#Nordic warriors vs nordic spearman tv#

Harald gained wealth and notoriety as a skilled military commander before returning to his home of Scandinavia. He spent a short time in Kiev where he worked as a mercenary before arriving in Constantinople which was then part of the Byzantine Empire and serving as part of the Prestigious Varangian Guard. They were defeated in battle and after Olaf was killed Harald was banished. As a young man, no more than 15 years old, he fought alongside his half brother Olaf Haraldsson in the battle of Stiklestad.

His name translates from the old norse for 'hard ruler'. Harald Hardrada is widely considered to be the last of the Viking warrior kings of Scandinavia. Photo of church window of Harald - Colin Smith Denmark, Norway and parts of Sweden all became part of his great empire and Danish law lasted in England until his son Harthacnut died in 1042. His reign was one of peace and stability after years of seemingly endless battles. A few weeks later Edmund died and Cnut became ruler of all the country.

After Sveins death he won at the battle of Ashingdon and signed a treaty with Kind Edmund Ironside to give him power over part of England. He conquered England in 1013 with his father. The son of the great Danish king Svein Forkbeard, Cnut was the first danish king of England. His sons then lead the great heathen army in an invasion into England in order to avenge the death of their father. He was subsequently captured and killed by being thrown into a pit of vipers. He finally met his end when he attempted to invade England with just two ships and was shipwrecked on the coast. At one point he was offered 7,000 lbs of silver by a Frankish King Charles if he agreed not to attack Paris. Most of his life was spend raiding France and the East of England, where he frequently pillaged with hordes of men on Longships. He fathered many sons with different women, including Bjorn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Sigurd Snake-in-the-eye, and Ubbe Ragnarsson, Many of whom went on to be notorious Viking leaders in their own right.

#Nordic warriors vs nordic spearman tv#

Recently made popular in TV show 'Vikings' Ragnar Lothbrok has long been considered one of the most influential figures in Norse sagas. Ragnar and Aslaug picture - August Malmström When he was eventually captured and taken to the king it is said that he wrote a masterful poem, which impressed Erik so much that he decided to spare his life. However Egil was an accomplished warrior and showed his skill by defeating each and every man who was sent. Engraged, the king sent more men to try to kill Egil, including the king's own son. Most of his adult life was spent pillaging and plundering from his home in 10th century Iceland.Įgil began a long term feud when he killed a friend of King Erik Bloodaxe. He killed for the first time at the age of 7, when he ha d a quarrel with another boy and ended up murdering him with an axe. Many of his poems are considered to be amongst the finest to come out of ancient Scandinavia. Picture of Egil Skallagrimsson in holmgang against Berg-Önundr - Johannes FlintoeĮgil was a complex man, featuring in many Norse sagas he was noted as being prone to violent outbursts, yet also produced beautiful poetry.

His descendant, William of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror went on to become the first Norman king of England.

This was the start of the Norman peoples, who had a profound impact on European history. Rollo continued to grow in power and increased his influence in the region until his death in 928AD where he was succeeded by his son William Longsword. Part of the deal was that Rollo would help defend them from any future Viking raids. Claire-sur-Epte with the Frankish King Charles which gave Rollo and his men rights to settle in Normandy (Northman's Land). He is thought to have been born in either Norway or Denmark and began raids into France in the 9th century. The first Viking king of Normandy in northern France, Rollo was one of the few men who really left his mark on history. Statue of Rollo in Falaise Square - Wikimedia Commons Here are our top 10 picks for the most famous Viking Warriors you should know about: It is not surprising therefore that amongst the leaders of the Vikings there are some intriguing and unusual characters. The norsemen respected strength and bravery therefore being a viking leader was no easy task.įrom leading raids on the British Isles and Northern France to sailing into uncharted waters in some of the worlds most dangerous oceans, many of the Vikings exploits were not for the faint hearted. History remembers the Vikings as fierce warriors and pioneers who lead raids throughout northern Europe in the 9th and 10th Century AD.