Have you ever heard about the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon? Well I hadn't until I'd stumbled upon it one day and now I hear about it all the time; obviously.
The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon occurs when a person, after having learned some (usually obscure) fact, word, phrase, or other item for the first time, encounters that item again, perhaps several times, shortly after having learned it.
I suppose what I have experienced is Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon in hindsight. The vikings
in a historical context has followed me around for all my life, sometimes loosely and sometimes it can be quite coincidental. As a child I loved history, particularly anything about the vikings; they always seemed scary but fascinating. I remember making a rather fabulous viking ship for one of my school projects and when I found the viking page in my trusted Where's Wally book I was over the moon. My regular childhood holiday destination was Broadstairs in Kent (aka Thanet), I would love to swim and make sand sculptures on Viking Bay. The Wansum Channel used to separate Thanet from the rest of Kent. The vikings were regular raiders of Thanet, in AD449 the Viking groups landed near to Broadstairs. The vikings settled and declared ownership of Thanet and most of Kent.
For years my family were never sure where our last name (Snode) originated from other than from Kent. In The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent it states that the next parish south-eastward is Kingsnoth, sometimes called Kingsnode, and by Leland written Kinges-snode. In 1230 there is mention of a Henry de Kinges Snode. The earliest Snode that we know of is, Ailnoth de Snode in 1214 from Kent. There was an Anglo-Saxon monk from Canterbury called Ailnoth who re-settled in Denmark, and became the author of a Danish King in Odsense. Odsense being the closest main town to Snode parish. Is it the same Ailnoth? That's probably a long-shot, but still interesting.
On a trip to find the Viking ship in Kent we came across 'Snode Hill'. After much research many years later, most of our family came from Kent. At the age of 18 I decided to go to The University of Winchester and lived there for three years. Winchester being a place of many Viking raids and settlements. What did we find on an outing near Winchester? Another Snode Hill!
I've also had a fascination with Scandinavia. It's beauty, nature and way of life. When dreaming of visiting Scandinavia I came across a few places by the name of Snode. Particularly Snode parish in Denmark. Denmark being the homeland of all the 'best' vikings. That's enough of that, can you tell I love all things history? Either way you look at it, vikings have been following me around for awhile now.
It is, then a natural development that I am a fan of the show Vikings. For those who don't know Vikings is a show on the History Channel, a third series has just started! It is such an underestimated and under-hyped television show. It's loyalty to historical specifics makes it unique and mesmerising. Following the adventures of the elusive Ragnar Lothbrok and friends. We see the early Viking raids from Denmark to the UK, namely Winchester (Wessex area).
Norselegendary sagas were partially fictional tales based in Norse oral tradition, written down about 200 to 400 years after the events they describe. Further inspiration is taken from historical sources of the period, such as records of the Viking raid on Lindisfarne depicted in the second episode, or Ahmad ibn Fadlan's 10th-century account of the Volga Vikings. The series is set at the beginning of the Viking Age, marked by the Lindisfarne raid in 793.
Over the past few months I seem to have lost the motivation to watch films and TV programs. However my love for Vikings has still remained. I thought I would put a post together about wonderful Viking inspired items. Fill your life with a fascinating time gone by.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
'A cleaved head no longer plots.'
'About his intelligence no man should be boastful, rather cautious of mind.'
'Happy is he who hath in himself praise and wisdom in life.'
'The madman often tells the truth.'
History is a fascinating subject that can transport you to different cultures and ideas within seconds. I love travelling in time through the medium of TV shows or even better; books! I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in the comments below what favourite historical period is your favourite.
Posts of Interest:
1 comment:
I all love all the decor you share here! Basically this is what my the home of my dreams looks like :)
Post a Comment