Viking Invasions in the Iberian Peninsula
ATTENTION! Read the description below. This is NOT Fiction. This is my final work after 6 months of research, from historical books and documentation as my source of study.
As you can see in this map that I have made, the red area are the territories where the Vikings have been. Between the IX and XI centuries the Vikings invaded the Iberian Peninsula. They did not only raid territories, but also made settlements, colonies, winter camps and also made a living. More than 200 years of Viking presence in the land, documented in that time by the peoples that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula. Lots of raids, battles, colonisations, invasions, and so on, have been registered, but I'm certain that the Vikings went further inland, because they used the rivers as their routes to spread all over the land. Note that in these 200 years, the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula and their boundaries changed a lot. Territories have been conquered and lost, the christian kingdoms of the North against the Muslim kingdom of the South. The christian kingdoms of the North belonged to the Germanic descendants of the Iberian Peninsula who made the first Christian Kingdoms of the land, after the decline of the Roman Empire. The kingdoms were formed around the V century C.E. by the Swabians, Vandals, Goths and Visigoths, all germanic peoples from nowadays Germany, Norway and Lower Sweden respectively. In the beginning of the VIII century C.E. the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Muslims, who pushed the germanic territories to the north, thus ending the germanic nations of the Iberian lands. Between the IX and XI centuries, the Vikings invaded these lands, and fought against the descendants of their ancestors and also against the Muslims of the south. Many battles were recorded, on both land and sea. But the Vikings also colonised territories, such as modern Povoa de Varzim in northern Portugal, and left many decendents in other places. Archaeology helps digging up the truth, and we are still finding a lot of Norse evidence in the land. We also know that defeated Vikings couldn't return home, and they ended up living all over the landscape, such is the case of the city of Cordova in modern southern Spain. Most Vikings raided during Summer, and they didn't return home to pass the Winter, they just built winter camps along the coast and near the main rivers, waiting to raid again when the warmer seasons started.
The christian kingdoms of the north conquered many territories to the Muslims, and the christian faith was spreading all over Europe, and would soon came to Northern Europe. The crusades were formed, and after these 200 years of Viking raids in the Iberian Peninsula, the Vikings (now christianized) helped the Kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula, to defeat and drive away the Muslims from the land. There are thousands of documents about this and also paintings that depict these events, Viking longboats side by side with the boats of the soon-to-be Portuguese, invading Nowadays Lisbon for example, and taking back the land, battling and making siege against the Muslims. The Kingdom of Portugal (and also the other Kingdoms of Spain) rewarded the Norse men for their help against the Muslims, and gave them lands to inhabit. Once in a while we find and dig their graves and watch the modern people of those lands and see their descendants, wearing the glimpse of their Norse ancestors.
Not many historians talk about the Norse peoples of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), so I have made this map to show that these countries, not only have a rich germanic history, but also a very rich Norse history, as well as Celtic and Roman. Once again I must point out, that this map is NOT the source of Fiction, it is the final work of 6 months of research. I hope you all like it.
Made with watercolor and gel pen.
Note: The artwork to illustrate this post is a drawing of the Viking Invasions in the Iberian Peninsula, made by me. If you have any questions for me or if you want to see my artistic works, check out my Facebook page and make a Like if you can by following this link --> http://www.facebook.com/ArithHarger
Note2: If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me at http://ask.fm/ArithHarger
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17 comentários:
In general, Vikings suffered major defeats in the Iberian Peninsula. First, in Galicia. Then, at a very large scale (they never returned) when they dared go upstream the Wad-al-Kebir (Guadalquivir River) to raid i.a. Seville. They suffered cruelties that largely surpassed the ones they inferred upon others. The Iberial muslims laminated them. Please read books likde "The Cross and the Hammer".
I've never said they didn't. This is merely a post to show how far they went in the Iberian Peninsula. There were many conflicts even at sea somewhere to the west and northwest of nowadays Lisbon. Yes, the muslims fought them but didn't kill all of them. They were incorporated in their society. When scandinavians were christianized, they joined the cruzades and came to the Iberian Peninsula to help drive the Muslims away. For their help, to many lands were given and they remained in nowadays Portugal and Spain, and many of their tales and deeds are passed within the most ancient families of both countries. Thank you for your comment.
