" ‘Norsemen’ is a term used to describe the ethnically and culturally similar groups of medieval Scandinavia in general, or the people living in an area spanning from eastern England in the west to Novgorod in the east and from the river Eider in the south to the settlements of Greenland in the north, that were speaking some form of “the Danish tongue” (also known as “old Norse”).
“Viking” is a word that appears to have been used to describe the act of piracy or going out to raid by ship. A man who was going “viking” would have been known as a “Vikingr” in the Old Norse/Danish tongue."
OK just to finally clear this up. The Norsemen who settled in nothern france were vikings or not? Presumably they didn’t walk on water.
I’d go along with that as being possibly more pivotal than the Roman invasions.
And in doing so point out that as a result of that and earlier invasions and migrations to these islands of varying degrees over the millenia it means that we British are in fact a mongrel lot.
Even the origins of the ancient settlers on these islands remains disputed to this day but the English in particular have seen Romans; Germanic settlement by the likes of the Jutes and Saxons (even the Angles from Anglo-Saxon were Germanic); Vikings; Normans etc. resulting over the centuries in today’s modern Briton.
Even us Scots aren’t immune, my paternal grandmother’s side of the family having Viking descendants for example.
My maternal great-grandmother was Breton French.
I doubt there’s a British person alive who could say with any degree of conviction that they are pure British if they give the matter some thought because by definition history proves that our forefathers came from quite a mix of different places.
Yes, they were.
“The Normans that invaded England in 1066 came from Normandy in Northern France. However, they were originally Vikings from Scandinavia.”
Glad you’ve helped clear that up Anne.
Yes, the Danes/Norsemen/Vikings travelled by sea quite far and wide. Some even say across the Atlantic to America (which was terra incognita in those days, of course).
They landed on the shores of Britain - the Danes to the east and the Norse to the north-west. They not only also landed on the north coast of Gaul, but even travelled as far afield as the Mediterranean and Russia.
They were great sailors. I reckon their blood is in the Royal Navy.
A. There is land continuity between the Viking homelands and France, for that matter there is land continuity between Viking homelands and
Cape Dezhnev, the most easterly point of Russia.
B The Normans were NOT Vikings per se. Nor were the Norsemen though no doubt some of them were of Viking stock.
With all due respect, AT, I feel that you’re talking out of your backside… again! 
I can tell you about some good history books, but I’m sure you know better than them!
I must admit to going back to history lessons from LONG ago. Not a thing that greatly interested me then or now but it was what we were taught.
I don’t know where you went to school, but they certainly had some strange concepts.
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The Norsemen left their homelands, travelled by land all the way across to Russia, then turned around and travelled all the way back across Europe to the northern coast of France?
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The Norsemen were not Vikings, and the Normans were not Vikings per se? What were they then, Arabs?
Now that is NOT what I wrote. I was simply pointing out that Vikings did NOT have to rely on travelling by water to travel contrary to what Annie had at least implied.
Also the Normans were NOT exclusively Vikings but no doubt would have included SOME people people from areas where Viking folk were to be found - I THINK that was Norway but that’s only think. Whatever the Normans were descendents of the Norsemen who obviously cross bred with the people they encountered in France which is where the name Normans came about and associated with the region of Normandy.
As far as I know/believe!
Seems there was a lot of interbreeding going on at that time Todge?
Do you think the Viking prediliction for rapine had much to do
with it? And do you think the Nazis inherited this prediliction from
their ancestors ??
And does this account for the the old british saying, " all Germans
are bastards"" ??
Donkeyman!
There’s always interbreeding going on.
My question was about rapine Todgy ??
Donkeyman!
Certainly! Rape all the cattle and kill all the women why not!
Hilarious. So you “think” rather than “know”.
Judging by this discussion it does seem that nobody is too clear on who the Normans were or whether they were “french” at all. The original discussion (way back) was why do we hate the French if we are part french, but apparently we are not! Or are we? :shock:
Is Vic There???
At what point did this thread change from discussing WW2 to a discussion on the Vikings and Norsemen?
Well I’ve said all I want to about the Normans.
I’d be happy to get back to WW2.
We were talking about the French being our historical enemies & during WWII being on the other side …it was mentioned the antipathy started in 1066…