Norsemen / Northmen

Also Vikings, Varangians, and Normand (French term for Norsemen). The Norsemen, respectively the Skandinavians, were a highly developed society, and one which this short glossary entry cannot do justice. What can be explained is how the OC refers to the people of Scandinavia in Book One, Masks of God. The terms Nosermen (used twice), Vikings (twice), and Viking Age (once ) are used paringly, given that they are anachronistic for a work from the late 14th century. They are used for the reader’s edification, to bridge over to the lesser known term “Varangians,” which is more appropriate for the time period. Why not use “Viking” or “Norsemen?”

“Viking” (Old Norse “vikingr”) is a generic term for “sea raider” or “pirate,” and is not mentioned historically before the 12th century. Thus, contrary to popular belief, it does not refer to a particular nationality, except to indicate a Northern or Scandinavian association. The romantic connotations of the word “viking” as heroic warrior is a fairly modern invention, 18–19th century, when the historical concept of the “Viking Age” began to take shape in academia. However, most Skandinavians were neither raiders nor pirates. If they left their homelands it was mainly to explore, trade, and to set up colonies. 

Similar arguments apply to the anachronism involved in using the term Norsemen, which makes its debut in English in the 19th century. Moreover, it is necessary to differentiate between Christianized hostage takers and pagan ones. The original raiders of Northern origin, i.e., the “Vikings,” were all pagans, who did not care whether they took fellow pagans or Christians for ransom or as slaves. But pagan raiders had all but disappeared by the 14th century. What remained were groups like the Christian Varangians, yet Christians were forbidden to prey on fellow Christians. Therefore, in Masks of God, it is the non-pagan Varangians who abduct Neringa (Aušrinė’s mother), who, as a Curonian, belonged to one of the last surviving pagan tribes in Europe. Note also that many prominent Varangians had joined the Byzantine Empire by that time, to serve in the elite Varangian Guard, the personal bodyguards of the Eastern Roman emperors.