How the military of the Norse world evolved 📜

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🚩 The divergent evolution of the Norse world from the 11th century onwards was, above all, influenced by each country's geopolitical limitations. This explains the different stages of military Europeanisation that each region attained up to the late twelfth century. Changes in warfare, initially obtained through imitation, slowly started to show growing regional differences from around 1200 AD onwards, a phenomenon mainly fuelled by the disparate conquest interests of the Scandinavian kingdoms.
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📢 Narrated by David McCallion
📝 Sources:
(2014) Beñat Elortza - Military Transformation in the Norse World ca. 1000-1200, A Comparative analysis
www.academia.edu/19306687/MLi...
(2010) Sverre Bagge - From Viking Stronghold to Christian Kingdom: State Formation in Norway, c. 900-1350
www.amazon.com/Viking-Strongh...
(2003) David Lindholm, David Nicolle - Medieval Scandinavian Armies (1) 1100-1300
www.amazon.com/Men-at-Arms-39...
(2003) David Lindholm, David Nicolle - Medieval Scandinavian Armies (2): 1300-1500
www.amazon.com/Medieval-Scand...
(1982) Peter H. Sawyer - Kings and Vikings. Scandinavia and Europe AD700-1100
www.amazon.com/Kings-Vikings-...
(1989) Hermann Pálsson, and Paul Edwards - Vikings in Russia
www.amazon.com/Vikings-Russia...
(1993) Mark Harrison Viking Hersir 793-1066 AD
www.amazon.com/Viking-Hersir-...
(1996) Niels Lund - "Is leidang a Nordic or a European phenomenon?" from Military aspects of Scandinavian society in a European perspective, AD 1-1300
www.amazon.com/Military-aspec...
(2004) Stefan Brink - “New Perspectives on the Christianisation of Scandinavia and the Organisation of the Early Church” from Scandinavia and Europe 800-1350. Contact, Conflict and
Coexistence
www.amazon.com/Scandinavia-Eu...
#vikings #norse #1066

[@HistoryMarche]

🚩 Reduce your digital footprint with an excellent VPN. Try PIA Risk Free Here: privateinternetaccess.com/historymarche 🚩 The divergent evolution of the Norse world from the 11th century onwards was, above all, influenced by each country's geopolitical limitations. This explains the different stages of military Europeanisation that each region attained up to the late twelfth century. Changes in warfare, initially obtained through imitation, slowly started to show growing regional differences from around 1200 AD onwards, a phenomenon mainly fuelled by the disparate conquest interests of the Scandinavian kingdoms.

[@craig7591]

Will it be visible to my fbi guy? I dont want him to loose his job

[@nikobellic570]

The relaxing background music and pleasant narrator's voice makes listening very therapeutic.

[@pawefiedorowicz6789]

Yeah I love the music too!

[@sunofpeter2]

For sure

[@ancorgarciaalvarez]

You're mama is therapeutic

[@MrKbonez]

I can't work out if its some weird text-to-speech program. The narrator has a very unique accent that I cannot place, and I'm usually pretty good at that sort of thing.

[@janarchivell]

i love that you don't stick with only explaining battles (i love those videos too) but instead you are exploring other interesting topics with the same quality, thanks for your work!

[@nohandlenotme]

I love the insight, and developed understanding HistoryMarche has of history as was explained from very different, and mostly pointed out by many established facts that are now common knowledge. Thank you HistoryMarche for you comment to presenting history with real zeal for true interest you have shown to these fact.

[@Dylan-lw1xc]

You never cease to find interesting new topics to cover.

[@Sandderad]

It's cool seing how the norse reflects the early germanic culture from their ancestors as opposed to the very romanized germans to the south.

[@saguntum-iberian-greekkons7014]

True, different regions different influences.

[@martinan22]

An important invention is the mast and sail on the viking ships which is stipulated to have come in the 7th century. And the other milestone is when war Cogs started to appear in ~1100, making the viking longship obsolete for sea combat. Thought I find these facts hard to really confirm.

[@shrubby-ov4yw]

Not really cogs were used to ferry the crusader armies across the meditarranean around the 1100's and the western europeans used them to get to italy if they couldnt march through. The longships only held one advantage over them was the shallower draft that allowed them to be used up until the reforms of ship designs by the eastern europeans. Starting with Peter the Great.

