Remember though, "Viking" was an activity [something like hunting or raiding] not a race of people.fisho mcspaz wrote:Vikings!
(Not the Happy Valley ones, the real ones)
It was undertaken by various Germanic tribes, Frisians, Angles, and Saxons in what is now northern Germany, Jutes and other groups from what became Denmark, and outlying settlements in the future Sweden and Norway. Generally those from the Danish region amalgamated first and swept south to Britain and Normandy, which those from Norway went around via Scotland to Ireland and the Lancashire region on the west coast of Britain. The future Swedes were than left with the inland route down the rivers into the future Russia and their descendants even ruled Antioch in "Palestine" until Raymond of Tolouse took over the title of Prince of Antioch during the First Crusade.
The remnants of Frisian written records are small, but are readable by anyone familiar with the old English of Chaucer's time.
The modern Anglo-Saxon title of "Earl" is derived from "Jarl", a title for a warrior leader, obtained by force of arms.
Most of eastern Britain from the north bank of the Thames to southern Scotland was under the "Danelaw" for a very long time so many of the English are of "Viking" descent - including me, though I have Celtic ancestry too...
