Cruel, strong, hardy - the Vikings used weapons and tactics that made them fearful. The first attack on England occurred in 793. From that moment on, the Normans became the real horror of medieval Europe for many years.
Armament
But how did the Vikings manage to instill such fear in the hearts of opponents? Archaeological excavations have shown that the Normans used quite standard weapons - chain mail shirts for protection, long spears, double-edged swords and axes for attack. In principle, the same was included in the usual equipment of European warriors.
Demon reputation
Experts believe that the Vikings did not owe their reputation as invincible fighters to weapons. Armor has nothing to do with it either: unlike the medieval knights of Europe, the Normans used lighter chain mail. It was all different. Frostwolves won thanks to innovative (at the time) tactics and high morale.
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Connoisseurs of the sea
The Normans had to be good sailors. They carefully studied the sea currents, which gave them a strategic advantage. Andrew Nicholson, an archaeologist at the Scottish Council of Dumfries, argues that all of England feared surprise attacks. No one knew where to expect an attack. Navigational skills allowed the Normans to strike quickly at a distant village, and the next day to appear on the other side.
Fast wolves
By the time the local lord received news of the attack, gathered an army and moved to defend the settlement or monastery, Norwegian ships with crews drunk with booty and blood had long gone to sea. The unlucky landlord could only extinguish the fire, and look in the folds of the area for the lucky ones who were not taken prisoner and not betrayed to the sword on the spot.
Common warriors
In fact, the Normans were not invincible fighters at all. Under equal conditions with a well-trained enemy, they could lose the battle. According to modern data, the conquest of England under King Ethelred the Indecisive could have been choked up at the very beginning - the English Earl Birtnot gave the Vikings a stern rebuff. If the Jarl had been supported by the troops of other lords, the Normans would not have been able to reach London itself.
One ship, one crew
But even when luck turned against them, the northern warriors stood to the last. They simply had nowhere to retreat, and the team's cohesion helped to keep morale high. Large Viking armies were formed into crews of ships - usually, it was a group of several dozen people from the same village. They spent the whole summer shoulder to shoulder on the same ship and were ready to protect their brother to the last drop of blood.
It's not scary to die
As a result, the Vikings entered the battle with confidence, knowing for sure that a teammate would always look after their backs. Religion also played an important role: a soldier who fell in battle received a place in Valhalla, where he feasted for his own pleasure and fought with enemies until the onset of Ragnarok.
Cowards don't belong here
The same social pressures kept the Vikings from escaping during combat. Cowardice in battle is an indelible shame. He will follow the warrior to his homeland, where everyone will know that he threw down his shield and fled. Such a person, and indeed his entire family, no longer had a future.
Money rules the show
All of the above does not mean at all that the Vikings were possessed killers, ready to do anything for one purpose - to destroy the enemy. Quite the opposite, Norwegian sailors preferred to choose easy targets. Isolated monasteries, remote villages: in such places the risk of dying was low, but the chance of becoming rich is high. The Normans did not show any chivalry - if an ambush or deception helped to achieve the goal, they used these tricks. The raids were not for murder and glory. The Vikings were looking for wealth.
Berserkers
For a long time, the existence of berserkers has been questioned by serious historians. But now it has been possible to prove that such warriors really were. The sagas tell of a brotherhood of undaunted fighters who stuck together and terrified the enemy with the custom of fighting with both hands, throwing back the shield. Most likely, we are talking about the so-called Jomsvikings, who plundered the English coast under the flag of Stirbjorn the Undaunted.