Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Anna-Claire Crichton |
|---|---|
| Title | What’s in a Name; An Examination of Scandinavian Groups and their Interactions in Viking Age Ireland |
| Department | History |
| Advisor | Christian Raffensperger |
| Year | 2021 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (490 KB) |
| Abstract | In the medieval era, Scandinavian settlers and raiders (now commonly thought of as “Vikings”) had an influential presence in Ireland, particularly Dublin. While one trend of historical thought views Vikings as the aggressors in Ireland, newer perspectives have begun to dissect the role of Scandinavians within Ireland under a more neutral lens—one which involves studying the cultural influences and exchanges held between the native and foreign populations. This thesis first describes the ways in which historians have characterized the Viking presence in Ireland, and then examines how the Scandinavians are described in primary sources such as the Annals of Ulster, the Annals of Inisfallen, and the Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh. The manner in which the Vikings interact with these populations, the exact names that are being used to describe them (e.g. “Norsemen,” “Danes,” “dark foreigners,” “fair foreigners”), and the examination of how that contributes to the idea of different Scandinavian groups will be considered. Particularly with the sources from the Irish Sea zone, special attention will be paid to how the Scandinavians are being described in order to examine the apparent differentiation in groups of Vikings. Once that is established, it is then necessary to examine ethnicity within a medieval context, as well as looking at specific cultural interactions between the Irish and Scandinavians. Ethnicity was not the motivator or defining factor within society. Rather, kinship, alliances, and overarching lordship held more weight in determining the cohesion of people. Thus, while raiding and more violent interactions did occur, so did a variety of cultural exchanges and developments that allowed for a multi-cultural society to progress throughout the Viking Age. Through broadening the scope of perspective throughout the Irish Sea zone to observe the different units of Scandinavians, the ethnic perceptions and corroborations occurring between the native Irish populations and the Vikings can be more fully understood. |
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