Gepgraphy Of Viking!!!

  There are various theories concerning the causes of the Viking invasions. For people living along the coast, it would seem natural to seek new land by the sea. Another reason was that during this period England, Wales and Ireland, which were divided into many different warring kingdoms, were in internal disarray and became easy prey. The Franks, however, had well-defended coasts and heavily fortified ports and harbours. Pure thirst for adventure may also have been a factor. A reason for the raids is believed by some to be over-population caused by technological advances, such as the use of iron. Although another cause could well have been pressure caused by the Frankish expansion to the south of Scandinavia and their subsequent attacks upon the Viking peoples. Another possible contributing factor is that Harald I of Norway ("Harald Fairhair") had united Norway around this time, and the bulk of the Vikings were displaced warriors who had been driven out of his kingdom and who had nowhere to go. Consequently, these Vikings became raiders, in search of subsistence and bases to launch counter-raids against Harald. One theory that has been suggested is that the Vikings would plant crops after the winter and go raiding as soon as the ice melted on the sea, then returned home with their loot, in time to harvest the crops.

A News About Viking: ASIO sued over Oceanic Viking security assessments

STEPHEN LONG: Australia's spy agency ASIO is being challenged in the Federal Court over the ongoing detention of Sri Lankan refugees.

Three Sri Lankans were rescued by the Oceanic Viking in 2009 and they've been in detention for more than a year.

And even though they've been found to be refugees, they're being refused entry to Australia because ASIO considers them a security risk.

Shane McLeod.

SHANE MCLEOD: They've been found to be refugees but Australia is refusing to resettle the three Tamil asylum seekers and their families because of adverse security assessments prepared by the security agency ASIO.

Lawyer is Stephen Blanks is acting for the refugees.

STEPHEN BLANKS: If there's no review of the security assessments, these people will spend the rest of their lives in immigration detention - including their children - and that is just unacceptable.

SHANE MCLEOD: The three are among 79 people rescued in October 2009 off Indonesia by the Australian customs vessel, the Oceanic Viking.

The group spent weeks on board the ship in the port of Merak, refusing to disembark unless they were promised they'd be resettled.

Some were denied access to Australia because of adverse ASIO assessments.

Stephen Blanks say those assessments should be open for challenge.

STEPHEN BLANKS: We don't know the precise reasons the adverse security assessments have been issued. All we know is that ASIO has assessed these people to be a risk for Australi- a risk to security, not even Australian security.

It's a legal question as to whether or not we're allowed to challenge that decision.

SHANE MCLEOD: Stephen Blanks is representing one woman and two men.

The woman is being detained with her family at Villawood in Sydney, while the two men remain on Christmas Island.

Under the ASIO Act Australian citizens, permanent residents and even holders of special purpose visas are normally entitled to have an ASIO security assessment reviewed if the consequence of that assessment is to have some sort of administrative action taken against them.

The three Sri Lankans don't have visas at the moment. That's why they're in immigration detention.

But for about a week in late December 2009 they did have special purpose visas. That enabled Australia to move them from Indonesia to Christmas Island. Those visas expired shortly after they touched down.

Stephen Blanks says the refugees are entitled to know what's in the ASIO assessments

STEPHEN BLANKS: We're confident that if a proper appraisal of their security is made, that these people will not be found to be security threats.

For example, the woman's mother and brother were on the Oceanic Viking and they've been resettled successfully in Australia. Her husband has family members who have been in Australia for 20 years and more.

There is nothing in what they tell me that makes them any different from the people who have successfully settled in Australia.

SHANE MCLEOD: Because the case in before the courts, ASIO declined to comment for PM this evening.

A spokesman for the Attorney-General said he would not be commenting on the case for the same reason.

However, the spokesman said, consistent with the standard appeals process, any individual subject to an adverse security assessment is able to apply to the Federal Court and the High Court for a judicial review.

The three Tamil refugees’ approach to the Federal Court begins next month.

