Languages of the Viking World
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- A look at the languages the Vikings would have encountered in their travels in the early medieval world.
Dr. Jackson Crawford is Instructor of Nordic Studies and Nordic Program Coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder (formerly UC Berkeley and UCLA). He is a historical linguist and an experienced teacher of Old Norse, Modern Icelandic, and Norwegian.
Logo by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).
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Hello. I speak the Mohawk language and I've always wondered if the Vikings/Norse people came in contact with the Mohawk people back then. An interesting word that we have for giants is Ateneniáhrhon which means roughly "rock covered one", I've always pictured it as the Vikings with their armor. Ateneniáhrhon also can be used to someone who is a glutton, one who eats and destroys food and doesn't stop.
I know this is really old, but the Norse never went south enough into America to interact with the Mohawk.
@@pixel9753
Well, you're right that there isn't much evidence to suggest that they reached that far south.....
However, they were not that far from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, which at the time, would have been home to the St. Lawrence Iroquoian speaking peoples, who were closely related to the Mohawk (Kanien'keha), and the St. Lawrence River would have been the major waterway used for trade and connecting ethno-linguistic groups and regions.....
It is very possible that a small group of Vikings, maybe even one small party, went further south and found the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, and ended up being killed, so there was never any report back about another new land discovered......
If that happened, then there should be some sort of archaeological evidence for that, like some artifacts, certain items that the party of Vikings carried, or the remains of a boat, etc.....but it could be that they just haven't been discovered yet, or perhaps the items they carried were taken by the indigenous inhabitants and used for whatever they needed.....
The wood of their boat could have been used by the indigenous inhabitants for building, and we just haven't found what they used it for.....
What I mean to say is that, sometimes things can remain hidden for many centuries without us knowing, until they are finally discovered.....
We absolutely cannot state for sure that it didn't happen, when it was actually very possible.....
The Vikings came quite close to the area inhabited by Iroquoian speaking tribes.......
Furthermore, look how long it took for the Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows to be discovered and studied, and for the scientific community to come out and say definitively that the Vikings reached what is now Canada........
So it's actually very possible......
but until we have any solid evidence for it, it just remains an interesting thought.....
In other words, it's highly speculative.....
Decades back in a corner of the university library i found a book titled 'Viking and the Red Man' by Reider Sherwin. (1953) Purported to explain the number of Algonquin words looked to be of Norse origin. It's still out there, Amazon and AbeBooks &c. Don't know what it's thought of in linguistic circles.
Wait, why was it in black and white though? I really like the part where in the end it's just nature and it's so green and the sky is so blue
Reupload, maybe?
This is the second video in black and white. Kinda takes away from the Jackson Crawford experience without the beautiful sights. Hope the next one will be in colour again.
I don't mind the black and white. In fact, I think he should keep the effect while he speaks and then slowly fade into color after he leaves the frame and focuses on the landscape. T'would be a neat effect, maybe conveying the passage from myth into modernity, or something.
... No less distractingly handsome, despite the B & W
I love these videos learning so much about my own heritage.
The consensus on the birthplace of Romanian is the Carpathian basin - Transylvania. There are evidence to support this. All regional variants of the language contain a set of basic words of Hungarian origin, such as ''oraș'' (Hu. ''város'' = city), ''și'' (Hu. ''és'' = and) etc. (naturally, the regional variants spoken in Transylvania, but especially those spoken in the western part of the country, outside the Carpathian basin, do contain the largest amount of Hungarian loanwords, for obvious reasons. However, it should be noted that in many villages, and perhaps remote areas in Transylvania the vocabulary was - and, to some extent, still is - reminiscent of the old Vulgar Latin introduced by the Roman colonists, with words such as: ''ai'' (Lat. ''allium,-i'' = garlic) (normally, we use 'usturoi'), ''ista'' (Lat. ''iste, -a, -ud' = this - when referring to a person) etc.
I don't mind the black and white. In fact, I think he should keep the effect while he speaks and then slowly fade into color after he leaves the frame and focuses on the landscape. T'would be a neat effect, maybe conveying the passage from myth into modernity, or something.
