They hunted seals and fished in the rich waters. Christian IV invaded at the head of a mercenary army of 20,000 men, but the Danish forces were severely beaten, and Christian IV had to sign an ignominious defeat, the first in a series of military setbacks to weaken his kingdom. The Early History of Scandinavia - Origins, Vikings and More They sought to avoid civilian casualties and receive favourable treatment from Germany. One important collection that exists, however, is a widespread and rich collection of stone drawings known as petroglyphs. [29] Norway had the largest percentage of emigrants and Denmark the least. The Vikings' rule would eventually come to encompass the majority of Scandinavia, and they would participate in massive amounts of trading and exploration, which helped build connective routes around the world.Denmark, and the rest of Scandinavia, was Christianized by the 11th century, though missionaries were present long before that. Vikings placed heavy emphasis on battle, honor and focused on the idea of Valhalla, a mythical home with the gods for fallen warriors. Vikings - History, Origins & Tactics [1] Britain believed Germany was planning to invade and made counter plans for its own invasion. Also, Danes were considered fellow Nordics and Aryans by Nazi ideologues, which further helped the country. Before long other Vikings realized that Frankish rulers were willing to pay them rich sums to prevent them from attacking their subjects, making Frankia an irresistible target for further Viking activity. Coastal areas were ice-free several times between 75 000 and 30 000 years B.P. On 4 November 1814, the Norwegian Parliament adopted the constitutional amendments required to enter a union with Sweden, and elected king Charles XIII as king of Norway. Coastal areas were ice-free several times between 75 000 and 30 000 years B.P. Approximately 200 burial sites have been investigated in the region from this period of 3,000 years.[2]. In 911, the West Frankish king granted Rouen and the surrounding territory by treaty to a Viking chief called Rollo in exchange for the latters denying passage to the Seine to other raiders. The Ynglinga saga was composed by Sturluson c. 1230 and details the reigns and lives of the kings of the Yngling dynasty (Swedish: Ynglingar), a legendary line of kings said to descend from the Norse god Odin. Several other wars with Poland, Denmark-Norway, and German countries enabled further Swedish expansion, although there were some setbacks such as the Kalmar War. Over the next three centuries, they would leave their mark as pirates, raiders, traders and settlers on much of Britain and the European continent, as well as parts of modern-day Russia, Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland. Two years later, Viking raids struck the undefended island monasteries of Skye and Iona (in the Hebrides) as well as Rathlin (off the northeast coast of Ireland). Both Sweden and Denmark-Norway maintained a number of colonies outside Scandinavia starting in the 17th century lasting until the 20th century. Harald had become embroiled in a conflict with Otto II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (reigned 973-983), which was at least partially because Harald was a pagan. Take a look at all the royals attending King Charles' big day. Norwegian police, controlled by the Quisling government, aided in the capture of Norwegian Jews in 1942. 986: Viking ships sight Newfoundland.L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is the only authenticated Norse site in North America. All three Scandinavian countries remained neutral throughout the First World War.