Writing a book on the Vikings, need help!

by PixelAmerica

Hello everyone! I'm writing an RPG book on the Viking Era and was looking for some names and interactions between Vikingrs and the continent. So, here are my questions:

  • What did they call "Germany" (I know Germany didn't exist yet, so multiple smaller titles would help too, "Russia" (same as Germany), and "the Netherlands"
  • What was the Holy Roman Empires' response to these attacks? Better yet, did any major powers attempt any expeditions into the north to stem the tide?
  • Are there any MAJOR groups that I've massively overlooked in these questions? Besides the British Isles, I have extensive information on them

Thank you all so much!!!

y_sengaku
  1. Saxland (Saxony) and possibly Frakkland (lit. trans. 'the land of the Franks' - in now some eastern parts of France and in western part of Germany?) as well in some cases, in contrast to modern Icelandic Frakkaland that exclusively means France now; Garðaríki (Russia, lit. meaning is 'the land/ dominion of the towns (?)'); Frísland (Friesland)
  2. While there will certainly always more to be said, the following previous posts might answer OP's question: The Danes or Vikings from later Denmark would often raid the Frankish Empire and later what would become the Holy Roman Empire. How were they so successful and how did the Danes avoid being conquered by the big powers?; Why didn't the Vikings invade Germany?
  3. Do you have enough literature on Slavic and Baltic peoples around the Baltic (see also in: How active were baltic raiders prior to the Livonian and Teutonic orders arrival?) and the Finns (Sámi) and their interaction with the Scandinavians during the Viking Ages?

Add. References:

  • Kålund, Kr (utg.). Alfræði íslenzk, i: Codex AM 194, 8vo. København, 1908.
  • Kyrkjebø, Rune & Bjørg D. Spørck (overs.). Norrøn verdenshistorie og geografi: Veraldar saga, landafræði, Nikolás Bergsson, Leiðarvísir. Aschehoug: Oslo, 2012.
Hergrim

Hi there - we're happy to approve your question related to your creative project, and we are happy for people to answer. However, we should warn you that many flairs have become reluctant to answer questions for aspiring novelists and the like, based on past experience: some people working on creative projects have a tendency to try to pump historians for trivia while ignoring the bigger points they were making, while others have a tendency to argue with historians when the historical reality does not line up with what's needed for a particular scene or characterization. Please respect the answers of people who have generously given you their time, even if it's not always what you want to hear.

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