midterm terminology Flashcards
(16 cards)
what is Dendrochronology
DENDROCHRONOLOGY is the science of dating events and environmental variations in former periods by a comparative study of growth rings in.
what is Osteoarchaeology
Osteoarchaeology is the scientific study of human remains found at archaeological sites. It’s also known as bioarchaeology.
Lifestyle: Learn about the diet, health, and mortality of people in the past
Physique: Estimate the age, height, and sex of people in the past
Disease: Identify diseases that affected people in the past
Genetics: Learn about genetic relationships between people in the past
Migration: Learn about how people moved in the past
Lifeways: Reconstruct how people lived in the pas
What is a Volva
Norse seeress or shaman who could foretell the future and perform sorcery. The word “völva” comes from the Old Norse word vǫlr, which means “wand”
How did völvas practice their craft?
They used a staff, song, and a special seat to enable the soul to travel
They were surrounded by young girls who sang to evoke spirits
The song changed the völva’s state of consciousness and sent her into a trance
In this trance, she could visit spirits and gods, ask questions, and see widely
When the song died down, she could predict the future
What is a longship
They were used for raiding, naval battles, and trade. They were light and flexible, with a double bow and stern that looked like a bird’s beak. They were seaworthy, fast, and maneuverable.
what is a snekkja (longship)
A small longship with at least 20 rowing benches
Typically 56 feet long and 8.2 feet wide
Could carry a crew of about 41 men
So light that it could be beached or carried across a portage
A modern version is still used in Scandinavia
what is a Drakkar (longship)
A large warship with a dragon or serpent head on the bow
Thought to be reserved for the largest ships in the Viking fleets
Flagship boats that would lead landing parties and raids
The name likely came from the fear that raid subjects would feel when they saw the dragonships off the shorelines
What is a long serpent
A “Viking Long Serpent” refers to a large, powerful Viking longship, it was a particularly impressive and well-built longship with a design that evoked the image of a serpent, often featuring decorative carvings on the prow resembling a snake’s head
What was the dust veil
The event was caused by a volcanic eruption that released sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere. This cooled the Earth’s surface and darkened the skies for months.
The location is not entirely known, but it happened 356 AD
Food shortages: Crop failures led to famine in Scandinavia and China
Population decline: Many villages in Scandinavia were abandoned and Norse populations declined
Migration: People moved to hilltops and built fortified ring-forts
Disease: The Justinian plague killed millions of people in Europe
Who was Ahmad ibn Fadlan
a 10th century Arab traveler who was an ambassador of the Abassids, had written the following about the Vikings: “The filthiest of all God’s creatures.” “They have no modesty when it comes to defecating or urinating and do not wash themselves when intercourse puts them in a state of ritual impurity
Who was Othere
He was a Viking Age Norwegian seafarer who wrote an account of his travels for King Alfred of Wessex in 890 AD. This account is the earliest known written source for the term “Denmark
who was Adam of Bremen
He was a meticulous chronicler who helped to write and compile one of the most important sources on Northern European history and culture throughout the entire medieval period
This source provided a continuous history of the entire Viking Age, spanning from 788 until the rule of Adalbert in the Bishopric of Hamburg
Adam was said to have been editing, adding to it, and revising it right up until he died in the early 1080s
What is a saga
It’s a long story of heroic achievement, especially a medieval prose narrative in Old Norse or Old Icelandic.
Similar to a Greek Epic
What is a Codex Regius
a medieval Icelandic manuscript that contains many Old Norse poems, including the Völuspá creation myth. It’s also known as the “Royal Book” or “King’s Book”.
The Codex Regius is the oldest collection of the Poetic Edda, or Elder Edda.
It’s an Icelandic national treasure and the best-known Icelandic book.
The poems in the Codex Regius are important sources for the religious beliefs and worldview of the Scandinavians before Christianity.
Details about the Codex Reglus
The manuscript is made of vellum and is thought to have been written in the 1270s.
It originally contained 53 leaves, but eight are now missing.
The manuscript is organized by theme and topic.
The first 10 lays are about Norse gods, and the rest are about heroes.
The manuscript has been digitized by several institutions, including research institutions in Iceland and the United Kingdom.
The manuscript is housed in the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Who are the Sami people
They are a Native people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The traditional Sámi lifestyle, dominated by hunting, fishing, and trading, was preserved until the Late Middle Ages, when the modern structures of the Nordic countries were established.
The Sámi have co-existed with their neighbors for centuries, but for the last two hundred years, especially during the second half of the 20th century, there have been many dramatic changes in Sámi culture, politics, economics and their relations with their neighboring societies. During the late 20th century, conflicts broke out over the use of natural resources, the reaction to which created a reawakening and defense of Sámi culture in recent years.
what is Aesir-Vanir War
the conflict between two human groups. This theory holds that, at some point in their history, the Germanic people who worshipped Odin and the Aesir gods came into contact with another group who worshipped the Vanir. It is unknown who this second group of people was.
