Page 159 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

1936 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

The important thing is not what they think of me.
But what I think of them. • Queen Victoria
(1819–1901)

whom she loved.When she died at Osborne in 1901, the subsistence. Consequently, scholars have postulated that
world recognized it was the end of an era. a significant climatic change in northern Europe pro-
duced warmer temperatures, caused glacial recession, and
Dennis J. Mitchell
led to two significant environmental anomalies—one bio-
See also British Empire logical,the other social.The first was a decrease in the rate
of infant mortality, accompanied no doubt by a rise in the
male birth rate.The second was a burgeoning population
Further Reading of young males who could neither be assimilated fully into
Arnstein,W. L. (2003). Queen Victoria. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. economic life nor provided with sufficient means for sur-
De-la-Noy, M. (2003). Queen Victoria at home. New York: Carroll & Garf.
Duff, D. (Ed.). (1997). Queen Victoria’s highland journals. London: vival given prevailing inheritance customs.This perceived
Hamlyn. lack of resources no doubt fostered an atmosphere of des-
Strachey, L. (1921). Queen Victoria. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
Weintraub, S. (1987). Queen Victoria: An intimate biography. New York: peration that propelled the Vikings into Europe and the
Dutton. Atlantic in pursuit of conquest and profit.The derivation
of the word Viking is the Old Norse word vik, meaning
“inlet.”Thus, the name probably refers to theVikings’ pen-
chant for using bays, sounds, and gorges—ubiquitous
Viking Society along the Scandinavian coasts—as places from which to

stage attacks on seagoing vessels.
he Vikings appeared on history’s stage during the Feared for their martial prowess,Viking warriors were
Teighth century CE. In 793 CE a group of Viking equally adroit in military operations on sea and land.
marauders from Scandinavia besieged, captured, looted, They mastered the construction and sailing of the long-
and destroyed a Christian monastery on Lindisfarne, a ship, a durable vessel that could reach a maximum speed
small island located just off the northeastern coast of En- of 18.5 kilometers per hour and traverse 200 kilometers
gland.This was the first in a long series of military incur- in a typical day. It was of inestimable value to theVikings,
sions made by seafaring Scandinavian warriors. During given the quick-strike surprise tactics that were one of the
the next two centuries their quest for land and wealth cornerstones of their military strategy. In ground combat
would take them as far west as Ireland, Iceland, Green- the Vikings employed an impressive array of weapons,
land, and the northern tip of the New World. They including bronze swords, spears, javelins, battle-axes,
would make their presence known along the Atlantic knives, bows, arrows, shields, and body armor.The aver-
coasts of France, Portugal, and Spain. They would also age height of a Viking warrior was 1.72 meter, roughly
penetrate the interior of Europe via its network of rivers, .07 meter taller than most European males whom they
eventually reaching both Baghdad, Iraq, and Constan- would encounter on the battlefield.This physical advan-
tinople (Istanbul,Turkey). Paris,York, and Dublin would tage, along with their skill in psychological warfare, made
experience their fury.They would also establish footholds them a formidable force with which few could reckon.
at Novgorod and Kiev in Russia. They had even their own cadre of elite military personnel
Scholars do not know with any degree of certainty what —the Berserkers. Named for their unique attire (bear
elicited this wave of conflict. However, like other popular skins), these operatives appear to have used shamanic
migrations that have taken place throughout history, such techniques to alter their normal state of consciousness in
as those that occurred in the Mediterranean basin during preparation for combat. Byzantine rulers recognized the
the twelfth century BCE and in Europe during the fifth cen- prowess of Norse (Viking) warriors and utilized their serv-
tury CE, a common stimulus tends to be a gradual (or rad- ices in the Varangian Guard, a select unit that provided
ical) shift in weather patterns that alters the cycle of protection for the emperor.