NOM:ANS (Le., Northmen). a name generally limited in its application to those sea rovers who established themselves in that part of France called after them, Normandy; but sometimes embracing also the early inhabitants of Norway. During the middle ages, the name Northmen, or Norsemen, was often used in a broader sense, to denote the entire population of Scandinavia, and still more frequently, perhaps, to designate the Danes and Norwegians, exclusive of the Swedes. The Germans and French called the piratical hordes who ravaged their shores Normans or Northmen; the Saxons, usually Danes or Eastmemm. They were also distinguished by the latter as Mark- or March-men (from Den-mark). as Ash-men (i. e. men of the ashen-ships), and as the Heathen. The primary cause of time plundering expeditions southward and westward across the seas, undertaken by the Norse Vikings (Vikingar, meaning dwellers on the vies, i. e., bays or fiords), as they called themselves, under leaders, who took the name of " Sea-Kings," was doubtless the over-population and consequent scarcity of food in their native homes; besides, the relish for a life of warlike adventure, conjoined with the hope of rich booty, strongly attracted them; wit'l • –at least as long as the old Scandinavian religion lasted (i.e.. till about the end of the loth c.)—death in battle was not a thing to be dreaded, for the slain hero passed into a region of eternal strife in the Walhalla of Odin, Finally, discontent with the ever-increasing power of the greater chiefs or kings, induced Many of the nobles with their followers to seek new homes.
The" first Danish Norsemen made their appearance on the eastern and southern coasts of England in 787. After 832, their invasions were repeated almost every year. To one of these belongs the'legend of Ragnar Lodbrok (i.e., Ragnar of the " Shaggy hrogues"), who is said to have heen taken prisoner by Ella, king of and thrown into a dungeon filled with vipers, where, while expiring amid horrible torments, he sung with heroic exultation the story of his life. The very existence, however, of such a
person as liagnar Lodbrolt is questioned by many Scandinavian scholars, In 851, the Norsemen wintered for the first time in the island, and after 860 obtained firm footing Hine. Time Anglo-Saxon Ethelred I. fell in battle against them in 871. His brother Alfred, known as Alfred tile Great (q.v.), after a long and do'ihtful struggle, partially reduced them to subjection; nevertheless, lie was compelled to leave them in possession of Northumbria and East Anglia; and had not only to defend himself against a new and fierce invasion led by the famous rover Hastings (q.v.). but like his immediate successors, to contend against the revolts of his Dano-Norman subjects. A period of external peace now ensued: but in 991 the invasions of the Danes and Norwegians began anew. The Saxon king. Ethelred IL; at first Ootight to buy theiri off by ptiyingii sort of money, called Danegelt (q.v.); but the massacre of the Danes living in England, by cora mend of that monarch, Nov. 13, 1002, was avenged by four expeditions under the Danish king, Swen, who frightfully wasted the country, and finally conquered it in 1013, dying the following year. His son or Canute (q.v.), after carrying on a strugglefor the supreme power with Ethelred and his successor Edmund Ironside at length, on the death of the latter, became sole monarch of England, which now re mained under Danish or Norse rulers till 1042. The government of the country then reverted into the Saxon hands of Edward the Confessor (q.v.), who was succeeded in 1066 by Harold IL (q.v.), son of the powerful Goodwin, earl of Wessex (q.v.); but in October of the same year, Harold lost his life and crown at the battle of Hastings, and William the Conqueror, a descendant of a Norwegian chief who had settled in Nor mandy, once more established a Norse dynasty on the throne of England, but one greatly refined and improved by long residence in a comparatively civilized region.