They were called robbers, said that with them it is impossible to fight: they say, drink broth of dried fly agaric and in this way bring myself to combat ecstasy... However, to Pat European army, one of the Amanita still not enough. The power of the Vikings was in another.

Who and where from?

They lived in the fortresses, called Vic, inhabited only by men: for professional seafarer and the conqueror, the family and the farm is only a burden. Of course, the ladies at the Vic appeared - but only sporadically: visited tired soldiers and went back home. While the number of soldiers-Viking inexplicably regularly from age to age increased. Not "passed" warriors "fruits" his meetings with them beautiful stranger! It's surprising that, according to the Byzantine Chronicles, the Vikings did not possess distinctive national features. However, there was something common to all. No, not the color of eyes or hair, and... scars. "Cause fear, - says the chronicler, - injuries on the bodies of most of the Vikings. In addition scars from wounds received in battle on the backs and bellies are many brands on the skin is cut out of the loop, if through them podergivani belts". That is, torture, which they had been enemies? But the Vikings did not surrender, and these traces - almost everyone.

How to solve these puzzles? Alas, the Vikings had left us a description of her life. Well, let's try to recreate the picture according to legends and stories.

The horror of the middle ages

In the middle ages in Western Europe, the most popular was such a fabulous story. Greedy heartless relatives kicked out boy out of the house. Wandering through the forest, he napadaet at the cave of the sorcerer or cannibal... In the most desperate moment in the lair of the beast burst fun fearless robbers, rescuers of the unfortunate out of the paws of a bitch and take saved with them. Growing up and becoming a gang chieftain, the guy returned to their homes, Karal (and sometimes spared) cruel-hearted brethren (stepmother, stepfather). The abundance of similar stories suggests that they are not nowhere else, but something very real.

Indeed, in the early middle ages in Europe were often a famine. The problem more mouths and lords and commoners solved simply: I show out the youngest offspring of the house on a self-feeding. Often the exiles were killed and some... got to the Vikings. Before you join the ranks of the pirates, the teenager was obliged to go through the test. Conducted a kind of artificial selection: the boy could become a man only once to prove their ability to endure pain. Die - well, that's his destiny! But withstood "test" will turn into a warrior who does not know fear and pity.

Now it is clear from the variety in appearance: off year in France and will be the new shoots Viking black-haired. If adored happens on the lands of Northern Germany and Scandinavia, more Nordic blond.

Experience instead of compass

For two thousand years before Columbus Phoenicians had already been in America: at the mouth of the Amazon found the remains of their ship, but in the entire South American continent still find Phoenician coins. There are quite a reasonable assumption that in those places there were Greeks, and the Gauls. However, carried them back more often by accident. What can be said about Vikings: they are quite purposefully sailed to America, there were they in this case the verified routes through the open them Greenland. Even in South America climbed: recently the traces of the Vikings discovered in Paraguay and Bolivia. This was due not later than in the beginning of XI century, that is nearly a Millennium prior to the voyage of Columbus!

Moreover, in contrast to the famous Genoese who constructed a special sails, Vikings its primitive square sail raised in rare cases, relying mainly on the oars and own muscles. And it is in the harsh Northern latitudes, without a map and compass! How they chose the route? It turns out that the Vikings knew the ways of migration of bowhead whales and followed them. Simple as everything genius!

Gunpowder or a toadstool?

Let us return to the history of the conquest of South America. As few units Spanish conquistadores managed in the shortest possible time to conquer the Indians? The answer is simple: because a decisive superiority in arms. The musket and the gunpowder stronger onion and muscles, cuirass protects the chest is better than the skin.

To win the Vikings this explanation does not fit. Exhausted by months of rowing, armed only short swords and battle axes, they landed on the shore, on the move caught in Hiking attack - and always victorious!

Maybe the reason is the weakness of their enemies? Certainly not! Often the sea robbers opposed the best warriors of that time. For example, Franks, shortly before a meeting with wild hosts won almost half of Europe, they Vikings grabbed a huge part of the Northern coast. Or take the Byzantines, famous for the science of war and strategy, the most advanced weapons and the world's best martial horses: the Vikings took away from the heirs of the Roman Empire them the pearl island of Sicily.

Defeated said that with these savages impossible to fight: before the battle they say, drink broth of dried fly agaric and thereby bring myself to combat ecstasy. I must say, this is very true. Not being able to produce alcoholic beverages, the Vikings used as narcotics tincture on the fly agarics because, perhaps, and did not live long. But "fly-agaric theory" little explains: since opponents of the Vikings before the fight was cheered up strong wine! So what is the secret of their victories?

Sweet word reedom"

Yes, Yes, FREEDOM! Medieval boy, almost starved with hunger, disenfranchised, Paraty, suddenly finds himself in a society where there are no hierarchies - only personal 'courage is everything. Of course, each Vic had its own leader, but the leader was once in the same young man, by the will of fate brought in the community. Which made him Lord? Courage, nothing more! Groups of thugs in the fight led by a commander. But he was not born commander - courage made him so! And after the seizure of foreign territory commander became the Prince. "It can I become a Prince, was used only courage and luck!" - these are the thoughts of everyone sitting in Drakkari. And I must say that the rulers of the Vikings turned out excellent!

They evaluated the dignity of a person not by birth, but on merit and created the most humane code of laws - the so-called "Truth". They were not cruel corporal punishment or special privileges for the highest class. By the way, these "Truth" formed the basis of the most progressive state laws. So there was, for example, "Saxon Truth" Britain, "True" French king Louis Saint and even "True" Yaroslav the Wise - Rus were under the strong influence of the Vikings, which the Slavs called the Vikings.

And one more thing I must say. Very quickly after the invasion of the Vikings was longer seen as invaders. They almost immediately dissolved into a foreign culture, was baptized, and adopted the language. And with the local population in yesterday's conquerors was surprisingly good relations: cost this terrible pirates to settle, as their former wildness had gone.

By the end of the XI century the efforts of Pope urban II Europe has found a new outlet for dealing with excess extra mouths. The Crusades to the Holy land is essentially the same robbery, only with a different ideological underpinnings. Now to give children "pirates" did not need it: they were sent in Christ's army. The population of the Bolshevik quickly began to decrease. It took no more than a hundred years - and the era of brave Vikings sunk into legends.

And still from time immemorial no-no and will appear before us free people, brave conquerors, fearless sailors, wise legislators - those who face the world today would be probably different.