It happens, in the course of life, to develop a more or less strong interest in any subject, be it art, literature, history; something that maybe was born with us, that has always been present in our person, but that found the strength to emerge only later, a little by chance, a little out of curiosity. Finding themselves watching a television series focused on the events and myths of the Viking people was that "chance" that allowed thousands of viewers to discover the beauty of traditions so different from ours but equally suggestive.
Always known as intrepid and merciless warriors native to the territories of Scandinavia and Denmark, the Vikings were skilled navigators, skilled ship builders and astute traders. Not many know, however, that the Vikings were also poets and perfect storytellers, and that their sagas still continue to fascinate generations of readers today. It is from the vast area of woods and imposing mountains that overlook the North Sea (in the territories that today correspond to Sweden, Norway and Finland) and from these cold waters that the ancient people of the Normans decided to leave, moving away from the bays. The reasons that led them to abandon their lands for prolonged periods are many but can be traced back to two kinds of reasons: the most important is the climatic factor; in fact, during the seventh century, due to the melting of the glaciers, the harvest was abundant and the population grew dramatically. It was clear that there was not much room left for everyone. In the same period the builders made an important conquest, and here we come to the second of the reasons mentioned above. A new type of boat was designed extraordinarily fast for those times, and built in solid oak, which represented a real advance in nautical engineering, the "drakkar" (also called "Dragon ship"), which soon became a fearsome weapon of war. . The drakkar became the strong point of the Vikings; a boat, with the prow shaped in the shape of a dragon or snake, so fast and resistant to go up rivers and face the ocean. Thanks to these drakkar, the pagans from the northern lands managed to plunder and plunder England, a land that had always been protected by the sea. This is how the Viking era began, which induced the "dragon people" to push themselves throughout the West, also conquering Paris, the Russian steppe, the Roman Empire and the Africa of the Moors. No people were saved from the ferocity of their assaults, so much so that soon the whole of Europe had to succumb to the attacks of this mysterious people of the north.
Comments