Amazing video as always! Thank you for this channel!!!
Great video as always, but please bring the colors back!
Great video. AFAIK The Swedish used the Dniepr as a trade route to Byzanz, so at least it is possible that they met a Crimean Goth.
Didn't forget Basque and Sami. This is why I love you.
Loki buzzed your video. Odinn's trying to talk to you with ravens
It's nice to hear what other languages were spoken at that time for a change.
Still is spoken...
Thank you for this one too.
Had to pause the video 48 seconds in to buy that shirt.
funny enough, i kinda like the monochrome. you make great videos, dont be afraid to branch out and continue to get better at what you do.
Can you make a video about the relationship between North Sea Germanic and North Germanic?
One could assume that when they went to modern day northern Canada, they would encounter the Dene people. Proto Inuit. And whatever tongue they spoke.
I really like the high-contrast black and white aesthetic here.
I've been subscribed to your channel for some time now, and plan to resume patreon support once my finances are in better standing. Love your content, and appreciate your work!
Horsefly had to get a word in too.
Robert Donaldson
He is very knowledgeable in Norse Myth as well!
Black and White rules. Looks awesome. Reminds me of film photography.
Yo professor Crawford. While watching one of your videos I noticed your merchandise. I saw your mugs and thought to myself these would make more sense for your channel if you had a cowboy riding sleipnir! Now that’s a mug I’d buy!
Two things: 1) you missed some of the Baltic. What about the broad west Baltic speakers? Those languages didn't go extinct until long after the Viking Age, and West Prussian would have probably been all over the southern Baltic coast. 2) if Pictish isn't Brythonic, or if there's a non-Brythonic element to it, it isn't very parsimonious to assume that it's non-Indo-European, since the isles were Indo-Europeanized during the Bell Beaker age in the Bronze Age. I realize that it's all very speculative, but assuming that the Picts were the descendants of some kind of Indo-European Bell Beaker language makes more sense than non-Indo-European. Again, assuming that they're not just a far northern and somewhat unusual Brythonic dialect.
The Algonquian language「Micmac」in some earlier form was most likely spoken in Newfoundland during this time period. Most Eastern Algonquian tribes have a very long history of continuously inhabiting the same region. Massachusett/Wampanoag and Lenape each for thousands of years in their respective areas, for example
Great video, thanks
What role do the Sami play in Old Norse stories and literature?
He discussed in a video about the Volva how they may have influenced some of the ideas of how seers saw into the past and future.
I live in Swedish Lapland and there are stories about what the Sami people called "Stalofolket" the Steelpeople. Probably Norwegian vikings walking over the mountains doing trade and other interactions. In the myths the stalofolket was gigants dressed in steel "chain mail??" It`s little written about this but I find it interesting :)
*Sami myths
There are many examples of them. Multiple people rob northern sami when going north and to Bjarmia, and one of king Haraldr Fairhair's wives was Snæfríðr Svásadóttir of southern sami lineage. Often they are portrayed as magicians. In Northern Norway taxing the sami were an important source of wealth for many chiefs, as said by Othere. ANd their presence was known down to Dovre in the middle of Norway.
"he was the Fin whose hut the king had promised
to visit, and which stood on the other side of the ridge. Now
the king went out, and promised to go with him, and went over the
ridge to his hut, although some of his men dissuaded him. There
stood Snaefrid, the daughter of Svase, a most beautiful girl; and
she filled a cup of mead for the king. But he took hold both of
the cup and of her hand. Immediately it was as if a hot fire
went through his body; and he wanted that very night to take her
to his bed. But Svase said that should not be unless by main
force, if he did not first make her his lawful wife. Now King
Harald made Snaefrid his lawful wife"
They are usually called "finns" in Old Norse, just as they still are in much of Norway.
Another great video, it's just too bad we couldn't take in the colors of that beautiful scenery.