Where I found the News, and you just go to http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3117603.htm and you can read the whole story!!!

The Song Of Viking!!!

  Lowa City: The Windhover Press, 1968. Gilt boards. A couple faint smudges to boards, but near fine, internally quite fine. First edition. One of 450 copies printed in Bembo type on Rives paper by Kim Merker and associates. Decorations by Mary Ellen McFadden. B&M B110.

Völuspá-The Song of the Sybil

Heidi men call me when their homes I visit,
A far seeing Volva, wise in talismans.
Caster of spells, cunning in magic.
To wicked women welcome always.
Arm rings and necklaces, Odhinn you gave me
To learn my lore, to learn my magic:
Wider and wider through all worlds I see.
Outside I sat by myself when you came,
Terror of the gods, and gazed in my eyes.
What do you ask of me? Why tempt me?
Odhinn, I know where your eye is concealed,
Hidden away in the well of Mimir:
Mimir each morning his mead drinks
From Valfather's pledge. Well would you know more?
Of Heimdal too and his horn I know.
Hidden under the holy tree
Down on it pours a precious stream from Valfather's pledge
Well would you know more?
Silence I ask of the sacred folk,
Silence of the kith and kin of Heimdal:
At your will Valfather, I shall well relate
The old songs of men I remember best.
I tell of giants from times forgotten.
Those who fed me in former days:
Nine worlds I can reckon, nine roots of the tree.
The wonderful ash, way under the ground
When Ymir lived long ago
Was no sand or sea, no surging waves.
Nowhere was there earth nor heaven above.
Bur a grinning gap and grass nowhere.
The sons of Bur then built up the lands.
Moulded in magnificence middle-Earth:
Sun stared from the south on the stones of their hall,
From the ground there sprouted green leeks.
Sun turned from the south, sister of Moon,
Her right arm rested on the rim of Heaven;
She had no inkling where her hall was,
Nor Moon a notion of what might he had,
The planets knew not where their places were.
The high gods gathered in council
In their hall of judgement. all the rulers:
To Night and to Nightfall their names gave,
The Morning they named and the Mid-Day,
Mid-Winter, Mid-Summer, for the assigning of years.
At Ida's Field the Aesir met:
Temple and altar they timbered and raised,
Set up a forge to smithy treasures,
Tongs they fashioned and tools wrought;
Played chess in the court and cheerful were;
Gold they lacked not, the gleaming metal
Then came three, the Thurs maidens,
Rejoicing in their strength, from Giant-home.
The high Gods gathered in council.
In their hall of judgement: Who of the dwarves
Should mould man by master craft
From Brimir's blood and Blain' s limbs?
Motsognir was their mighty ruler,
Greatest of dwarves, and Durin after him :
The dwarves did as Durin directed,
Many man forms made from the earth.
Nyi and Nidi, Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri, Althjof, Dvalin, Bivor,
Bavor Bombur, Nori, An and Anar, Ai, Mjodvitnir, Veignr and Gandalf,
Vindalf, Thorin, Thror and Thrain, Thekkur, Litur, Vitur, Nar and Nyradur,
Fili, Kili, Fundin, Nali Hefti, Vili, Hanar, Sviur, Billing, Bruni, Bildur,
and Buri, Frar, Hornbori Fraegur, Loni, Aurvangur, Jari, Eikinskjaldi:
(All Durin's folk I have duly named,)
I must tell of the dwarves in Dvalin' s host;
Like lions they were in Lofar's time:
In Juravale's marsh they made their dwelling,
From their Stone hall set out on journeys,
