The Vikings were undoubtedly fearsome fighters, but part of their success was down to the fear and awe in which they were held.
Viking tales, like other sagas and legends, were told around the fireside and legendary warriors gained a cult status.
But the Vikings weren’t an official, recruited fighting force. They were paid to fight as and when needed and for the rest of the year, carried out their normal occupations. They used whatever clothing and weapons they could afford and often believed that the characters and symbols on their weapons offered them magical protection.
Vikings used fear to make their raids easier and to create less resistance from those they were attacking. For example, when approaching a harbour, they would line all their shields along the side of their longboat, to appear as well armed as possible.
Viking raids often took place during the summer months, perhaps so that they could use anything that they snatched to see them through the long winter season. Often, they wouldn’t even need to fight for what they intended to snatch. There are medieval records showing payments made to Viking forces to bribe them not to make any further raids on a particular region. But the raids did continue, with the Viking forces gaining in confidence and moving from small raids, based on little more than good fortune, to the seizure of huge tracts of land and the colonization of large foreign territories.