[@Wasserkaktus]

@@shrubby-ov4yw I actually dispute this notion of how "superior" the cog was to the longship. The cog was accepted and adopted by Europeans, including the Scandinavians, and eventually completely replaced the longship, but I wonder if this occurred more due to a unified European cultural decision than anything else, because the longship demonstratively proved itself to be the only ship capable of significant blue water expeditions until the caravel.

[@Vandelberger]

I believe the last longship attack was conducted around 1400.

[@martinan22]

The cog was an evolution of the viking age knarr. The main difference being that the cog had a fixed rudder, the knarr had a steering oar. Meaning the cog could not be beached and required harbors. So the rise of the cog went hand in hand with centralization of power. The longship was faster and more manouverable in battle since it used oars and could go against the wind. However, it is said to have been rendered obsolete in some battle around 1100 in Öresund or off Scania, a battle that I never succeed in internetsearching the name of when I end up in this discussion. The reason would then be that the free boards of the war cog was too high and thus rendered the longship impotent in a sea battle. Then again, Sigurd I Magnuson "Jorsalafar", king of Norway, took a fleet of over 60 longships on crusade all the way from Norway to the Holy Land 1107 to 1111. So this switch was probably more gradual than a hard border. The cog is the quintesential medieval North European ship, the knarr was the quintesential viking age North European ship. The cog we associate with the Hanseatic league, the knarr we associate with the viking explorers, colonizers and raiders, the cog existed in a world of solidifying kingdoms, the knarr in the tribal world of free farmers

[@METALFREAK03]

@@Wasserkaktus And the obsession with mainland Europeans with being culturally the same, is why the British became the largest empire and none of the mainland empires did. I think we even used the longship (and ship building techniques) of the "vikings" (They never called themselves this - only later in their sagas, and like most things written an age later it was highly fictional (or drastically over drafted)). It is why our ships could go longer distances, hold more haul and weight and were superior to all on the waves, And it is why (I think) foreigners like to PR against anglo saxons as we did it better than they did. I find this more and more true now that Brexit has happened and watching Juncker with a skirt's little temper tantrums when they can't do their red tape.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

*LESS TALKING, MORE RAIDING!*

[@stevo271]

Dang it! Now I'm going to have to download Warband again...

[@stc3145]

THATS A NICE HEAD YOU HAVE ON YOUR SHOULDERS!

[@alvirarahman2690]

I always admired the maps made by HistoryMarche! Love it ❤️

[@roomonleft]

Often videos like this rely not only on detailed information delivery, but on the narration. HistoryMarche perfects all of them! Thank you for this video! Enjoyed every second of it

[@siechamontillado]

You forgot to mention how the Viking raiders eventually made their way to the Americas, founding an American football club in the Great Lakes region, and ineffectually translating their military prowess into success on the football field.

[@MikhailTabigay]

Elliot Ness was one of descendant of those Vikings. He went out to hunt Al Capone

[@Murphmonster69]

Too bad the Vikings cant rape and pillage their football opponents.

[@stevo271]

So vikings are mostly black then? 🤣

[@brainflash1]

"If I wanted to fight loser Vikings, I'd go to Minnesota!"

[@utubeape]

Kensington Runestone

[@brainflash1]

I just want to say its nice to finally see a map of the Baltic region displayed in the *correct* aspect ratio. *Glares at the Kings and Generals 'Great Northern War' series*

[@jasip1000]

Not all correct, you see this little dark green island south of Sweden? It’s the Danish island Bornholm, and it should have been light green like the rest of Denmark.

[@METALFREAK03]

@@jasip1000 Probably not at the time...

[@jasip1000]

@@METALFREAK03 from around year 900 when Danish king Harald Blåtand ruled, this Island have been Danish all way. Only time Bornholm have been under foreign rule was 1525-1576 when the Lübecker had it, and 1658-1659 when the Swedes where here.

[@MrKbonez]

I've lost interest in Kings and Generals since the start of the Russo-Ukraine war. Theyre pretty partisan over there and I question how someone can maintain accuracy when they are so clearly emotionally invested against Russia.

[@TheSamuraijim87]

This was a fantastic video. But i can't believe no mention was made, in Sweden's context, of the direct influence from the Rus'. The Rurikids had come out of Sweden to unite the Slavic tribes. There was consistent and constant traffic between the Rus, and Scandinavia. There would have been nowhere more influential, but providing vastly different cultural influences upon Sweden (than in Denmark and Norway) than Rus'.

