Why are vikings remembered as warriors when they were much better sailors and explorers?

Because the people who wrote about them were usually people they attacked.

These
if you look in to Russian / Greek / Arab writings about Vikings they tell quite a different story compared to western Latin Monks.

Vikings were scary as shit to coastal Europeans in the west because they tended to appear almost out of nowhere, take your shit and be gone before you could do anything. Ironically the monks who were so pissed and scared of Vikings helped create the myths and legends that still draw norseboos in to the "stronkest warriors ever" meme

Not to get political, but who is more memorable: Omar Mateen, or the cashier from Best Buy?

Because few Scandinavians were actually "vikings" and there were other things. "Viking" is pretty much a meme.

Because vikingr was a profession, not an ethnicity

Also they were probably not great warriors. Somewhere in flanders or somewhere they lost repeatedly to the franks. Mail and helmets were probably rare too since we only have like 1 found helmet (the classical nasal one), and most of them would use spears.

Dunno, then again all of the ulfbehrts were wielded by vikings

The Franks still payed Danegeld to them many times and ended up giving Normandy to them

Because their sailing and exploring had basically zero consequences for the rest of the world. Nobody but scholars should care about them travelling to the Americas, considering it didn't matter and nothing happened when they did.

On the other hand their niggering was remembered because nobody likes to get raided.

Did you expect them to go and burn scandinavia to stop the raids?

The term originates from the 19th century

"to go on viking." Was a saying and it basicly ment someone leaving home with the intent of comming back richer. This doesn't nessacry imply raiding tho, a merchant leaving would also be 'on viking'

Nah, Snorre used the word as a verb for raiding/warring/mercenary. IIRC he used it with Olaf II ("to go viking") before he returned to norway.

I could be wrong

Because they excelled at war alongside these other two features of their lifestyles. Being a Viking was a premise based on violence, and attaining goods through plunder. Heathen pirates of the North Sea, attacking oh so holy Christendom makes for good history. Try reading up on the Great Heathen Army, the Danelaw, and Knut the Great if you're interested. Furthermore with Ireland, the Battle of Clontarf, and the trading port cities like Dublin.

You're forgetting the Varangian guard. The term 'vikings' was not contemporary and is little more than a later construct. There were many different peoples under an umbrella you could call Scandinavian. Most were not raiders, but those that were left an impression.

>all of the ulfberhts were wielded by vikings
That's not true, Stephan I. of Hungary also wielded an Ulfberht in battle.

>tfw that farmer about to avenge his confessor with a pitchfork

Because they excelled at all three

That did actually happen. If the illustration is of Ireland (maybe given the round tower). "Monastic levies" were raised sometimes and defeated the Vikings twice.

Where can I read about this?

The term "viking" comes from the word "vik", meaning "Bay".

The original meaning of the word was someone who went out "doing the bay", e.g fishing, sailing, and trying to find new places to live.

The biggest reason for Viking expansion was that there wasn't enough arable land left for the whole population of Norway at that time, because most of the country's geography is mountains, and not flat country.

The Viking as warrior is a 19th century fiction, invented by nationalist romantics.

Donnchadh Ó Corráin wrote about it in The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings

>The biggest reason for Viking expansion was that there wasn't enough arable land left for the whole population of Norway at that time, because most of the country's geography is mountains, and not flat country.
Funny how virtually all of human history boils down to food. It's almost always about food.

Yeah, and it's also worth noting that any expansion stopped completely after the Black Death and the unification of Denmark-Norway.

I don't think that's a coincidence. When 1 in 4 people in your country die, suddenly there's a alot of arable land that's free.

meant for

>Viking as warrior is a 19th century fiction, invented by nationalist romantics.

What is the Knut the Great's North Sea Empire. What is all of the major port cities of Ireland. What is the Danelaw. What is Normandy's origin.

What an interesting connection, and one I've never made before. Great point.

Canute's mother was fucking polish so he was half slav mutt.

Yeah, but the noun "viking" i.e. a Norseman originates from the early 19th century, before that it was just Norsemen "going on a viking" meaning piracy and raiding settlements, the noun however also refers to any seafaring Norsemen such as traders, colonialists and raiders

Your point being?

That he's not a fucking viking.

They were so shit they couldn't deal with fucking levies?

such good explorers that they got btfo so hard by american natives that they forgot everything about the newlydiscovered land

because vikings are fucking brutal as fuck

His mother being a Pole has nothing to do with him not being a viking. He's not a viking because he was a king whose rule came after the Viking Age.

Remember that viking is just a job description.

Again these are basically farmers forming pirate bands because LOOT and maybe also climate/demographic issues.

>sacked Rome
>sacked Constantinopole
>sacked Paris
>conquered Russia
>conquered England
>conquered Normady

they were great warriors who never lost a battle it's mostly because of their unorthodox fighting style (using axes) and war like religion

You just spent the past few weeks on a boat without room to practice or train (except when you were rowing, but out at sea you're relying more on the sails anyways), and the constant salty sea air is more destructive to your kit than air on land with less time and space to keep it well maintained.

Once the Norsemen get established in an area (such as Dublin, the Danelaw, Normandy, etc.), but the raiders before then would have relied more on trying to get into wealthy areas without strong defences (monasteries and the like), because a land army of the local lords would be able to train and maintain equipment in ways a seaborne raider wouldn't be able to.

*Once the Norsemen get established in an area (such as Dublin, the Danelaw, Normandy, etc.), they were a strong army

Thanks for telling me that vikings were raiders I thought they were doctors.

Because they were also fearless warriors, something I'm sure the people of England remember more than them being explorers and pioneers

>show up
>sack
>runaway

Smart tactics, shit tactics. They weren't that good. Even bogniggers ended up pushing their shit in eventually.

>conquered Russia
>conquered England
>never lost a battle
what?

Delusion and misrepresentation of fact. Whoever wrote that is sincerely stupid.

>not hitting that Northern Barbarian with the fucking cross

>>conquered Russia
>>conquered England
These are correct though

mostly because of historical writings written by the people they raped.

...

...

...

...

...

...

>hrothgar we're going raiding
>k just let me get my chinese dragon puppet

That's a Roman standard