There was Draupnir and Dolgthrasir, Har, Haugspori, Hlevangur, Gloi, Dori,
Ori, Dufur, Andvari, Skirvir, Virvir Skafidur, Ai, Alf and Yngvi,
Eikinskjaldi, Fjalar and Frosti, Finn and Ginnar: Men will remember while
men live
The long line of Lofar's forbears.
Then from the host three came,
Great, merciful, from the God's home:
Ash and Elm on earth they found,
Faint, feeble, with no fate assigned them
Breath they had not, nor blood nor senses,
Nor language possessed, nor life-hue:
Odhinn gave them breath, Haenir senses,
Blood and life hue Lothur gave.
I know an ash tree, named Yggdrasil:
Sparkling showers are shed on its leaves
That drip dew, into the dales below,
By Urd's well it waves evergreen,
Stands over that still pool,
Near it a bower whence now there come
The Fate Maidens, first Urd,
Then Verdandi, the second
Skuld ,third of the Norns: scorer of runes,
The laws that determine the lives of men
They fixed forever and their fate sealed.
The first war in the world I well remember,
When Gullveig was spitted on spear-points
And burned in the hall of. the high god:
Thrice burned, thrice reborn,
Often laid low, she lives yet,
The gods hastened to their hall of judgement,
Sat in council to discover who
Had tainted all the air with corruption
And Odhinn's maid offered to the giants,
At the host Odhinn hurled his spear
In the first world-battle; broken was the plankwall
Of the gods fortress: the fierce Vanes
Caused war to occur in the fields.
The gods hastened to their hall of judgement,
Sat in council to discover who
Had tainted all the air with corruption
And Odhinn's maid offered to the giants.
One Thorr felled in his fierce rage;
Seldom he sits when of such he hears:
Oaths were broken, binding vows,
Solemn agreements sworn between them.
Valkyries I saw, coming from afar,
Eagerly riding to aid the Goths;
Skuld bore one shield, Skogul another
Gunn, Hild, Gondul and Spearskogul:
Duly have I named the daughters of Odhinn,
The valiant riders the Valkyries.
Baldur I saw the bleeding God,
His fate still hidden, Odhinn's Son:
Tall on the plain a plant grew,
A slender marvel, the mistletoe.
From that fair shrub, shot by Hodur,
Flew the fatal dart that felled the god, .
But Baldur' s brother was born soon after:
Though one night old, Odhinn's Son
Took a vow to avenge that death.
His hands he washed not nor his hair combed .
Till Baldur's bane was borne to the pyre:,
Deadly the bow drawn by Vali,
The strong string of stretched gut,
But Frigga wept in Fensalir
For the woe of Valhalla. Well, would you know more?
I see one in bonds by the boiling springs;
Like Loki he looks, loathsome to view:
There Sigyn sits, sad by her husband,
In woe by her man. Well would you know more?
From the east through Venom Valley runs
Over jagged rocks the River Gruesome.
North, in Darkdale, stands the dwelling place
Of Sindri's kin, covered with gold;
A hall also in Everfrost,
The banquet hall of Brimir the giant.
A third I see, that no sunlight reaches,
On Dead Man's Shore: the doors face northward,
Through its smoke vent venom drips,
Serpent skins enskein that hall.
Men wade there tormented by the stream,
Vile murderers, men forsworn
And artful seducers of other mens wives:
Nidhogg sucks blood from the bodies of the dead
The wolf rends them. Well, would you know more?
In the east dwells a crone, in Ironwood:
The brood of Fenris are bred there
Wolf-monsters, one of whom
Eventually shall devour the sun.
The giants watchman, joyful Eggthur
