate headgear and safeguard and reinforce that status after death by being buried with them. The hypothesis was broadened across Europe, looking at presumably-Anglo-Saxon burial mounds in Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the British Isles. While many of the mounds no longer retain their burial goods, archaeologists believe that the helmets once buried their symbolized the status of the deceased.  

In this regard, the helmet was determined by archaeologists as being a defining status symbol to the Anglo-Saxon warrior. The helmets carried symbols on them, which signified the warrior spirit. These symbols were described in texts like Beowulf, which passed down evidence of their existence until archaeology could support it further. Therefore, archaeology can be used to prove the correctness of some works of literature. 

Sutton Hoo Helmet. Note boars on cheek guards.

Cloth in 14th Century England

England in the 14th century was a time with a wave of difficulties. There were a number of events that struck the country, contributing to decrease in population, and the fall of the economy. The famine stuck, leaving people with no food to eat, or crops to sell. Another huge contributor was the plague that left a massive amount of people dead. Additionally, 14th century England was filled with numerous battles. In its own way, each of these events affected job availability, and quality of life.




In order to make a living, people began to depend on trade. The buying and selling of cloth was an item that was greatly valued and widely spread. In addition to its importance for trade purposes, cloth served as a major indicator of rank within social classes. As the demand icreased, the cloth industry began to boom. Typically, making cloth was a labor-intensive process and required a large amount of people. The workers varied between men, women, and children. This was difficult, because often workers were putting in long hours, with no days off. The industries began to expand, and people were finding new ways to make mass productions of cloth in a more efficient manner. This positively affected England and its economy. There was a major increase in capital. The quality and expectations of the skills required to work in the industry were enhanced, as well as a seen decrease in unemployment levels overall.




A class that greatly contributed to the expansion of the trade market were the peasants. Despite being looked down on poorly from the upper class, the peasants successfully produced a large portion of the cloth goods that were traded. They were able to raise flocks of sheep in large amounts. This allowed them to produce enough fleece to sell all over the continent. They would then collect the fleece and sell it to English clothiers, or large manufacturers. This allowed for mass production, and readily available wool for trade.



This picture depicts how large amounts of sheep were raised together in order to produce mass amounts of fleece for trade.



The evolution of cloth not only established the English economy during the 14th century, but also established trade. The economy during this time was directionally proportional to the levels of trade production. When cloth production was high, the economy was flourishing, and understandingly, when people were not trading with one another, the economy took a hit. England often traded with neighboring countries. In the 14th century, England and Scotland often went back and forth over the trade of wool. Ultimately the English produced wool that contained a greater quality, while the Scottish had pieces which were thick, and of a lesser quality. This built up the English economy, because the quality of their wool was more valued, they were getting better feedback.




Today, one might not value the importance of an item such as cloth. It has become a regular part of everyday life. However, without the trade and production of cloth, England in the 14th century might not have been able to bounce back from the condition they were in at the time. Cloth, and its market set a platform that allowed for expansion of the economy, jobs for the people of England, and a stronger establishment of trade with other countries.

9th Century Anglo-Saxon Swords

         Swords are a popular object that has played a role in battles as well as symbolism throughout a large part of history. Before the creation of advanced artillery like guns swords were the weapon of choice. In addition to being used in battle swords are also a symbol of strength and power. Part of the medieval knight's uniform was always a sword. Knights were looked up to and respected because they were protective and a figure of authority. A knight and a sword is a classic pairing which is why swords are viewed as a sacred item. Swords come in all different shapes and sizes and vary in what they look like from time period and place they are from. For example a sword from 11th century China would be very different form a sword form 8th century France. This blog's focus is on Anglo-Saxon swords from the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxons were people who lived in Great Britain beginning in the 5th century. These people were part of German tribes and moved into England. Swords were often very decorative especially on the handle and pommel. The pommel is the portion of the sword that separates the handle from the blade. These will often be made out of metal and have different designs carved into them. 9th century Anglo-Saxon swords can often be identified by the "silver-wire and niello technique" which was used to create designs on the metal. Pictured below is an actual Anglo-Saxon pommel from the 9th Century. This piece is on display at the Metropolitan Museum Of  Art in New York City. 

