The call of sword and journey: ideology, masculinity, and the driving forces of viking raids

The article is devoted to the analysis of a complex of problems related to the prerequisites of the Scandinavian military activity in the Viking Age. The aim and novelty of the research. Based on the analysis of written and material sources, the author proves that the determining prerequisites for the wide expansion of the Vikings were the need for high mobility, achieved through travel, which contributed to the formation of the image authority of a brave traveller and discoverer among young Scandinavians, the acquisition of military experience, the desire to seize wealth in a foreign land, which in turn formed the high social status of the king, who generously rewarded his warriors; the existence of a warrior cult, based on a complex of mutual obligations, in which only a brave and successful leader enjoyed unquestioned authority; campaigns served as social elevators, contributing to the rise of social prestige, power and material well-being of individuals endowed with organizational and leadership qualities. Methodology of the research. The study draws on a broad array of epigraphic, archaeological, and literary sources to examine the social, ideological, and religious factors underlying the large-scale military activity ofthe Vikings in Europe. Conclusions. The large-scale military activity of the Vikings represents a complex, multifactorial phenomenon in which ideological, social, and religious factors played a decisive role. An analysis of written Scandinavian sources – particularly family sagas, the Poetic Edda and runic inscriptions – reveals the dominance of warrior values within the Scandinavian society of the time.