[@brokenbridge6316]

Nicely informative video. It was really interesting to see how the militaries of these countries evolved.

[@KHK001]

Always great to see upload, thanks HM!

[@goshlike76]

What an interesting documentary. And the background music seals the deal. Also I love your graphics. It seems that it takes quite the effort.

[@speeden7553]

Amazing video👏. Keep up the good work👍.

[@khalidibnwalid6336]

U always make my day better thank you. Keep up the great work

[@magimon91834]

Very well put together thank you

[@Jukic313]

Amazing stuff, keep up the good work. 👏

[@thehistorybard6333]

Super excited for this one! A fantastic topic

[@coyote4237]

Great video and topic. Thanks.

[@Johnnyohhh1952]

Absolutely fascinating 👏🏼 encore!

[@hamzazubair9610]

Always love your content sir👌

[@lokitus]

The evolution from tribal raiding to larger semi-organized bodies of men to militia to standing armies. This is military history in a nutshell. Would love to see a similar video for the Ottomans.

[@fortdimitri2365]

Gay

[@bijornswordraise2916]

Great video and also something to relax too.

[@metalmadsen]

Thank you for thes well made video. Keep’em comming mate. Hello from Denmark 🇩🇰

[@glenng8185]

Keep it up! Great one

[@brandonjeter7643]

Great video dude!!!

[@MarcusAgrippa390]

This kind of attention to the minutiae of governance and the military is unusual for the majority of historical videos. Truly a refreshing take on the usual.

[@lakedaimonios480bc]

You are a very good narrator. Your voice is so smooth that no one will get bored by listening to you.

[@bsoul3177]

I am always so interested in this!!

[@eternalblaz1853]

Yes! I wanted to know this so bad ! Thank you !

[@codypierce8845]

Awesome as always

[@trinebula]

Very well done video essay

[@Ahmed-7990]

قناة تستاهل الدعم وربي ✅Thank you for what you provide

[@bigsarge2085]

Fantastic!

[@robbabcock_]

Awesome video! I love any good content on the old Viking cultures.⚔🏹🛶

[@inodinojan878]

Finally, amazing video

[@AdamsYoutubeAccount]

Very well made video, your production quality has gone way up.

[@lalruatdikavarte7943]

Nice video and very informative and very entertaining and very satisfaction more videos.

[@ivanstrydom8417]

Brilliant video. You could just have added how the Scandinavian armies in the high middle ages also adopted the use of the kite shield (Wish was more suited for cavalry combat) and slowly discarded the use of the round shield.

[@krrishO2]

I've been waiting for so long to see a Norse/Viking video from you

[@krrishO2]

I know I won't be disappointed

[@aquila9708]

Хорошее видео. Спасибо ))

[@aliosman0]

Yeeeey, new upload!!!

[@jacktheripper5019]

very interesting. I really enjoy the viking related videos. Can you do a video/series on the battles of Harald Hardrada in byzantium?

[@yoloman3607]

Is there a reason all of the mentions of "chainmail" have a picture of scaled armor? Scales can be attached to a mail backing, but there is a difference.

[@dan_the_dj]

Strart from the center gripped shield being shown strapped to the arm or even worse, free floating xD

[@53yearsago56]

Quality video.

[@secretmysteryzoneworld9026]

** storyteller are awesome i am enjoying full history.

[@erikhesjedal3569]

As a western Norwegian i can only say LOL to the idea of cavalry being used here. Also, a good old mountain top is much, much better than a fort. Also very effective in letting your friends know someone is coming

[@aidentrone5645]

They didnt use Calvary until they were influenced by Europe

[@ovekkjlstad7703]

In the Viking age they used often "svinefylking" as a battle tactic. It was a tight battle formation with a shield wall. Often in an triangle formation. The word "fylking" mean a group of people and the word has been used synonymously with the word association, but very rearely today. The word "fylke" is the word for a county in Norway today.

[@roseiapro8711]

The algorithm gods must be pleased. Great work, love it.

[@dashaskd]

Realised I haven't got a notification off this channel in weeks even though I have all notifications on, might want to post that you have new videos incase its the same for others, I had to manually search for you

[@kingoliever1]

Need to click the bell that is next to the abo button i think for it to work 100% of the time.

[@dashaskd]

@@kingoliever1 ya its on thats what I'm saying

[@RobertMihalache]

It's impressive how far they went and they fear none that's why they did what no one could. Thanks for sharing.