Sits on his howe and harps well:
The red cock, called All-Knower
Boldly crows from Birdwood.
Goldencomb to the gods crows
Who wakes the warriors in Valhalla:
A soot red hen also calls
From Hel's hall, deep under the ground.
Loud howls Garm before Gnipahellir,
Bursting his fetters, Fenris runs:
Further in the future afar I behold
The twilight of the gods who gave victory.
Brother shall strike brother and both fall,
Sisters' sons defiled with incest;
Evil be on earth, an age of. whoredom,
Of sharp sword-play and shields clashing,
A wind-age, a wolf-age till the world ruins:
No man to another shall mercy show.
The waters are troubled, the waves surge up:
Announcing now the knell of Fate,
Heimdal winds his horn aloft,
On Hel's road all men tremble
Yggdrasil trembles, the towering ash
Groans in woe; the wolf is loose:
Odhinn speaks with the head of Mimir
Before he is swallowed by Surt's kin.
From the east drives Hrym, lifts up his shield
The squamous serpent squirms with rage
The great worm with the waves contending
The pale-beaked eagle pecks at the dead,
Shouting for joy: the ship Naglfar
Sails out from the east, at its helm Loki
With the children of darkness, the doom-bringers
Offspring of monsters, allies of the wolf,
All who Byleists's brother follow.
What of the gods? What of the elves?
Gianthome groans the gods are in council
The dwarves grieve before their door of stone,
Masters of walls. Well, would you know more?
Surt with the bane of branches comes
From the south, on his sword the sun of the Valgods,
Crags topple, the crone falls headlong,
Men tread Hel's road, the Heavens split open.
A further woe falls upon Hlin
As Odhinn comes forth to fight the wolf;
The killer of Beli battles with Surt:
Now shall fall Frigga's beloved.
Now valiant comes Valfather's son,
Vidar, to vie with Valdyr in battle,
Plunges his sword into he son of Hvedrung,
Avenging his father with a fell thrust.
Now the son of Hlodyn and Odhinn comes
To fight with Fenris; fiercest of warriors
He mauls in his rage all Middle-Earth;
Men in fear all flee their homesteads;
Nine paces back steps Bur's son
Retreats from the worm of taunts unafraid.
Now death is the portion of doomed men,
Red with blood the buildings of gods,
The sun turns black in the summer after,
Winds whine. Well, would know more?
Earth sinks in the sea, the sun turns black,
Cast down from Heaven are the hot stars,
Fumes reek, into flames burst,
The sky itself is scorched with fire.
I see Earth rising a second time
Out of the foam, fair and green;
Down from the fells fish to capture,
Wings the eagle; waters flow.
At lda's Field the Aesir meet:
They remember the worm of Middle-Earth,
Ponder again the great twilight
And the ancient runes of the high god
Boards shall be found of a beauty to wonder at,
Boards of gold in the grass long after,
The chess boards they owned in the olden days,
Unsown acres shall harvests bear,
Evil be abolished, Baldur return
And Hropt's hall with Hod rebuild,
Wise gods. Well, would you know more?
Haenir shall wield the wand of prophecy,
The sons two brothers set up their dwelling
In wide Windhome. Well, would you know more?
Fairer than sunlight, I see a hall
A hall thatched with gold in Gimle:
Kind Lords shall live there in delight for ever.
Now rides the Strong One to Rainbow Door,
Powerful from heaven, the All-Ruler:
From the depths below a drake comes flying
The dark dragon from Darkfell,
Bears on his pinions the bodies of men,
Soars overhead I sink now

