Vikings

The Viking people inhabited the present day Scandinavia between the 9th and 11th Centuries, best known for their merciless raids on Europe's coasts through the Middle Ages. During the time, there were three major groups. The Danes invaded England, the Norwegians attacked Scotland, Ireland, and other western kingdoms, and the Swedes invaded parts of Russia. However, all are referred to as Vikings, and all had the same roots and a similar cultural identity, rooted in the ancient Paleo-Nordic and Aesir cultures, during the period.

While the Vikings only existed for a short period of time, their roots are ancient. During the Hyborian Age, an ethnic group known as the Aesir lived in a nation known as Asgard, part of the greater region of Nordheim. Both before and after the Great Flood, Ymir, a massive frost giant, ruled over the region with an iron fist, and the Aesir - forming loose tribal communities - could do little to combat him. However, for his own reasons, Ymir moved south, giving the Aesir a perfect opportunity to organize. Odin became the Asgardian leader, and led his people to war with the frost giants, eventually slaying Ymir himself. Some giants, however, survived for many years after the defeat of their lord, such as Folstag; Folstag, however, would eventually reform, becoming a respected king. After the death of the frost giant, Odin crafted a new realm, known as "Midgard," for his people, from his body - by some accounts, literally.

Odin himself is a figure of great interest among the Norse Pantheon - as the Aesir became known - as is his son, Thor. For many years, the father and son both ruled over Midgard and its people - known to modern scientists as the "Paleo-Nordics," the ethnic and cultural precursor to the Vikings, creating political alliances with nearby tribes, such as the Dwarves, and protecting his nation from invasions. The greatest event in his period is generally considered the Atlantean Invasion of 1117 BC; along with Greek and Egyptian deities, Odin's soldiers were able to thwart Kastor's plans. However, over time, Odin chose to remain in Asgard for longer and longer periods, and few of the Aesir continued to interact with the people of Earth.One major exception is Loki, the God of Mischief. As a shapeshifter and a trickster, he committed countless transgressions against the gods and against the humans, to a point where he was exiled and chained outside of Asgard. The rivalry between himself and his half-brother Thor burns to this day - Loki's "children," such as the serpent Jörmungandr, are major threats to mankind and are constantly thwarted by the Thunder God. However, many others would do battle with these great beings; Bjarni Ericsson was once able to defeat Jörnmungandr, and while Thor's hammer was in repair, a clan of dwarves called the Diggles went to battle with Fenris.

Over time, as the continents shifted, Midgard devolved again into tribal warfare, as Odin, partially blinded by Loki, began to rule more loosely. Many became disenchanted with their gods, who ruled from afar. Valhalla, not Asgard, became the final destination the people of Midgard desired. Warriors who died in battle would generally be brought to Valhalla by Valkyries, where they would prepare for Ragnarök, the inevitable apocalypse. It is described as a massive dining hall with endless food and drink, where not only those that died in combat but kings and warlords awaited the end of days. Valkyries, more than just guides, were fierce winged warriors, far removed from their angelic cousins. Due to this, the Viking warriors, when their era arrived, were more than prepared for death, even welcoming it, so long as they knew Valhalla awaited.

Now known as Scandinavia, a splintered Midgard began to reunite during the 5th Century. Norway, a region first settled by the Goddess Gefjon, was a region of minor kingdoms and city states long before the era of the Vikings hardly an empire at all. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the start of the Iron Age, legendary heroes such as Sigurd came into control of larger kingdoms and greater power. Beowulf, king of the Geats, made landmark progress in diplomacy throughout the region, aiding Hroðgar, king of Demark, in his battles with the beast Grendel, without request, years before his kingship. Soon after, he helped to slay the beast's mother, descended from the ancient evil of Cain. The two countries pledged fealty to each other, and Beowulf would help lead his nation into a new period of prosperity, lasting for decades. However, in his old age, Geatland was attacked by a large dragon, and Beowulf was killed in the battle- this battle sparking a tradition of ritualistic dragon warfare amongst viking groups. Wiglaf, his close friend, was chosen as a successor, but the Golden Age of the Geats had ended.

