Word: norsemen
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Dates: during 1890-1899
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...early Norsemen, who were first known and mentioned by the Greeks and Romans, have been confused with the Saxons, but it is not at all probable that such a seafaring race as the Saxons must thus have been, could have so completely changed their habits in 300 years, and moreover have left no traces of their previous customs. On the shores of the Baltic Mr. du Chaillu discovered countless graves in which were Roman coins of gold and silver dating back to Augustus and Tiberius, even as late as the Republic, also Greek vases of wonderful work and glass vases...
...Black then gave a short sketch of the old Norsemen, their habits and character, and their religion. He showed how they brought with them their old songs and legends, and how they influenced the native legends in Britain. Only three of these legends have safely passed the destructive hands of the monks, namely. "The Gleeman's Song." "The Fight at Frimsburg," and "Beowulf," and they are the beginning of Anglo-Saxon poetry. 'The Fight at Frimsburg' is short but alive with the fire of war, and the description of battles. Beowulf, however, is a long and thrilling tale, and told...
...poetry, the latter being subdivided into the poetry of the Edda and Skald or court poetry. The Icelandic poet was not a poet in the strict sense of the word, but a story teller who wandered about reciting tales of Scandinavian origin. The Saga, the heroic tradition of the Norsemen, is divided in three periods: the heroic period up to 1030; the period of development from 1030 to 1100, and a third period from 1100 to 1200, during which all these legends were written down. In speaking of the Nibelungenlied, Professor Smith said there is no comparison between the Icelandic...