The Vikings

The Vikings

They lived in the north

Noordland

A place of long dark winters

With short dim lit days

Long dark nights

Deep snow and ice

Not at all nice

The weather warms

Days are longer

The men get out their long boats

Twenty men to row

The drummer to keep the rate

Task man to lash the slackers

Wind blows from the north

Set the sails

They are off away

New lands to find

Take what they want

Food animals

Young women

Back to their home land

Some men go away

Take a girl and her home

Now she belongs to him

He will stay

Work the land alongside her

Teach her Viking ways

The land is fertile so is she

Crops grow well

So do her boys tall and strong

The girls with flaxen hair

Bodies like female Viking Goddesses

Well suited to work the land

And carry the bairns of the next-door's young ladd

The boat is now short of men

Girls that were taken

Now in place

Male and female

Stripped to their waist

To row and keep pace

Back to Noordland

Wife now of the Viking man

Work his land

Keep his house

Produce more Viking babes

Wild Rose

March 2020

Reviews

[.]

I have always found the Vikings a fascinating race of people; ferocious in battle, brutal to those they conquered, but gentle to their wives and bairn and brilliant engineers and masters of the seas. Their whole allegiance to their gods and the myths surrounding them only increases my interest in them. Your poem has given the reader a little window into their lives and that is a very creative thing. Much enjoyed, Wild Rose! :))

[Wild Rose]

here their is much influence from the Vikings > they steeled here with their new women
We went to Iceland for one summer and I read up a fair bit about them
Also in Holland many of their words are similar to Northern England I can read some Dutch but not understand the spoken word
As one lady said how did we manage with our language . They join all the words together > We just speak it like that
I will have to attempt some words to go with my pictures of Iceland

[Cyrano]

Yeah, the Angles, Saxons, Jutes populated England and they were kin to the Friese who remained in The Netherlands, and to the Danes who eventually raided and at times conquered them.

Its why Beowulf, the first story written in English, is about Swedish And Danish people. Their ancient history is intertwined.

My grandfather is from The Dominican Republic, which was mostly settled by the Canary Islands, Who in turn had been previously ruled and settled by Normandy (Viking descendants) and wouldnt you know it his Patronimic Surname is Prud'homme (Spanish: Perdomo) which was a branch of Norman Nobles. Lol

I have always loved the "Norse" Cultures but never imagined I had some degree of connection to them. Goes to show how interconnected the world really is.

[Dave Brown]

I used to fantasize about Vikings when I was a kid but when I got older and thought more about their cold weather, lack of real comfort and seemingly constant relationship with danger, I more grew to appreciate my central heating, comfortable sofa, TV and a good beer
Just saying

[Wild Rose]

Yes I do appreciate our central heating TV Beer and a good sofa > Actually when we were in Iceland we were in shorts all the time

[light and ashes]

The Vikings were ruthless. I'm not usually a fan of people like that, but I have to admit you have to give them your respect. They were revered for good reason. I enjoyed reading this.

[Wild Rose]

Ruthless. Yes, have you seen where they lived?
You had to be tough to live there.

read moreRuthless. Yes, have you seen where they lived?
You had to be tough to live there.

Lots of them settled here good farming land, warmer climes

Thanks for reading and your comment

[light and ashes]

I guess that's a great point.

[Wild Rose]

we had a long camping holiday there

[light and ashes]

That sounds really cool. I'm sure it was very interesting.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A most beguiling piece, my husband has been brought up Asatru and everyday I'm finding out more and more about these people, that once were and will be again, well done, good read.

[Wild Rose]

The result of a six weeks camping tour of Iceland
I did a bit of research about the place and the people
There are lots of Viking place names here abouts

[McEltic]

They needed big rolling pins to smack him on the helmet without breaking cadence :)

[Wild Rose]

Aye ladd lots of Viking place names around here