The Danish Vikings had to build a wall to protect themselves from the German Empire

Castles were originally built for the very, exact same fear, to defend and protect
 
yes, and Dannevirke was built for that reason. Because the Germans were sometimes aggressive, and the wall could keep them out so the Nordic could fight among themselves in peace. But the wall had nothing to do with the Nordic expansion. The eastwards expansion had to do with the turks closing the traderoute in Bosperous. The vikings redirected that trade out west via Russian rivers, Birka and Hedeby. The westwards expansion had many reasons, such as plunder, taking land and slave trade.
 
We often see the vikings as primitive wild people that raided out of bloodthirst and pure agression where it was actually opposite: The vikings had an intercontinental knowledge (Asia, Europe and America), advanced technology (Ulfbert) and a relatively large population and they raided or overtook countries with smaller population densities or ineffective means of communication.

just a correction, "ulfberht" was probably made in the frankish realm somewhere in the rhineland and was not "viking". and if the wall was defensive it was certainly built out of fear. maybe it initially really wasn't defensive but maybe once the christian conquered and converted the frisians and the saxons the structure was fortified. only a fool wouldn't start to build a wall
 
there were viking raids into "germany". as long as the cities and villiages were accesible with their ships like in the rhineland.
the cities and villages were often unprotected just like in the western frankish empire. i wouldn't say it was ineffective communication. vikings also knew about ongoing wars in the countries they raided or attacked and also the fact that the big armies often marched with their kings while the rest of the realms were often rather unprotected. for example at the siege of paris in november 885 the defenders around count Odo were outnumbered. the frankish king was in italy. and he actually came for help almost a year later in october 886 and he did not even fight the vikings but used them against revolting frankish people in burgundy down the river seine. he was considered a coward and a traitor after this move.
 
just a correction, "ulfberht" was probably made in the frankish realm somewhere in the rhineland and was not "viking". and if the wall was defensive it was certainly built out of fear. maybe it initially really wasn't defensive but maybe once the christian conquered and converted the frisians and the saxons the structure was fortified. only a fool wouldn't start to build a wall

I didnt know that. I thought it was made in Scandinavia out of imported Asian steel. Considering they are mostly found up north.
 
Is very possible that the Saxons migration from around 300 AD, to Britain, was triggered by the raids of Danish Vikings against North Germans.
The Saxons that remained in Germany started to attack later the Danish Vikings to protect Holy Roman Empire.
Otto I, the king of Holy Roman Empire/Germany was of Saxon ancestry.
https://books.google.ro/books?id=rD...ATAEegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=otto I saxon&f=false

It is quite clear that Saxons have spoken a West Germanic language and were Germans and it seems their relations with the Vikings were not good.
Because is also known that Danish Vikings went to attack the land ruled by Saxons from England.
So it seems that the Danish Vikings and the Saxons were enemies.
There are recorded Danish Vikings raids in Germany, in the 8th century, so just after the Danish wall was built.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_raids_in_the_Rhineland
As a small paranthesis, the rulers of Francia were also German people, but from the Frankish tribes.
 
It also seems that the Danes built the wall to be able to protect themselves with ease by the Germans.
It is also clear that the Danes and the Norwegians were focusing to conquer England, in those years and England was rulled by Saxons and Angles.
It is clear that Saxons were Germans and Angles also spoken a West Germanic language.
The Danes and Norwegians managed to finally conquer England at the battle of Hastings, from the AngloSaxon rule.
 
When you say germans do you mean the franks? You should read about danish king Sigfred and his successor Gøtrik (Alternative spellings Gudfred or Godfred)

It has to do with Charlemagne and his expansion of the Frankish realm and conquest of the pagan Saxons. Actually it is written that the pagan Saxon chief Widukind found refuge with king Sigfred.
 
When you say germans do you mean the franks? You should read about danish king Sigfred and his successor Gøtrik (Alternative spellings Gudfred or Godfred)

It has to do with Charlemagne and his expansion of the Frankish realm and conquest of the pagan Saxons. Actually it is written that the pagan Saxon chief Widukind found refuge with king Sigfred.
Yes, that also happened .
However, later Widukind converted to Christianity.
Thing is, Danes and Norwegians seems to have been allied and Danes built that wall, to have an easy way to defend against Frankish Empire.
Why Danes and Norwegians focused to attack Britain, I have no idea .
It seems this wall was built to allow Danes to be able to focus better on attacking Britain.
England was ruled by Saxons and Angles which were German tribes.
So, knowing the history with all Danish and Norwegian attacks against England, I highly doubt that Saxons or Angles have ever been allied to Saxons or Angles.
I initialy thought that the raids of Vikings against Britain and Ireland were triggered by the Frankish Empire expansion, but after, thinking how England was conquered after a combined ,long effort of Danes and Norwegians, I am thinking that the building of the wall was part of the plan of the Danish and Norwegian vikings, to conquer England from Angles and Saxons rule.
Danes and Norwegians have also been sea farers and I guess this is why England and Britain was so attractive to them, because it offered the possibility to control whole North Sea and even a part of the Atlantic.
England was also a very good land to raise sheep, cows, pigs and to plant cereals.
Sheep, cows milk, pig meat and fish and cereals were the main food of the Vikings and England had also huge fisihing potential, so no wonder why Danes and Norwegians focused to conquer England from under Saxon and Angles rule.
 
Franks, Saxons, Angles, were all German tribes.
Angles came from our days Schleswig-Holstein, Saxons, from Lower Saxony and other parts from North Germany.
Franks, were from our days Lower and Middle Rhine, not from the lands that Roman Empire was rulling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franks

It is also worth telling that France in Danish is named "Frankrig" - or the Kingdom of the Franks (is named Frankreich in German).
Vikings have also raided Germany, multiple times:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_raids_in_the_Rhineland
So, the wall might have been something to protect them, in case Frankish Empire would have decided to gather a large army and go attack Denmark, by land.




 

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