Can you do a video on Norse astronomy? The Old Norse must have been fairly adept at astronomy, since they would have had to navigate using the stars on open waters, and the motions of the heavens would allow them to predict the seasons, which was important for farming. Did they take an active interest in astronomy as a field of study, or was it just a utility for them? Did they have their own names for planets, stars and constellations? Did they acquire knowledge of Greco-Roman astronomy through contact with other European cultures? I feel like they couldn't have avoided noticing objects such as Mars or Venus, especially since they would have been very dependent on observing the night sky.
I know it's not really within the scope of Norse language and myth (although constellations are often closely tied with myths), so I understand if it's outside your field of study.
Jonassoe The Norse actually seemed really disinterested in planets and astrology in general. I have never encountered any Old Norse names for planets like the Greeks and the Romans did. They do mention the name and origin of a certain star (which was some random dude’s toe that Þórr threw at the sky because it got frostbite), though we’re not sure m which one it is, and the moon and sun though, but the moon and sun might not even be thinking creatures, but rather like animals or simply a force of nature. To summarize: besides navigation, I think the Old Norse people were just generally disinterested in the heavens, compared to other natural forces.
They had a calender, they knew when to harvest etc.
For sailing the seas they would only need the northern star.
@@jacquelinevanderkooij4301 I think it is more complicated than that. They would have also wanted to know their position east/west as well as north/south
Are all those Ghost towns protected or can someone fix up a building or two and not get in trouble?
Slaves weren't just from captured people's like the Irish and Slavs: whole groups of Scandinavians who were native to these Northern societies were enthralled, with no rights and bound to service to their social betters. These people would have spoken Old Norse in its local variety.
A History of the Swedish People by Vilhelm Moberg treats the stratification of Old Norse society in the lands of the Svear and Götar in some depth, with an eye to the injustice and inequality of this society, setting the tone for the gradual opening of Swedish society early on. It is not glamorous or adventurous like so many histories of the North that focus on Vikings and the warrior elite, but observes instead that most people had ancestors who were less than free, bound to the land, and no different to those brought back by the raiders.
Professor Crawford I would love to see you talking in front of an old Adobe building or a Navajo (Diné) Hogan
You forgot to mention the germanic Franconain language that was spoken in Dorestad, At the Viking times Dorestad was the largest trade settlement in the world probably. Raided by the Vikings several times, but Vikings also traded peacefully there on a daily basis. Some even chose to stay. Dorestad was raided to death and the river became too shallow, but trading went on in other places with Frisians from Denmark and what later became the Germans and the Dutch through the Hanzeatic League. I learned that up to around 1500 the languages of all the peoples around the North Sea were quite intelligeable to all.
Dorestad was a frisian-tradingcenter, the Franks were fighting the frisians for it. This was before the viking time.
The Franks left to france/belgium after the romans were having problems and slowly fell apart and went back to Rome (they were bankrupt). This was around 400 ad.
The franks fought the frisians in 600/700 ad?
What do you mean by franconian language? Franks were originally a germanic tribe from Germany/Netherlands.
Do you mean french?
Can you give some examples of foreign names in Norse sagas and how they were "norsefied"?
Njal from Gaelic Niall would be the best example. I think King AEthelstan of England turns up in Egil's Saga as something like Athalsteinn?
I never realized the etymological similarity between Loki and Lugh! Fascinating. Do you reckon there is a link between Esus and Odhinn?
@@sarahgray430 Wieland der Schmied in german.
PerkeleGaming Cannot help you there but the big surprise for me was to find out some years ago that Roman Jupiter was originally Zeus Pitar. Literally God Father from the Greek. Blew me away. So much is related to so much. Look up the Proto Indo European that has been postulated by linguistic studies. Amazing stuff.
I have friends in Sweden and family in Norway who live among the Sami people. Some of my Swedish friendsa spend more time speaking Sami or one of the local dialects than Swedish. I'm wondering if you've encountered any contact info between the Vikings/Germanic tribes who invaded Scandinavia and took over the spaces previously occupied by the predecessors of the Sami peoples.
Is there a release date for his 3rd book?
