Vikings in Santiago!! (What again?)

[scruffy1]

The Vikings have a long and tortuous history with Santiago de Compostela beginning sometime in the mid 9th century, 844 has been offered. Never liking English food and tiring of French cuisine they moved south to taste pulpo? They attacked Jacobsland (Galicia) and SdC on several occasions, in 966 they killed Sisnand, the warlord and bishop of Santiago who faced them in battle until Rosendo of Celanova (San Rosendo or Saint Rudesind) the bishop of Mondonedo defeated them, apparently they were looking for loot and ransom, nothing new under the sun. However, along comes Sigurd I Magnusson (c. 1090 – 26 March 1130), also known as Sigurd the Crusader, a good Christian king ruling in the golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway, he who became the first king to participate in a Crusade against the Muslim presence in the Holy Land. On the way to glory he fought the Muslims in Lisbon, the Mediterranean islands, Sidon, but not breaking with tradition he first attacked Christian Galicia and threatened SdC. The shrine and the cult of Saint James were already established, Al-Mansur had attacked and razed the town in 997, so what exactly was Sigurd thinking about??? True Olaf Tryggvason had brought Christianity to Norway only some few years previous to Sigurd, but it may be argued that while Olaf and most of the country were just barely Christian, they could not help themselves, and so returned to places already visited. History is often complicated and convoluted, life in Santiago was often difficult and dangerous so perhaps we should be happy that our worst fears concern blisters and the distance to the next albergue! PS Convoluted? In the town of Catoira less than 50 kilometers from SdC, there is an annual Viking festival which includes music and theater productions, a Viking feast, a mass, the re-enactment of a Viking attack complete with longboat, followed by a picnic in medieval dress - curiouser and curiouser! To say the least. Get out your diaries, this occurs the first Sunday in August, too late this year.

 

[Arminius]

A nice piece of history. It is only good and right that Catoira remembers the conflict between the Vikings and the natives. Thks for sharing Scruffy1.

 

[Arminius]

The Vikings were the original social rebels – the punks or Hells Angels of the years 800-1050.
“They weren’t fluffy bunnies. They were pirates and raiders, that’s what ‘viking’ means. They were slave traders and brutal warriors.”

 

[Pelegrin]

In Camino Portugués- Variante Espiritual there is a very good video by Albertinho where is possible to see the viking boats used in Catoira´s fiesta.
(The Variante Espiritual involves a trip on a boat).

 

[alansykes]

The Vikings were the original social rebels – the punks or Hells Angels of the years 800-1050.
“They weren’t fluffy bunnies. They were pirates and raiders, that’s what ‘viking’ means. They were slave traders and brutal warriors.”

Oh dear, that's a bit worrying. I had my DNA tested a while back, and it seems I'm haplogroup I1c (the "Viking gene"). On the plus side, I suppose it means I have an extra excuse to detour to St Olaf's church and Princess Christina of Norway's tomb at Covarrubias near Santo Domingo de Silos when I'm passing that way in November. I promise not to pillage anything on the way, or trade any slaves.

 

[VNwalking]

Thanks, Scruffy1, for this. Very interesting...who'd have guessed?
And now we have Ivar! Definitely an improvement over the 'older' Norwegian generation...
(Sorry Ivar, couldn't resist...)

 

[Arminius]

Thanks, Scruffy1, for this. Very interesting...who'd have guessed?
And now we have Ivar! Definitely an improvement over the 'older' Norwegian generation...
(Sorry Ivar, couldn't resist...)

Finally, we know that! Ivar will forgive us!

 

[Arminius]

Oh dear, that's a bit worrying. I had my DNA tested a while back, and it seems I'm haplogroup I1c (the "Viking gene"). On the plus side, I suppose it means I have an extra excuse to detour to St Olaf's church and Princess Christina of Norway's tomb at Covarrubias near Santo Domingo de Silos when I'm passing that way in November. I promise not to pillage anything on the way, or trade any slaves.

Then you are a fluffy bunnie.

 

[dougfitz]

@scruffy1, have you considered writing for Readers Digest? Capturing the complex history of Norway's conversíon to Christianity in a couple of paragraphs would be like condensing the history of Israel to a couple of sentences. I hope forum members interested in Norway's religious conversion and the power the Scandinavians exerted over the development of Europe and the British Isles read more widely.

 

[scruffy1]

Oh dear, that's a bit worrying. I had my DNA tested a while back, and it seems I'm haplogroup I1c (the "Viking gene"). On the plus side, I suppose it means I have an extra excuse to detour to St Olaf's church and Princess Christina of Norway's tomb at Covarrubias near Santo Domingo de Silos when I'm passing that way in November. I promise not to pillage anything on the way, or trade any slaves.

No reason to search for an excuse to visit Santo Domingo de los Silos, it is an amazing place all of it, the cloister, the church, and the Gregorian chants. A Camino favorite despite the difficulties to get there and to return - an ethnological challenge!

 

[MTtoCamino]

I am just very pleased scruffy1 likes to share his knowledge & dougfitz reminds us to read more. This part of the world definitely has some interesting history to draw us even further into the lands of the Camino.
Thank you both for keeping it interesting.
Keith

 

[William Garza]

Thank you Scruffy 1 for the History
My Favorite subject
Well
Among my Favorites...
Ime still a sponge for knowledge!

 

[grayland]

Is anyone thinking that Ivar may actually be an " in place" spy agent for a new Norse invasion???

 

[HeidiL]

(Browsing through old treads...)

Ivar, stay quiet!

 

[naplesdon]

Oh dear, that's a bit worrying. I had my DNA tested a while back, and it seems I'm haplogroup I1c (the "Viking gene"). On the plus side, I suppose it means I have an extra excuse to detour to St Olaf's church and Princess Christina of Norway's tomb at Covarrubias near Santo Domingo de Silos when I'm passing that way in November. I promise not to pillage anything on the way, or trade any slaves.

Alan, it could be a lot worse because I have the genetic blood disorder hemochromatosis, know as the Celtic Curse. It requires a lot of maintenance and the genes that make up the results of that DNA test are very prevalent in the population of Pays Basque.
Sorry to have missed a stop at your place last year (and next year) I'm loving walking on the Aragones!!

 

[jeffnd]

It's all Norwegians on my dad's side as far back as you can go. One day I'll walk St. Olav's way to see the land my ancestors were kicked out of!

While in Santiago, everyone in our group wanted me to try pulpo. I ordered a plate and offered some to the other pilgrims but they all declined. One even claimed to be a vegetarian, even though I swear this particular pilgrim had eaten a ham sandwich just the day before. Someone also remarked that it looked like the legs (arms? tentacles?) came from a baby. Great, not only was I about eat octopus, it was VEAL octopus. Before taking my first bite, I proclaimed that since a Norwegian-American was about to eat a strange seafood dish, that one day someone from Spain would have to reciprocate and eat the strange seafood of my culture, which would be lutefisk. I haven't found a Spaniard to take me up on that offer.

 

[SYates]

... one day someone from Spain would have to reciprocate and eat the strange seafood of my culture, which would be lutefisk. I haven't found a Spaniard to take me up on that offer.

And for all of you that wonder what lutefisk actually is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk
And yes, it is cured with lye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye
And double yes, this German has actually tried it and found it very delicious!
SY

 

[Former member 2537]

“... They were pirates and raiders, that’s what ‘viking’ means. They were slave traders and brutal warriors.”

Actually the people were more like Norse or Northmen. The voyages they undertook were "vikings".

 

[William Garza]

I have been wanting to try that lye cured fish...