Vikings Impact On Society

Through their actions and expansions, the Vikings had multiple profound short-term and long-term impacts on Europe. One major short-term impact of Viking expansion was the increase in violent raids and trading routes across the continent. A long-term impact of Viking expansion is the indentation of Norse mythology into today’s society. Another long-term ramification is their technological advances that provided the stepping stones for today’s intercultural technological practises. Through their colonisation and expansion across Europe, the Vikings proved to have multiple influences on the rest of the world. A major short-term impact of Viking expansion was the escalated surge in raiding and trading across Europe. The assault of an English
Viking expansion across the continent caused their faith to permeate into today’s society. Although the well-known mythological god Thor has become famed for his hammer-wielding, lightning power prowess, he first came into being through Norse sagas. An English manuscript ‘Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum’ by Adam of Bremen from 1073 states ‘In a temple, the people worship the statues of three gods… the mightiest of them, Thor, occupies a throne in the middle.’ His identifiable figure in modern society shows how Viking culture has impacted on our current society. The fact that we still recognise the figure of Thor today is significant as it reflects how the widespread expansion of Vikings across Europe helped filter their religion and mythology into other traditional cultures. The pervasion of Viking religion into European history is therefore a long-term impact of Viking
This technology has provided the stepping stones for numerous well-known machines across Europe and the world. The ships of Viking culture were well beyond their times and shows how progressive modern technology can be. Viking longships were often elaborately decorated and the woollen sails used a criss-cross pattern to help them withstand strong winds. The Vikings also preferred the ‘clinker’ technique of ship building, overlapping one plank over another around the hull. 5 Viking ships were discovered in Roskildefjord, known as the Skuldelev ships. These ships were deliberately sunk in 1070 ce to create a barrier against enemy ships. Excavated in 1962 all 5 ships are clinker built and show properties of world-class shipping technology. This example proves that although the Vikings first used the ‘clinker’ technique over a thousand years ago, we still use it today, showing how the Vikings have improved our knowledge of shipping technology. Viking expansion across Europe has therefore created a major long-term impact through seafaring