9th Century Anglo-Saxon Sword Pommel

         Anglo-Saxons in the 9th century used the pattern welding technique when creating the blades of their swords. Pattern welding is when metal rods are welded together and then carved down, the rods were twisted in different directions depending on what shape the maker wanted. Twisting the rods leaves an wavy pattern on the metal that can be seen after the blades have been worn down over hundreds of years. The reason the sword maker would use pattern welding is because twisting the rods helped to distribute strength and weakness equally throughout the whole blade. The Anglo-Saxon people also sharpened their blades differently than others around the world. Many other sword makers would make a large piece of metal in a somewhat general shape of the blade, for example a long skinny rectangle. They would then take this shape and sharpen it down a lot to created the desired blade. Doing it this way took of a large amount of metal while sharpening. The Anglo-Saxons did the opposite. They would start with a piece of metal that was very close to the shape of the blade they wanted. They would then sharpen the blade and only take off a very little amount of the metal.

         Although, swords are not used as much as they have been in the past they will continue to change in shape and design. Swords represent the people of their time and place of origin. And even though there are no more knights in shining armor the sword will continue to live on in its symbolism of power and strength.   

Medieval Maritime Culture as a Stage for Christian Faith

Medieval Maritime Culture as a Stage for Christian Faith

Imagery related to seafaring practices and ships in general was very prevalent in medieval England. As Christianity spread throughout the 6th and 7th centuries, English art, specifically literature and sculpting/metalwork, began to practically uniformly adhere to specific themes related to the Christian God and the teachings of Jesus. This tendency is best highlighted through two poems of the time, The Wanderer and The Seafarer, as well as the famous Sutton Hoo ship burial. The English were a seafaring people during the Middle Ages out of necessity. As a result, poems such as the two previously mentioned are ideal in terms of analyzing the apparent connection between ships, maritime culture, and faith in God. Such poems also highlight a certain connection between God and the physical environment. It seems as though the English viewed nature as a kind of echo of God's possible wrath. Furthermore, the Sutton Hoo burial seems to provide a very clear snapshot of the English transition from a pagan system of beliefs to a Christian one.

(http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth212/sutton_hoo.html)

The pair of spoons pictured above are engraved with the names "Saul" and Paul." These spoons bearing the names of two overtly Christian figures were found at the Sutton Hoo burial site alongside other far more pagan artifacts. This dichotomy is striking in that it indicates a true transitional period in English history. Sutton Hoo is also interesting as a site as a result of its apparently systematic, religious burial. The entire ship was buried along with very significant artifacts of the time and possibly even a body. This burial, along with most burials, seems to represent a kind of longing for a "return to nature." It seems as though the spiritual aspects of nature were often thought to be synonymous with the power of God in England during the Middle Ages. This linkage is very well expressed within both The Wanderer and The Seafarer.

While the Sutton Hoo burial site serves as an effective indicator of the period of transition from pagan to Christian, these poems provide some real insight as to how the English feared God and associated the wrath of nature with God's wrath in the Middle Ages. The Seafarer is specifically unique in terms of its portrayal of nature as a direct pathway to God. It seems as though the author believed that, just as human beings tend to fear nature, so too should they fear God. Similarly, The Wanderer also seems to be a purposeful warning related to a possible judgement day. It is almost as if the environment (the sea, specifically) serves as a message for the poem's central seafaring warrior. In both poems, however, God is portrayed as the only source of permanent stability. Prosperity and peace of mind are entirely dependent upon one's faith in the Christian God according to both The Seafarer and The Wanderer. 

The Sutton Hoo burial site seems to set the scene for what would ultimately become a widespread religious explosion that is very well depicted within The Seafarer and The Wanderer. This physical site, in conversation with the poems, serves as a clear indicator of a religious transformation in England. Ships also serve as figurative "prisons" in all three cases. The poems depict Englishmen who are at the mercy of nature (and God) while on their ships, and Sutton Hoo was buried with artifacts trapped within it. This representation of ships harkens back to God serving as a savior of mankind. It seems as though the prominence of maritime culture in England during the Middle Ages served as an ideal platform upon which religious figures of the day were able to spread their gospel.  

The Symbolism of the Wolf in England

         

           Literature was a powerful tool in Medieval England to share stories amongst a community about the nation’s historical past, present issues, and future predictions. In order for an author to grab the attention of the audience, a simpler story was told, where objects and animals represented different aspects of the nation. 

