Viking revival

The Viking revival was a time when people started to care more about Viking history and culture again. This happened mostly in the late 18th and 19th centuries, when many people loved stories of brave heroes.

The revival began earlier with important discoveries and books about Old Norse culture. The first printed copy of the 13th-century Gesta Danorum or the Legend of the Danes by Saxo Grammaticus came out in 1514, when more people were starting to read books. Another key book, Olaus Magnus's Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, or "History of the northern peoples," was printed in 1555. In the 17th century, more books were written, like Latin translations of the famous Edda, such as Peder Resen's Edda Islandorum in 1665. The Edda has two important books about Norse mythology, called the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. These books help us learn about old stories and poems from Iceland.

The word Viking wasn’t used during Viking times. It started being used in English in the 18th century. During the Romantic Era, Viking stories were often told as thrilling adventures. The word Viking comes from the Old Norse word víkingr, meaning a sea-rover or pirate. Because of this, how we think about Vikings today was shaped by how people wrote about them during the Romantic era.

Norway

The rediscovery of the Viking past began in Norway during the 1800s. People in Norway felt new pride in their history after many years under the rule of Denmark and Sweden. They looked back at their Viking kings and stories.

In 1867, the first Viking ship, called the Tune ship, was found in Østfold. This ship helped everyone learn more about Viking life. Other important finds, like the only complete Viking helmet, the Gjermundbu helmet, and the big Gokstad Ship, showed how skilled Viking craftsmen were. These discoveries made Norwegians even more interested in their Viking history.

Denmark

In Denmark, a man named Carl Christian Rafn thought that Vikings had reached North America before famous explorers like Christopher Columbus and John Cabot. He shared his ideas in a book called Antiquitates Americanæ in 1837. A poet named Adam Oehlenschläger helped start the Viking revival in Denmark with his poem "Guldhornene" in 1802. His poem celebrated Denmark’s old stories and myths.

Sweden

At the start of the 19th century, a writer named Erik Gustaf Geijer helped make the word “Viking” popular. In his poem called The Viking, he described Norse seafarers and warriors as brave and heroic. This matched the feelings of the time, called Romanticism, when people admired history. Geijer was part of a group called the Geatish Society, which shared these heroic ideas. Another writer, Esaias Tegnér, also in the Geatish Society, wrote a new version of an old story called Frithiof's Saga. It became well-known in many countries, including England, the United States, and Germany. Per Henrik Ling also helped start the Götiska förbundet and talked about the strong image of Vikings.

Germany

The composer Richard Wagner used stories from Nordic mythology in his music. His famous operas, called the Ring cycle, are based on old Germanic and Norse tales. These stories come from sources like the Poetic Edda and the Volsunga Saga.

Jacob Grimm, a scholar who studied old languages, helped people learn more about Germany’s ancient past. His book, Deutsche Mythologie, collected many Norse and Germanic myths. This book inspired many people in the 1800s to learn about the stories and culture of the North.

Britain

English writers from the 1500s knew about the Vikings and their impact on the land. In the 1700s, people in Britain became very interested in Northern cultures, including the Vikings. Some even thought old forts and famous places like Stonehenge might be from Viking times. This interest grew in the 1800s, with poems celebrating Viking heroes and their bravery.

United States

Rasmus B. Anderson started a company called The Norrœna Society. The company published books about the history and stories of Northern Europe. Anderson wrote many books about Scandinavian topics. He helped people in America learn that Viking explorers might have been the first to reach the New World. He also started the idea of Leif Erikson Day.