However, this eventually lead to the unification of Norway, encompassing the southern tip of Scandinavia, the majority of the peninsula's coast, and the entirety of Denmark. Many believe it was this unification that led to the formation of what most consider the "Viking Life" simple boredom, due to a lack of warfare, caused warriors to take to the sea. At the end of the 8th Century the first sackings began on the coast of Britain, after which a regular system of raids occurred up and down the coast of England. However, these raids often led to confusion among the heirs. One Viking King, Ragnar, had two sons, Einar, a legitimate heir, and Erik, an illicit child between himself and a Northumbrian queen. A lifelong feud ensued over which was to rule over his kingdom. Such problems were not uncommon in most societies; with the cutthroat lifestyle of the Viking, monarchies could collapse under the weight of a sibling rivalry.

Northumbria became the center of Viking society on the British Isles, but control would quickly expand further north, into Scotland, along with smaller footholds in northern France and eastern Ireland. Land was divided between various warrior tribes and kings without land of their own, such as Sven the Returned and his claim of the Orkney Islands, eventually leading to the entire conquest of England during the 11th Century. This control was short lived, however, as the Normans then invaded and took the country for themselves. Most Vikings in Scotland and Ireland settled down, intermingling with the native populations, and becoming absorbed into the population, though Norwegian leaders would continue to invade for many years. France was another large target of Viking raids; though they never exerted as much control as they did in England, attacks up and down the country's rivers took a massive toll on the various kingdoms of the region.

Arguably, among the greatest accomplishments of the Vikings - in particular, Eric the Red and his son, Bjarni Ericsson - was their discovery of the New World, along with Iceland and Greenland, both of which were heavily colonized by the travelers. Bjarni, in his time, explored the American coast from Vinland to the Yucatan Peninsula in search of "sun shards." In Newfoundland, however, settlements were sparse, and conflicts were common with the native tribes. Many natives were killed in battle, while others were hanged as a sacrifice to Odin, acts which obviously infuriated the Native Americans. The native tribes killed a majority of the settlers, with such native leaders such as "Ghost," a Viking child adopted by the People of the Dawn. Nevertheless, these discoveries were major ones, and eventually helped lead to the era of colonization, and travellers would find fame and fortune on their return. Bjarni, after his exploits in America, became famous for repelling the legendary snake Jörmungandr along with the Frankish Knight Sigurd, the Saracen Hadshi, and the Byzantine Amazon Cyra.

Viking society had a number of leaders in its time, each with their own kingdoms, and each leading their own crews and bands; from the smart and young Vicky the Viking and his father Halvar to the pudgy Hägar the Horrible, to the legendary Harald Bluetooth to Ragnar Lodbrok. Ragnar, a descendant of Odin himself, was both a king and a warrior, ruling over all of Sweden and Denmark at one point in his life. He reveled in battle and was a conqueror of great renown, at one point killing eight barons at the mouth of the Danube - one of his many victories in mainland Europe. Despite such powerful leaders, infighting was common between rival bands, such as the Tarn Vikings and the Dreadguls, and an endless life of battle was help deep within the heart of Viking culture - the never-ending battle between Hedin and Högni is a staple of Viking lore.

But the hard life of battle took a toll on even the hardiest of warriors - despite their militaristic nature, the Vikings also became shrewd traders and even engaged in limited Diplomacy was established. Arabia sent an ambassador by the name of Ahmad ibn Fadlan to one group of Vikings, whom he aided in the defeat of the Wendols, a holdover of ancient Neanderthal tribes with some relationship to the legendary Grendel. In addition, during the 10th Century, the Vikings went through a religious revival. This period introduced Christianity to Scandinavia, and, thanks to King Olaf, it became the major faith of the country, ironic, as Olaf reclaimed his kingdom thanks to the help of Thor himself.

By the 12th Century, the age of the Vikings had ended, and the many tribes settled down into cities, colonies, or kingdoms, either of their own creation or of their neighbors. Many converted to Christianity, letting their old beliefs slowly die off. The Norse kingdoms continued to grow, and though the Vikings never formed a true empire, their reach and influence were massive; spanning four continents and hundreds of years. Lost Viking groups were discovered as late as 1907 and as far away as Ellesmere Island, Canada. In the modern world, Asgard has again become a major world force and not simply through sacrifice and religion. Thor, son of Odin, acts as a hero on Earth, and Loki, long since free of his bondage, is a constant thorn in the God's side and in mankind's. Despite the brevity of their time at sea, the reputation remains, and the legacy of the Vikings is unmistakable.