While the Christian records of Viking raids don’t paint a favorable view of the Scandinavians, they do help independently verify some events. Their western European raiding victims kept records better than other cultures thanks to the Christian monks, and there were fewer Swedish Vikings in England and other destinations in the region. Norsemen settled Iceland during the Viking Age, and the residents there went on to record and compose some of the most robust sagas, including some references to activities away from the island. The Norse Vikings suffered similar losses of historical information, but they received a few blessings to preserve their history. The Swedes had their own share of far-ranging adventures, but the culture of the Vikings and the anger towards them from conquered cultures resulted in much of their history being lost. When looking into the history of the Vikings, the overwhelming majority of the stories and information comes from the voyages and conquests of the Norsemen.

You may also be interested in: Did German Vikings Exist? Why are Norse Vikings more famous than Swedish Vikings? The Vikings did have early spats with the Islamic world in Moorish Spain, but they soon transitioned to a functional trade arrangement that left poignant insights into Viking culture within Islamic sources.

The name is a clear allusion to the nation of Kievan Rus’ without Byzantine influence. In other texts, like the writings of the Islamic scholars from the eastern regions, the Varangians were known as the Rusiyyah or Rus’.

Related: Vikings vs Romans: Who Was Stronger? The name would stick when Vikings were later hired to guard the Byzantine emperor, becoming the Varangian Guard. They earned the name ‘Varangians’ from the Byzantines, the Eastern Roman Empire that covered the area where the modern country of Turkey lies. However, the term “Varangians of Kievan Rus’” came from their forming a loose kingdom that stretched from the northern end of the continent to the Black Sea. The term “Vikings” was used both by themselves and many of those who became their raiding targets or trading partners. However, the primarily Swedish Vikings who went further east and south into the European continent were also known as the “Varangians of Kievan Rus’”. Who was the most famous Swedish Viking?įor the most part, Scandinavian raiders from Sweden as well as those from Norway, Denmark, and their colonies would have all been called “Vikings”.Why are Norse Vikings more famous than Swedish Vikings?.That said, with evidence of individuals who have become famous Swedish Vikings still available, we can certainly piece together at least some of the story. More artifacts are being discovered to this day, but whether or not the new finds will provide helpful information is uncertain. Vikings wrote on wood or stone, so their writings are limited or decayed. Since Norse Vikings tend to get so much attention, it’s important to take a focused look elsewhere for a complete view of the culture, including the mark that Swedish Vikings made in this Age.Īs with any study of a bygone era, there is only so much we can learn by studying artifacts or records. We also call the Vikings “Norsemen” in popular usage, but they were just as likely to come from the other portions of the Scandinavian peninsula, like Sweden. The Vikings were a group of seafaring voyagers that had their heyday between roughly 800 CE and 1050 CE.

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