4.24 Europe: a.d. 1001 to 1100  (Page 11/11)

Recent excavations in Denmark have revealed three distinct types of vessels:

( 1) A classic Viking Man-of -war, 90 feet long, carrying 40 to 50 oarsmen and capable of long distance travel. This was undoubtedly the type of vessel used to attack Britain.

(2) A smaller war-ship with only 24 oarsmen.

(3) Domestic deep-sea traders and light fishing boats.

All of these findings would confirm the two types of Viking themes; peaceful and far flung trade and raiding. (Ref. 43 )

Finland

The still pagan Finns worshiped Ukko, the air god; Tapio, the forest god; and Ahti, the water god.

Overseas scandinavian centers

After Iceland had become Christian in 1000 by vote of the Allthing, it was given its own bishopric at Skalholt in 1054. (Ref. 66 ) Also see NORTH AMERICA, this chapter. Additional Notes

Eastern europe

Southern baltic area

In this and the next century Danes and Swedes tried to Christianize Estonia, without success. Pomerania, on the Baltic Coast, although under Poland from about 980 to 1031, thereafter became dependent to Denmark. South of this Boleslav I created the Polish state and then expanded farther south to take Prague in 1033 and make himself Duke of Bohemia shortly thereafter. Bretislav I followed in 1034 and Boleslav II was a great ruler from 1058 to 1079, conquering upper Slovakia and even putting a relative on the Russian throne at Kiev. His own nobles eventually drove him from the Polish throne after he had Bishop Stanilas murdered and had been excommunicated by the pope. Nevertheless, at its peak Poland extended from the Baltic to the Danube and from the Elbe to the Bug, with Russia as a vassal state. (Ref. 61 , 49 , 222 )

Russia

By 1028 there was a revitalization of an Alani people living first south of the Patzinaks and then later south of the conquering Cumans in the Caucasus. (Ref. 137 ) The Cumans, as noted previously, were part of the Ghuzz

In spite of the fact that the extreme south of Russia was held by the semi-barbarous tribes just mentioned, plus some Bulgars and Khazars, the Kievan state reached its zenith at this time with the absorption of the previous Scandinavian invaders and domination of both Slavic blood and speech. Even so, the Kievan Prince Yaroslav married the daughter of the king of Sweden and gave hospitality to the exiled king of Norway. The social organization was aristocratic, the Russian church powerful. After 1054 Russia had to choose in the religious quarrel between Rome and Constantinople and went with the Greek Orthodox Church. In that same year, however, the last powerful ruler of Kiev died and power fell to the Cuman Turks and the Orthodox world became divided in two. Almost all of the Russian princes had been defeated by these migrating Turks, speaking an east Turkic language, who had crossed into the Russian steppe at about 1060. Even though Kiev, itself, was controlled by Poland's Boleslav II after 1067, the Cumans sacked that city in 1093. (Ref. 8 , 137 )

Farther north, the principalities of Novgorod, Polotsk, Smolensk and Susdal survived and just to the east of the latter, there still remained the Volga Bulgars. There was still not a united country which might be called "Russia". Much of the area was productive, however, and tallow, honey and wax were exported. (Ref. 137 )

Forward to Europe: A.D. 1101 to 1200