Do y’all have many undergraduate students taking old Norse studies? Because I’m an undergrad who wants to go to this university and take this class and I’m just wondering if that’s a thing that can be done
At that time East Slavic would have already formed into Old Russian. All east slavs called themselves and their respective language as Russian. This is common historical knowledge which I guess is politically incorrect nowadays.
Any chance of re-releasing this with the volume at an audible level?
Hvilken amerikansk dialekt er det du snakker? Den høres veldig bra ut.
krulan w H A T ??????
Evil Regal Danish, I think. He wants to know which American accent Dr. Crawford speaks with, and he said it sounds very nice. At least that's what I'm guessing
Norwegian, but you are right as to what I was saying.
krulan Ahh that makes sense. The word snakker stumped me for a while because I thought it was Norwegian, but I also thought all the "hv.." words were Danish
Jag talar bara svenska och tyska
I think you may have lost a great opportunity to generate more income from your merch. Those cups shouldn’t have cowboys on broncos, they should have vegvsir, runes, Yggdrasil, etc. After all, that’s why we love channel.
Not sure, but it looks like Dr. Crawford is enjoying the bounty of liberated Colorado.
Thank you! 🌞
Why black and white tho? the grading would look good on color too, color fits better with the nature and landscape you shoot on i think
Like Litvak Yiddish איך (ich) and Polish Yiddish (יאַך) yach
I thought the Greenlanders arrived pretty late, and Greenland used to be inhabited by the Dorset people and others?
First! I just recently started following this channel and this is some great stuff. Also, I completely agree with the line near the end of the video. Enough with the "wikipedia knowledge".
I thought that was a very stupid and arrogant remark.
Mmmm. Are there any good resources for Old Frisian, do you know?
The world doesn't sound so different. Just a younger version of itself
There are so many gaps you could fill in the Old Norse world story if you add the research of Robert Sepehr. You would be doing the world, and yourself, a favour by checking out his channel, Atlantean Gardens.
I'm going to Wyoming in September to see Yellowstone for the first time! Any site suggestions Dr. Crawford?
Yes, look for the Apollinaris spring. It is along the Great Divide. To your amazement you will find it is a soda water spring. WARNING! do not drink too much.
Where do the RUS fit into this whole equation? I have been told the Rus came from Sweden.....and there is a connection to Russia. Rusland.
Yes, the Rus are from Ruthenia, a part of the Austria-Hungary empire in the Carpathian mountains!
They were scandinavians finding their way through modern time Russia. By the locals they were called Rus. Search for Rurik.
@@lindapolle1665yeah, and the Franks came from France and conquered nowadays Germany. 🤡
HOT HOT HOT!!!👄
🔥🔥🔥
You hear the language of ravens? Odin confirmed.
Wodan.
I wonder if the vikings ever tried to go to the north pole
i care not what u say or the way ya say it
i have a sword called bloody horde
and i know to play it.
hahaha take care gare
tu doc
Do you translate?
He does. Quite a lot, actually.
No mention of Catalan in Iberia :/
Catalan would only be a dialect of a generic 'spanish' at this time. Castilian, Leonese, Asturian, and other regional languages would also be undifferentiated at 700CE. Galician and Portuguese would also be mostly undifferentiated at this time.
Only the Basques are interesting. Their language and their DNA ...
Oh my. Is Old Norse (eastern) where Russian gets its first person pronoun? That one is "ya" (я). Strangely similar, and knowing that there was a history of Norse settlement in the region really makes me wonder.
Me too I red it were the Swedish who went East.....
It’s a coincidence and they are related inasmuch as they come from the same root. You have the same word in almost every Slavic language. You can find a lot of basic words that are ”strangely similar”. For example family members like mother, sister, etc.
British isles stop at Mann.
Nope. British Isles means England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Mann and over 6000 other islands. EDIT: Also Wales I'm so sorry Wales!
Erm Wales is not an island no
Hannibal Traven the British Isles consists of Great Britain, Ireland and all the surrounding islands. It is a geographic term not political, in the same way as is North or South America.
You described the UK which is a nation.
I think you might be confused... I actually said just what you said but four hours prior to you.
Sorry I missed that you had written Ireland. It's been a long day.