[@Vandelberger]

The earliest of Scandinavian combat seemed to be a circling of combatants, to get past enemy shields, especially in duels. It’s why sagas describe them as Odin dances or war dances. Early Saxon armies were described as being surrounded more than shoved off the field, so perhaps we see similar tactics to the Zulu Bull Horn. Also, an early Germanic tactic to piece shield formations was the Boars head, or triangle formation for mass charge with a spear like shale to penetrate Roman lines.

[@kingoliever1]

Seems also like there was kind of a change from lose tribal to more centralized organization while also i would think the targets and tactics changed from simple raiding for plunder to occupations to control land like the Invasion of England. Also seems to line up whit the weapon changes from axes to spears where they are less useful for fighting one on one while raiding but far better for bigger battles whit formations.

[@Grasslander]

5:53 "Horses and other mounted animals were also more prominent in the opponents" What do you mean, bears?

[@Fredrikbb]

Karl XII of Sweden had an Elk Cavalry for a while that went to shit.

[@Johnnyohhh1952]

Camels, elephants

[@lucky88shp]

Great history lesson! Love the narration, and music. What is the background music track called?

[@rubosrex7303]

NEW VIDEO YESSS

[@moohaameed]

Mr History, you keep blessing us with these videos. Like I said before you are the number one narrator of KZbin, Netflix and other channels when it comes to documentaries. Thank you once again 👏🏿

[@rogelioalonzo2911]

Is that the voice?

[@MarsRacingNetwork]

David is the best narrator there is!One day I want to hire him to read my kids stories about history!

[@bsoul3177]

very cool

[@lakshmipraveen8734]

Sir, Achaemenid Empire is one of the great empire in History, can you make video on it. Please its my huge request to you, as an History lover.

[@SpaceMonkeyBoi]

Imagine if the vikings were able to successfully establish a colony in the America's

[@trinebula]

Probably would have worked out better than their extinct colony in Greenland. More trees at least?

[@alphaomega8373]

History Marche FTW!

[@crusader9576]

Love your videos, but I think you should give some more attention to the art. I was willing to overlook that you showed scale mail while saying chainmail, and the "single edged" sword with two edges, but when you showed vikings with strapped shields, I had to say something. No ding on the artists, but you've got to give them a bit more direction to make sure your illustrations are historically accurate.

[@privatebandana]

I agree with that. People that doesn't know much about this topic and will just casually watch this video might assume everything they see in the video as the truth, which will just further spread the wrong view of who/what the vikings were and what they actually wore, etc etc. I feel like a channel like this should use the right images considering this is suppose to be educational.

[@speeden7553]

Im from sweden, so its pretty intresting hearing about this.

[@mohammedalaa2533]

Would love to see the evolution of the islamic military tactics

[@notthefbi7932]

Great video, just finished the last kingdom book series so great timing. It's interesting how if the Vikings were more unified they could have taken England and so much more 🤔

[@shrubby-ov4yw]

Funny the same thing could be said of the islamic conquests, the kievan russ, the mongols, the shogonate invasions of korea.

[@user-jm3sk8gy4s]

روعة قناتك استمر ❤️❤️⚔️👍

[@CAESAR-qv2rh]

A good timing

[@tutored2today438]

Would like a comparison with Kievan Russ contemporary but much better details.

[@unitor699industries]

you and epic history tv should collab and make an 2 hour documentary

[@northafricanlion6688]

شكرا لترجمة أغلب فيديوهاتكم للعربية

[@aleksapetrovic6519]

Are there any more episodes on the early rennesaince or is the series finished?

[@ririkoism]

like their music

[@MarsRacingNetwork]

How do I become a Patreon supporter?

[@QuantumHistorian]

That was so vague, I'm not sure anything was said at all.

[@operator9858]

was hoping for a bit more info and progression possibly up to the pike era...

