Read History with Jack 45 - The Vikings Article 5 维京人5

As seen in the previous two articles, the Viking Age was legendary for the advancements in political or governmental systems and significant reformation in the structures of economies. Yet, some of the most legendary and impactful stories between the Vikings and the rest of Europe occurred in cultural communication. The Viking Age was one of the most remarkable cultural interactions and merging ages. Although eventually, the medieval Christian world assimilated the Viking culture, it left some profound and defining marks on Western culture. In fact, when we today make arguments for equality and fair trials or rights, we are face-to-face with the Viking culture; when we today appreciate the beauty of the English language, we are face-to-face with the Viking culture; when we today talk about pragmatism and the importance of adaptability, we are face-to-face with the Viking culture; when we today undauntingly explore into the unknown, determined to break through the comfort zones, we are again face-to-face with the Viking culture. 

The first major cultural elements the Vikings brought into European culture were the concepts of equality and fair trial. The most significant case of this cultural interaction happened in England, where the Vikings introduced a novel form of trial into the region. The Vikings themselves had a rather complete and pioneering legal system that granted relatively just verdicts. The suspected criminals would be trialed during a legislative assembly. A panel gave the supposed facts of the trial, and a jury of 12, 24, or 36, depending on the seriousness of the cases, would ultimately decide whether the suspect was guilty. A "law-sayer" would inform the jury about what the written law declared about the crime committed and supervise the entire judicial process. This legislative system was more or less detached from the political one, and the procedures or punishments equally applied to almost all people. This relatively modern legal process sowed the seeds for equality and fair trial, concepts that have been integrated into the foundations of Western culture.

Another noticeable sign of Viking influence on Western culture is the English language itself. The Old Norse language that the Vikings spoke significantly impacted the evolution of English through cultural communication with the mainland Europeans. For one, hundreds of English words we use today, especially those that start with "sk" or "sc", owe their existence thanks to the Vikings. For other examples, the word "law" itself directly originated from Old Norse, and so did "they," "get," "take," "fellow," etc. For another, some of the English dialects and other ways English syntax and diction work are the products of cultural interaction with the Vikings. As an example, the northern dialects of English (by "northern" I mean northern England) evolved faster than the southern dialects, probably because of earlier contact with the Vikings. There are undoubtedly other great examples that can showcase the deep influence the Norse language and the Viking language culture had on the early evolution of English.

Further, the Vikings were a pragmatic group of people. Their pragmatism was rooted in their culture. If today's Western cultures emphasize pragmatism, this emphasis can be traced back to the Viking era. Like the Europeans and Americans in history, the Viking pragmatism led them to adapt quickly to changing surroundings or better systems. For example, when fluctuations in ecological conditions in Iceland made the island unsuitable for living, the Viking pragmatism resulted in them immediately adapting to the situation, choosing the better option of giving up some of the sovereignty on Iceland and placing themselves under the Norwegian crown. When the centralized model of governing shown in the Byzantine Empire was more effective in ruling an area that was diverse in ethnicity and cultural values, the Vikings were not stubborn by sticking to their old systems. Instead, they pragmatically copied and pasted this model in Norway, Denmark, and a few other regions, establishing major kingdoms. This pragmatism, through cultural interactions, fused into European culture. It was with this pragmatism that the Renaissance arrived, and novel ideas focused on humans instead of God appeared; it was with this pragmatism that the Europeans were the first to adjust to changing tides and began the Age of Exploration; it was this pragmatism that American rose so astonishingly fast in the 19th and 20th centuries, as it adapted and absorbed the advantages and talents given by every place across the globe. This Viking pragmatism and sole concentration on the changes or the reasons behind the real, human world changes helped constitute the greatness of Western culture, especially in the modern age. But it is hard to imagine what else, besides the Viking invasions, could have led medieval European culture eventually on this path towards pragmatism.

To take a step further from pragmatism, the exploration spirit of the Vikings undoubtedly shaped and impacted the Western culture to the most basic level. But by "exploration," I mean not only courageous trips into unmapped regions. "Exploration" also means exploring new fields of technology, politics, economics, and many other areas. It can hardly be argued a coincidence that before the Viking Age, the Europeans did not explore systematically into the unknown world and that a few hundred years after the Viking Age, the Europeans suddenly all took to the rough seas to seek strange lands. The Vikings at least partially contributed to the ignition of the flame of exploration of the Europeans by making epic journeys out of the known world themselves to Iceland, Greenland, and beyond. This curious, undaunting mindset was seen when Christopher Columbus made his voyage to North America or when Robert Peary and Matthew Henson first set foot on lands of the North Pole. For the scientific or technological sectors, the Vikings explored ship-making technology. They developed the first workable keels, the first version of the starboard. They even thought of an ingenious way to prevent the wood material of the ship from rotting by smearing a layer of a specific type of oily substance on top. Today, people have the same mindset as the Vikings when we dig into new territories in technology, be it chips, artificial intelligence, or space stations. The Vikings' exploration spirit was transferred and subsequently rooted in Western culture.