            Wolves were prevalent in England during the medieval era and the large population lead to hunting them down, Regan Walker describes. Wolf hounds became a popular prize to give others as royal gift, leading them to be a symbol of power and wealth. It was said that, as for wolves, they are neither recognized as beasts of the forest or of venery, and therefore if a person kills any of them, they will forever be out of all danger. 

            Wolves were also known to devour people and livestock, bringing upon fear to the nation, Tim Flight states. Wolves represented a tiny fraction of both domestic and wild animal. Wolves were rarely encounter in human settlements and prefer to live in uncultivated wilderness, and only live elsewhere out of necessity. The wolf’s role is common in literary and religious references, they appear to be an allegory of spiritual danger. Allegories such as this cemented a reputation for the wolf as the enemy of the nation, a danger both both the soul and earthly prosperity, yet there have yet to be proof that the wolf ever was a danger in Medieval England. This fear of the wolf may have been formed from the earlier references in the Bible, which was written in a nation more prone to attack. 

            Wolves are also described to not only define wilderness by their presence, but to actively maintain it by manifesting the opposition to man, according to Tim Flight. The wolf’s symbol influenced an Anglo- Saxon law, where people outlawed for committing a heinous crime were called wulfheafod, which translates to wolfs head. They could be killed lawfully by anyone without fear of retribution. 

            Folk tales were a widely practiced form of literature in Medieval England, where a wolf would take on a sinister and threatening persona, according to Lisa Jesse. Wolves become greater enemies of people, rather than a predator. The actions of the people in the fairy tales to hunt down the wolf is always violent, and it is socially acceptable call of action, it is portrayed as the right thing to do in order to get “revenge on the wolf”. Wolves have been consistently singled out as a villain in Medieval Literature, even though there is no valid reasoning behind this. 

            The wolf is a symbol of many things in Medieval England, but the one part that is in common with all perception of the wolf, is that the wolf should be killed, and the huntsman is a hero. Wolves have a history in English literature to be the bad guy, even though they are wild creatures who prefer being in solitaire.

Herbal Remedy for Disease in Medieval England

Source: Herbal Remedy

As disease was common in Medieval England, the Anglo-Saxons looked for ways to heal those with illnesses or diseases in which they used herbal remedies and poetic charms, known as the Nine Herbs Charm. The Anglo-Saxons created medical books in order to be able to quickly find remedies from certain plants in which would heal those with the disease -- this was the most effective use of healing as these texts were structured with a content list which cites the plant chapters and provides a list of symptoms that the specific plant supplies remedies for, as said by Linda E. Voigts.

It is brought up in question, though, by Voigts of the availability of plants discussed in these remedy books due to the impact of climate change and the commercial trade and exchange in Medieval England, but despite the fact that it has been implied that medieval medicine may have been theoretical it was said to be quite useful as “We have learned that early medieval medicine -- monastic, ecclesiastical, and in some instances, lay -- was pragmatic, empirical, and sometimes efficacious,” (Voigts, 254). Several different herbs served many purposes in terms of its use in medicine and the healing or treatment of diseases, where some were more widely-known in the medieval world depending on their healing and therapeutic purposes.

According to Jerry Stannard, there was more of a reliance placed on plants that had these therapeutic purposes and a large portion of medical care in this medieval time can be described as herbalistic. As many of these plants were used in rituals based off of their characteristics and symbolism, Stannard goes on to explain that “Even if a locally available plant lacked a traditional symbol, it could be invested with magical, indeed, miraculous properties by the appropriate ceremony,” (Stannard, 48). It is clear to see that the Anglo-Saxons heavily relied on these plants and their remedies to heal the sick or diseased as they even performed rituals and ceremonies by using ‘magic’ and giving the plant symbolism.

Anglo-Saxons created poetic charms as well, including magic language, which was a large part of their culture as these charms and words were used to heal disease and care for animals. The main idea, by connecting magic and medical science, was to treat diseases while much of the effort in healing diseases originated from this magic langage and the use of these texts. Paola Tornaghi said that in magic texts words becomes symbols where the speaker is able to manipulate reality and the spell represents that act of using these magic words to affect the reality.

It was believed that these words had more strength and power than words in normal text as well, supposedly having an instant effect the minute they were said. In addition to magic, witchery was a practice widespread among women as well in order for them to express themselves more freely. Through poetic charms and the magic language, it was believed that these words had a true effect on the healing of diseases.