Vikings in the Med
by Reg Reynolds
It must have been a frightening sight, hundreds of big, hairy men, with horns sticking out of their heads shouting and waving huge swords as they stormed the beaches of Spain. We are well aware that the Vikings took their plundering and settling far afield to Iceland, Greenland and even North America but not so well known are their ventures into the warmer climes of southern Europe and North Africa From 859 to 862 the Vikings fought and looted their way right across the Mediterranean, from east to west and back again. The raiding fleet consisted of 62 ships perfectly adapted for the needs of these hardy adventurers. The Viking (the word in Old Norse means sea raiders) ships were swift and had shallow draughts which enabled them to enter rivers and streams in order to raid villages which would otherwise have been deemed safe from attack by water. The leaders of the expedition were named Hasting and Bjorn Ironsides and they and their followers were a ruthless bunch — killing men, raping women and taking slaves wherever and whenever it took their fancy. At the time most of Spain was under Muslim control and known as the Emirate of Cordoba while the area where Morocco and Algeria are today was called Idrisios. On their way to the Mediterranean the Vikings pillaged several towns along the coast of what is now Portugal. Nearing Gibraltar two lead boats were captured by the Moors and found to be already laden with gold, silver and prisoners.
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The leaders of the expedition, Hasting and Bjorn Ironsides, and their followers were a ruthless bunch — killing, raping women and taking slaves
Although the Vikings would sometimes build settlements in the regions they conquered — notably Britain and Ireland — this raid into the Mediterranean was strictly a ‘get in and get out’ business affair. The raiders were only interested in what they could steal. The Vikings were fierce but they were also practical. They relied on speed and surprise and when they met stiff resistance they moved on to softer targets, which is undoubtedly why the walled city of Gibraltar was spared while less-protected Algeciras was sacked and its Mosque burned to the ground. Cadiz and Medina Sidonia were also plundered and the Vikings even sailed up the Guadalquivir and terrorised Seville. Upon entering the Mediterranean the Vikings raided villages in North Africa. Moslem accounts tell of the capture and plunder of Nekor (Mazimma in modern Morocco). On leaving Idrisios part of the fleet sailed for Ireland, taking with them some Moorish prisoners. These Moors are mentioned in early Irish texts as ‘blamenn’ which translates to ‘dark men’. Sailing along the coast of Africa the Vikings proceeded east, around Crete and then to the Kingdom of Italy where they successfully raided Pisa, Firenze and Luna. From Italy it was on to France to plunder Arles, Nimes, Valence and Narbonne in what were then Lower Burgundy
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JULY 2009