File:The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and (14784256302).jpg

Identifier: worldsinhabitant00bett (find matches)
Title: The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas), 1850-1891
Subjects: Civilization Culture
Publisher: London Ward, Lock
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
^ ^ themselves as far within what we know as Russia, as Novgorod predatoryand Kief. In fact, it is probably from these wanderers that ^the name of Russia is derived. They were rothsmen or rowers, Scan-dinavian vikings. Even Constantinople was twice attacked by theNorthmen with their terrible battle-axes, and later they were induced toenter the Byzantine emperors service as an imperial body-guard. The old view of the vikings as terrible barbarians, with no goodqualities, is of course natural enough, when we consider how sorelypeople had suffered from them. They in fact were clansmen, desperatelyattached to their clan and theirchief, ever seeking to revengea brothers or a friends death,and choosing a violent death.It was part of a mans edu-cation to be a pirate; but astime went on, the 1 1 1 i^ Piracy a partmen who had suin- of a vikings cientlydistinguished «^^=^*i°^-themselves in that line of life,and brought home plenty ofbooty, would settle down peace-fully at home. There was much
Text Appearing After Image:
KUNIC KING FOUND IN NOEWAY. 140 THE INHABITANTS OF EUROPE. domestic life and agriculture too in the time of the vikings, or therewould have been no population from which they could be supplied. Thereligious beliefs and practices of the Norsemen we cannot here dilate upon.They worshipped natural powers personified and heroes deified, especiallyOdin, the god of war. Old Scandinavian society was broadly divided into two divisions, the eorls or chiefs, and the churls or men. Later a king was elected, Boris, churls, especially for war; and each kingdom had its own assembly, and kings, j^g thing or moot, to make laws and transact other business. There was also a class of thralls or slaves, with no rights. Gradually the smaller kingdoms were united into the kingdoms ofNorway, Sweden, and Denmark. Christianity was introduced as late as the , , . , tenth and eleventh centuries. Thus Scandinavia affords us oneLate intro-duction of of the latest instances of the persistence of heathendom amongIS

Note About Images