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Did the vikings call themselves vikings?

Question #108402. Asked by author.
Last updated Aug 22 2016.

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MiCharlie124 star
Answer has 15 votes
Currently Best Answer
MiCharlie124 star
18 year member
88 replies avatar

Answer has 15 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
"In Old Norse, the word is spelled víkingr.[3] The word appears on several rune stones found in Scandinavia. In the Icelanders' sagas, víking refers to an overseas expedition (Old Norse fara í víking "to go on an expedition"), and víkingr, to a seaman or warrior taking part in such an expedition.

In Old English, the word wicing appears first in the Anglo-Saxon poem, "Widsith", which probably dates from the 9th century. In Old English, and in the writings of Adam von Bremen, the term refers to a pirate, and is not a name for a people or a culture in general. Regardless of its possible origins, the word was used more as a verb than as a noun, and connoted an activity and not a distinct group of individuals. To "go Viking" was distinctly different from Norse seaborne missions of trade and commerce.

The word disappeared in Middle English, and was reintroduced as Viking during 18th century Romanticism (the "Viking revival"), with heroic overtones of "barbarian warrior" or noble savage."

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings

So the bottom line would be "no".

Aug 31 2009, 7:58 AM
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zbeckabee star
Answer has 8 votes
zbeckabee star
Moderator
19 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 8 votes.
The Vikings, or Ostmen as they called themselves, ruled Dublin for nearly three centuries, established a large slave market, were expelled in 902, and returned in 917, notwithstanding their defeat by the Irish High King Brian Boru at the battle of Clontarf in 1014.

link http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Dublin

They became known as the "Norsemen" (literally, north-men) and laterally as the "Vikings". They called themselves "Ostmen". The Vikings who first attacked Ireland were Norwegian while those in Britain were usually Danish. Being pagans, the Vikings did not have any respect for Christian symbols and sites.

link http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/pre_norman_history/vikings.html

Response last updated by Terry on Aug 22 2016.
Aug 31 2009, 10:54 AM
author
Answer has 5 votes
author
23 year member
2834 replies

Answer has 5 votes.
It is correct that "Ostman" was used as a name for the "Easterner", "the people coming from the East". The term in Norwegian and Icelandic was "Austmann". It says in this Norwegian Wiki page that "Austmann" was used in Iceland as a name for Norwegians.
Today it is also a man's name in Iceland.

link http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austmann

Sep 01 2009, 9:58 AM
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