However, cultural interaction means that both sides influence one another. On the other side of the relationship, the Viking culture was strongly influenced by European culture. The Europeans' most significant and long-lasting impact on the Vikings was Christianity. One of the first such cases of the Christian culture impacted the Vikings happened in Kievan Rus'. After periods of intimate interaction with the Byzantine Empire to the South, one of the rulers of Kievan Rus', Vladimir, decided to convert himself and the entire population of the federation to Christianity. Of course, he had his political reasons, but this move symbolized a growing influence of medieval European culture on the native Viking one. In Denmark, a similar case occurred when Harald "Bluetooth" decided to make his kingdom Christian in 965 C.E. after careful consideration. Harald wanted to find a unifying force to bind his subjects together. He found this force in Christianity. After conversion, Harald spent a tremendous effort to let the world know that the Danes were Christians by destroying pagan structures and erecting churches. Like in Kievan Rus', the conversion of the Danish kingdom at the traditional heartland of Viking culture shows the increasing sway of the Christian culture over the Vikings.

During the roughly 250 years of the Viking Age, dynamic cultural interactions were constantly happening as the Viking forces pushed inland to the heart of Europe and beyond to the East and South. Intrinsically, such dynamic communication could happen because, for the Viking side, they possessed an open mindset and a unique, innovative culture, while for the European side, their medieval culture based in Christianity was strong enough to withstand continuous blows while impacting the Viking culture back. The products and lessons from this iridescent period of cultural contact have been profound and long-lasting. So much of what we regard as the cornerstones for Western culture, equality, fairness, the English language, pragmatism, and the exploration spirit owe their development to the Vikings. However, what matters is not just the products. During the process of cultural interaction with medieval Europe, the Viking culture gradually was assimilated and ultimately lost in history. The last glorious days of the Vikings witnessed the fall of their cultural homeland, Scandinavia, to Christianity. Perhaps, more critical questions lie: Why did the Viking culture eventually disappear, even if they so profoundly influenced Europe? To put this history into a modern context, in an increasingly diverse world, how can a nation protect its cultural uniqueness and values when communication with the outer world becomes a necessity? These are some of the more profound and imperative questions left behind from the Viking Age.  

WORKS CITED

Brownworth, Lars. The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings. United Kingdom, Crux 
     Publishing, 2014.

正如前两篇文章所见，维京时代因政治或政府系统的进步和经济结构的重大改革而具有传奇色彩。然而，维京人和欧洲其他地区之间一些最具传奇色彩和影响的故事发生在文化交流的形式中。维京时代是文化互动和融合的最伟大时代之一。虽然最终维京文化被中世纪的基督教世界所同化，但它确实给整个西方文化留下了一些深刻的、决定性的印记。事实上，当我们今天为平等和公平审判或权利提出论点时，我们正与维京文化面对面；当我们今天欣赏英语语言之优美时，我们正与维京文化面对面；当我们今天谈论实用主义和适应能力的重要性时，我们正与维京文化面对面；当我们今天毫不畏惧地探索未知，决心突破舒适区时，我们也正与维京文化面对面。

维京人带入欧洲文化的第一个主要文化元素是平等和公平审判的概念。这种文化互动的最重要案例发生在英格兰，这里维京人将一种新颖的审判形式引入该地区。维京人自己有一个相当完整和先锋的法律体系，给予相对公正的判决。犯罪嫌疑人将在立法大会上接受审判。审判的所谓事实由一个公众小组提供。根据案件的严重程度，由12、24或36人组成的陪审团将最终决定嫌疑人是否有罪。有一个 "讲法者 "会告诉陪审团关于所犯罪行的成文法声明，并监督整个判决过程。这种立法系统或多或少地与政治系统相分离，其程序和惩罚同样平等适用于几乎所有的人。这种相对现代的法律程序为平等和公平审判的概念播下了种子，这些概念俨然最终成为西方文化的基础之一。

维京人对西方文化影响的另一个明显标志是英语语言本身。维京人所说的古北欧语言通过与欧洲大陆人的文化交流，极大地影响了英语的演变。首先，我们今天使用的数百个英语单词，特别是以 "sk "或 "sc "开头的单词，都要感谢维京人的存在。“Law”（法律）这个词本身就直接来源于古北欧语，而 "they"（他们）、"get"（拿到）、"take"（带走）、"fellow "（家伙）等词也是如此。另外，一些英语方言和其他英语语法和修辞方式都是与维京人文化互动的产物。举个例子，英语的北部方言（我说的 "北部 "是指英格兰北部）比南部方言演变得更快，可能是因为较早地与维京人接触。毫无疑问，还有其他很好的例子可以展示北欧语言和维京语言文化对早期英语的深刻影响。