What Did Vikings Eat During Medieval Times?

  Vikings ate two main meals a day, one of which usually consisted of some kind of meal or porridge. The mainstay of everyday eating was the big kettle of stew (or skause- a Norse word!) containing whatever vegetables and meat were available, and added to day by day. Food was a vital part of domestic life, and the evening meal was the focus for conversation, games, music, and storytelling. In an age where inns were virtually unknown, it was considered a matter of honour to practice hospitality - you never knew when a member of your family would need the hospitality of strangers in their turn. The kind of food we eat today would be a bit fancy for everyday Viking use, but most people who cook authentically understandably want something that looks more inviting and interesting than the interminable grey stew.

Bread

Bread was made in great quantity and variety, both flat and risen. It's uncertain if the Vikings had cultivated yeast as we know it, but they certainly made use of wild yeasts, raising agents such as buttermilk and sour milk, and the leftover yeast from brewing. They also used the 'sourdough' method, where a flour and water starter is left for several days to ferment. The most commonly grown cereal crops were oats, rye, and barley, but wheat was also widely used. Flour was also made from nuts (including acorns) or pulses (peas and beans), and even from tree bark. The inner layer of Birch bark, dried and ground, produces a flour with a sweet flavour and is highly nutritious. Bread could be flavoured with nuts, seeds, herbs, or cheese (yes, pizza is authentic!); or used to enclose fish or meat for baking it to succulent tenderness.

Dairy Products

In the Viking age, as in Scandinavia today, dairy products formed an important part of the diet. Whole milk was rarely drunk (probably because it was too valuable a commodity when made into butter), but buttermilk and whey were popular, as were curds, butter, and cheese. Cheese and butter could be eaten fresh (a rare springtime treat), but were more commonly salted and fermented, to keep over the winter. Milk came not only from cows, but also from sheep, goats, and horses. It was a seasonal product, only available in the spring when the female animals were lactating.

Eggs

These came from chickens, geese, ducks, and all manner of wild birds. Gull's eggs were considered a particular delicacy, and were collected from the clifftops during the spring months. Don't be tempted to collect wild bird's eggs- all British birds are now protected, and taking their eggs is a criminal offence.

Meat

Meat was available at all levels of society; even poorer folk managed the occasional bit of game or preserved meat. The most common meat animal seems to have been pigs (they breed easily and mature quickly), but sheep, goats, cows and horses were kept both for meat and milk. Horsemeat was forbidden to Christians, and was one of the grounds on which the Church vilified the Vikings. Domestic animals were slaughtered in November (known as Bloodmonth), to avoid having to feed them over the winter, and then preserved by various methods (see below). Game animals included hare, boar, wild birds, squirrel, deer; and, in the far north, reindeer, seal, and polar bear.

Fish

Freshwater fish such as salmon, trout and eels were widely eaten (see intro paragraph). In coastal areas there were shellfish and herring, and deep-sea fish such as cod from the rich fishing grounds off the north coast of Norway and Finland. There is evidence for a highly-developed trade in cod and herring in Norway during the Viking period.
Fish (and meat) were eaten fresh, salted, pickled, smoked (see the Norway Gallery for a picture of fish smoking over a cook fire), or dried. Herrings were hung out on large frames to dry in the cold wind. This is still a common sight in Norway today. Dried herrings were eaten like biscuits, spread with butter. Fish could also be fermented or preserved in whey. If the idea of fermented fish revolts you, consider what that old favourite Worcester Sauce is made of!

Vegetables and fruit

Some of the common vegetables we take for granted were unknown to the Vikings; potatoes being an obvious example. Others include orange carrots (Dark Age ones were white, although I have been told that orange carrots were imported from the Netherlands during the 10th century); cultivated turnips, and hearted cabbages. Many Dark Age fruit and vegetables were like wild plants, which are rather indigestible to modern palates. The archaeological record can give us a good idea of some of the things people ate in the past, but the exact provenance and authenticity of any given item of flora can be (and is!) often the subject of heated debate among re-enactors and archaeologists.

Drink

The universal drink of the Viking period was ale - not as we know it today, but fairly weak, sweetish, cloudy, and often unhopped (a wide variety of herbs were used for flavouring, although the hop trade existed). This was drunk by everyone, including children, and for a very good reason - wells and streams were often dirty (in settlements like York they must often have been contaminated by the latrine pits), but water for brewing was boiled and thus rendered safe. Mead, the favourite drink for celebrations, was brewed from the washings of the honeycombs after honey extraction (honey was the only available sweetener). The wealthy had expensive imported wine. And, as previously mentioned, there was buttermilk and whey.

Ready Or Not Here We Go "The Viking History!"

• The word Viking is thought to come from the Norse eord for pirate.
• A great many eords we use in English today had their roots words used by the Vikings.
• English rulers often paid the Viking protection money, called a Danegeld, to stop them for attacking.

Where did Vikings Invade during the eighth, ninth, tenth & elenventh century?