[@kane5430]

On the contrary, ranged weapons were a very common thing in battle. Because vikings didn't have separate archer units, it's easy to think or assume ranged weapons were not used often. Vikings didn't have separate units except for berserker. The average soilder had multiple weapons carried so that the entire raiding band can be flexible. Each viking was expected to carry a sheild, a sword or axe and sometimes both. AND usually always a bow and arrow. Each soilder usually carried a couple throwing spears which they had a spear extension that could fit over any of the 5 ft throwing spears and lock it in place with a pin. And it would become a 7 ft spear with a 12 inch spear head. Whoever was I'm front held the sheild wall used spears to keep their opponents at a distance. They also used axes in the front because with the hook shape of the axe you can pull down an enemy sheild. The ones behind used spears to reach the enemy. There would be a few scattered berserker just behind and in the front to help break enemy line as well as if their own line was broken they would be met with an insane warrior tripping on mushrooms. Anyone behind these two lines of men were shooting their bows throwing axes or spears. This was better than having separate Spearman and swordsman and archers. As any unit of men could become any one of these units rather than training separate units. One group can adapt to whatever the battle needs. The only reason vikings ended up failing in the end was they couldn't fully stick together. They were always fighting amongst themselves and constantly betraying one another. Their downfall was lack of unity wich created disorganization

[@kane5430]

There were many things written down by vikings and English who were attacked describing what I just wrote. And saying that there were so many things flying from the vikings side " all the axes spears arrows and stones made it hard to see above their heads as it was dense like a flock of birds"

[@inakik97]

What music was used in the video?

[@kimrnhof107]

Martin Anderson is correct - it was the viking ships, that was the one war changing advantage the viking had. Without the ships the vikings where nothing - this was their technological superiority - the could hit an run anywhere - and only hit where they had the advantage. When the Cogs appeared, they lost the the advantage - But Cogs required ports - vikings ships did not - as cities and ports evolved the Vikings had lost the edge - and they had to adopt to the more fixed war technology.

[@Wasserkaktus]

You're forgetting that improvements in defensive warfare made it a lot harder for raiders like Vikings to successfully raid and pillage various reasons across Europe.

[@andersbjrnsen7203]

Nothing? They won enough pitched battles to disprove that on the tactical level, but of course, on the operational and strategic level you are right.

[@unitor699industries]

we need a series about rurikid dynasty

[@istvansipos9940]

01:42 you overestimate my powers

[@chickenassasintk]

what is the music around 10:00???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[@HistorydeFacto]

So at what point did they adapt helmets with horns? :)

[@ecurewitz]

never

[@marcusaurelius7623]

Haha

[@larspeterthomsen9798]

8:50 I didn't know chain mail looked exactly like scale mail.

[@regiltube7932]

Make a video about the Viking settlement in the far east of what is now novrogod and Russia.

[@Nunya_bidness__]

Holy algorithm, see me! Grant this channel success over its enemies.

[@ALARM78]

In 3:05 baltic tribes lands are marked(modern Kaliningrad in Russia before Königsberg Germany)-are you sure this is correctly?Any source?

[@NodDisciple1]

You said their colonization wasn't militaristic. How about the Danelaw, Dublin, and New World Colonies? ALL of those required military actions to take and hold land.

[@privatebandana]

No he said it wasn't militaristic when it came to certain places, like Iceland for example.

[@jaymoh2010]

Everytime I see the distance on the map between British Isles and Scandinavia it still blows my mind the military force the Vikings could muster effectively taking over large swaths of Britain.

[@chocoman45]

Well if you only look at it in a 2d perspective yeah it seems more daunting. But looking at it in a globe, its not that far, since the circumference of the earth gets smaller the farther north or south you go.

[@alfredospautzgranemannjuni5864]

Two handed swords? What sources mentions this?

[@gkplus2877]

"वक़्त" सिखा देता है फ़लसफ़ा जिंदगी का..; फिर नसीब क्या, लकीर क्या, और तक़दीर क्या..!! 🌼🌿🌻🌼🌿🌻🌼🌿🌻🌼l

[@jaythompson5102]

Alright I ask all of you guys on KZbin maybe one of you will give it a shot .. the Haida in the Pacific Northwest are a veritable gold mine for this channel. Basically the Vikings of the northwest they went extremely far afield and raided all over. Their war canoes were HUGE! Anyhow I could go on but consider it!!

[@ShahjahanMasood]

This is awoseme.

[@MCorpReview]

From primitive Norse shield walls to world class Norman cavalry, talk about upgrades

[@t95kush27]

Peloponnesian War series one day?!

[@bbogdanmircea]

Would be nice to see a series of Videos about the Viking Conquest of Britain. Any reference to Vikings or The Last Kingdom would be nice.

[@nikobellic570]

Read the book by Thomas Harris.

[@smarajitojha6555]

I can not see the picture properly, because words covers it all the time.

[@ZombieDragQueen]

A thousand years later gamers would channel their inner viking with the battlecry "For the loot!" when playing dungeon crawler hack & slash games.