此外，维京人是一个务实的群体。他们的实用主义植根于他们的文化之中。如果今天的西方文化有任何强调实用主义的地方，我们大概率可以追溯到早期维京文化。就像历史上的欧洲人和美国人一样，维京人的实用主义使他们能够迅速适应不断变化的环境或更好的系统。例如，当冰岛的生态条件波动使该岛不适合居住时，维京人的实用主义导致他们立即适应了这种情况，放弃了在冰岛的一部分主权，并选择将自己置于挪威王室治下。当拜占庭帝国所展示的中央集权的统治模式在当时对一个民族和文化价值观极其多样化的地区的统治更为有效时，维京人并没有固执地坚持他们的旧制度。相反，他们务实地在挪威、丹麦和其他一些地区复制和粘贴了这种模式，形成较大面积的统一王国。这种实用主义通过文化互动，融合到了欧洲文化中。正是随着这种实用主义的到来，文艺复兴时期出现了以人而不是以神为中心的新思想；正是随着这种实用主义的到来，欧洲人率先适应了变化的潮流，开始了探索与大航海时代；正是随着这种实用主义的到来，美国19和20世纪如此惊人的崛起才得以实现，因为它适应并吸收了全球各地给予的优势和才能。这种维京人的实用主义和对现实人类世界的变化或变化背后的原因的唯一专注部分构成了西方文化的伟大之处，尤其是在现代。但的确很难想象，除了维京人的入侵，还有什么能使中世纪的欧洲文化最终走上这条实用主义的道路。

从实用主义再前进一步，维京人的探索精神无疑在最基本的层面上塑造和影响了西方文化。但是，我所说的 "探索"，不仅仅是指勇敢地进入未开发的地域。"探索 "还意味着向技术、政治、经济和其他许多领域的新晋探究。在维京时代之前，欧洲人没有系统地探索未知世界，而在维京时代之后的几百年，欧洲人突然都进军波涛汹涌的大海，发现未知世界，这很难说是一种巧合。维京人通过走出已知世界，到冰岛、格陵兰岛和其他地方进行了史诗般的旅行，至少部分地促成了欧洲人探索火焰的点燃。当克里斯托弗-哥伦布航行到北美时，或当罗伯特-皮里和马修-汉森首次踏上北极的土地时，都可以看到这种好奇的、不畏艰险的心态的展露。在科学与技术方面，维京人对造船技术进行了探索。他们开发了第一种可行的龙骨，第一个版本的右舷，甚至想到了一个巧妙的方法，通过在上面涂抹一层某种油性物质来防止船的木质材料腐烂。今天，当我们在技术领域挖掘新知识或发明之时，无论是芯片、人工智能还是空间站，人们都有和维京人一样的探索心态。维京人的探索精神被转移，随后扎根于西方文化中。

然而，文化互动意味着双方相互影响。维京文化，在关系的另一方，受到欧洲文化的强烈影响。从欧洲人到维京人的最重要和最持久的影响是基督教。基督教文化对维京人产生影响的最早案例之一发生在Kievan Rus’。在与南方的拜占庭帝国亲密交往之后，Kievan Rus’的统治者之一弗拉基米尔决定让自己和联邦的所有人口皈依基督教。当然，他有自己的政治原因，但此举象征着中世纪欧洲文化对本土维京人文化影响的日益增强。在丹麦，类似的情况也发生了。公元965年，"蓝牙 "哈拉尔德国王经过深思熟虑，决定让他的王国成为基督教国家。哈拉尔德希望找到一种统一的力量将他的臣民连接在一起，他最后在基督教中找到了这种力量。皈依后，哈拉尔德花了很大力气，通过摧毁异教建筑和建立教堂，试图让世界知道丹麦人是基督徒。与Kievan Rus’一样，位于维京文化传统中心地带的丹麦王国的皈依表明基督教文化对维京人的影响愈发深远。

在维京时代的大约250年里，随着维京人的势力向欧洲的中心地带以及向东方和南方扩展，动态的文化互动不断发生。从本质上讲，这种动态交流之所以能够发生，是因为对于维京人一方来说，他们拥有完全开放的思维方式和独特的创新文化，而对于欧洲人一方来说，他们基于基督教的中世纪文化足够强大，能够承受持续的打击，同时对维京文化反过来进行影响。这段斑斓的文化接触时期的产物和教训是深刻而持久的。我们所认为的西方文化的基石，平等、公平、英语语言、实用主义和探索精神，大部分都归功于维京人的发展。然而，重要的不仅仅是文化交流的最终产物。在与中世纪欧洲的文化互动过程中，维京人的文化逐渐被同化，最终消失在历史中。维京人最后的光辉岁月见证了他们的文化故乡斯堪的纳维亚半岛几乎彻彻底底沦陷于基督教。也许，更重要的问题在于，既然维京文化对欧洲影响如此之深，为什么最终仍会消亡？把这段历史放到现代背景下，在一个日益多元化的世界里，当与外部世界的交流成为一种必要时，一个国家如何保护其文化的独特性和价值观？这些都是维京时代留下的一些更为深刻和愈发关键的问题。