--- In
cybalist@egroups.com, "Torsten Pedersen" <tgpedersen@...>
wrote:
> [snip]
> > It is well documented that the norse and danes during the viking
> age
> > ruled great parts of western europe. Norse kings ruled in
Ireland,
> > England, Isle of Man, Scotland and Normandie
(Gangerolv/Rolv/Rollo).
> > Snorre (13th century) tells of raids in the Mediterrinean sea,
> Sicily,
> > Africa, Spain etc. Archeology also shows that norse traded with
> Roman
> > Empire and Italy well before Christ. Read history.
> >
> > Morten
>
> Which is all true and not in conflict with what I said, so why get
so
> steamed up? Read the postings.
>
> Torsten
Perhaps I should add why I think the eastern route through the rivers
was the most important.
There is a story from a North German chronicler of the conquest of
the Wend lands. The Germans have caught a Wend pirate (they were much
feared and caused much damage and loss of life also in Denmark). They
asked him why he was a pirate? He began an impassioned speech that it
was not of his own choosing, it was the only option left to him and
his people in face of German aggression and expansion. So they strung
him up.
Which set me thinking: Why did the Scandinavians choose piracy? it's
a dangerous profession. And why did they suddenly burst forth in a
great number of ships, in several rounds, e.g. 980? Since there was
no central government, there can't have been a "fleet construction
program", and nothing points in that direction. So the ships must
have been there already.
So I came up with a tentative scenario: There is a large number of
vessels used by boat organizations (20-30 men, that's how they used
to do it) trading on the Baltic and on the Eastern River Routes to
the Black Sea etc. Suddenly, for political reasons, that passage is
closed. What do you do? Starve or try to trade west. But if they
don't want your wares? Steal and rob.
To test this scenario, does anyone of you (Sergei?) know of any
sudden political change e.g. in Kievan Rus (new Slavonymic tsar?)
taking place in 980?
Torsten