Birth of the Scandinavian kingdoms and the Viking diaspora
No. At the beginning of the Viking period, the Scandinavian regions were organized into small kingdoms and chiefdoms which did not overlap with current countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden). From the second half of the 10th century, certain kings managed to begin a process of concentration of power and bring together the Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, gradually giving birth to three distinct and unified medieval kingdoms. The Vikings, for their part, by settling across the seas, near England, Normandy, present-day Russia and Ukraine and even in the North Atlantic (Iceland, Greenland, etc.) were at the forefront. origin of a diaspora phenomenon.
The Vikings adapted to the local political context of the conquered countries
However, they do not constitute a Viking kingdom or empire. Depending on the region, they adapt to the local political context. Rollo, the Viking leader who established himself in Normandy in the 10th century, took, for example, the title of count, and the territory under his authority formed an entity quite distinct from the other regions where the Vikings were settled.
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Ancient Viking route reveals hundreds of artifacts in Norway
Lucie Malbos is a historian, specializing in the medieval history of the Scandinavian world, lecturer in medieval history at the University of Poitiers. She has published The Viking World (ed. Tallandier, 2022) and a biography: Harald with Blue Tooth (ed. Passés Composés, 2022).
➤ Article published in the magazine GEO History n°75, Who the Vikings really were, from May-June 2024.
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