Hi, I'm a Portuguese living in Norway right now. It is very interesting to see that there is settlements just north of Lisbon, where I come from. Like you say there is a lot of histories about raids and viking but I actually have never seen a map putting settlements in that area. Most people think, including me it was only raids. I think your work is important to put history in it's right place.
About the battles, there is battle of Lisbon where Sigurd I Magnusson free Lisbon from the Muslims invasors.
"The son of kings on Lisbon's plains
A third and bloody battle gains.
He and his Norsemen boldly land,
Running their stout ships on the strand."
And beacuse of vikings we have Lancha Poveira witch is said to be derived from the archetypal Viking ship, there is heven a Street named with runes in Porto called Largo Passeio Alegre, the Viking statue in Catoira to commemorate vikings , the building of defense walls of Guimarães to protect from raids. Actually they have even made a royal wedding in 1252 with Filipe of spain with Cristina of Norway
http://www.eupedia.com/europe/maps_Y-DNA_haplogroups.shtml
Though genetics it is clear that the norse had very little influence in Iberia.
This is wonderful to see. I had my DNA done and as a mostly Norwegian gal I wondered how I got DNA from the Iberian Peninsula, and how there can be people from both Spain and Norway named Lillo. Now I know. Thanks so much.
The Arabs who fought the Vikings were on horseback. Calvary vs infantry, not even the romans withstood calvary. Think the battle of Adrianople.
It is impossible to say the real extend of viking presence in Portugal.howhever the surviving sources show successful raids along the portuguese coast and even inland as the case of Guimarães - remember the thick walls of its castle for defense from viking raids . Presence for several months was sustain with winter settlements. In povoa de Varzim a permanent settlement was build by them. The Cristian Reconquest of the península shows greater and sooner developments precisely in the western coast where viking activity was greater too. It is possible long term mercenary activity helping against moorish counter atacks. Finaly economical and trade changes have a longstanding influence in culture. Cod fish is the base of portuguese tradicional cuisine. Geneticaly speaking no scientific study was made within portuguese population. Personnaly in my Mother's family height above 1.80 blond hair and blue eyes are common.
Hopefully with satellite imaging and technology picks up we will find more. This is exciting awesome work great read.
I also am Of mostly Norwegian and Swedish descent with a tiny bit showing from the Iberian Peninsula! This was very interesting to find, but now I know why!
"Suffered cruelties" Vikings? You mean barbarians? Ahaha. Well now this explains why Vikings have the name Allah and Ali in their kilts. The findings in Sweden deciphered the kufic writing in decorations. I believe if you were treated with utmost cruelty (a word somehow only attributed to Muslims) you would not have name of Allah in your decorations.
I appreciate your research and making the map. Thanks. But when talking about history it needs better description and better English for the purpose. A good research can suffer a lot if it does not read like an academic research.
I am English but my DNA shows Danish, Swedish, Russian and Iberian in it. Perhaps this explains this
Critics are the worst people
All those countries are interconnected by sea fairing peoples and wars. Russians to Sweden, Sweden to rest of europe, including Portugal and England.
The UK and Portugal have in turn been allies for over 500 years and fought together on each others soil for mutual protection. They were also masters of the sea as explorers and conquerers like the Vikings.
So it's pretty awesome that your blood line has had such a diverse origin, but still sharing many traits between several of them.
I have a stone map of the Iberian Peninsula with yggdrasil on it as well as a dark-skinned helmeted man and 3 passengers in a small boat with a small forward sail
the stone map also has what could be old Iberian writing mixed with Viking numerals
I'm not an expert all I can say is that I found the stone map and a terracotta seal
Big deal to everyone on here claiming that they have Viking ancestry. I did a DNA test and was thinking that my results were going to come back almost entirely Iberian since my family supposedly come’s from Spain and it turned out that only a portion of my ancestry is Iberian. It turns out that the majority of my ancestry was actually traced back to Roman nobility that settled in the conquered region of Hispania. Who know’s, I might even be related to the Great Spanish Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
I would like to buy a book or other present for a friend from Coimbra/Portugal. She has blond hair and green eyes and we often joke that she might be a Viking-descendant.
Any recommendations?
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