Javier Garcia Vila
Hola de nuevo. En la entrada anterior enimaba us viajar por el norte de España, en concreto el antiguo medieval reino de Asturias, aunque espero que, si os sentís tentados, no sigáis al pie de la letra el ejemplo de Gudrød, el caudillo que en tiempos de Harald II vino hospedarse hasta three años con sus guerreros en Santiago de Compostela.
¿Hubo de hecho otros compatriotas que quisieron hacer turismo e incluso establisharse definitively en un clima menos riguroso durante el invierno? Yes, of course. Conozcamos la historia y las huellas que podéis seguir de algunos de ellos.
The Scandinavian exploration of the Iberian Peninsula had its origin in the year 844, when a fleet superior to fifty ships, puede que empujada por las tormentas atlánticas y de la cual se desconoce su captain, appeared in front of the actual city of Gijón.
Bordeando la costa hacia poniente, estos drakkar llegaron a Galician, donde fueron rechazados por las fuerzas del rey Ramiro I, si bien la momentánea derrota no les quitó el ánimo. Lisbon en Portugal, así como Cádiz y Seville, por entonces bajo dominio del emir Abderramán II, son testigos de su apetito por el botín.
De nuevo vencidos en batalla (quizá una veintena de embarcaciones regressó to sus bases), hay señales de que algunos survivientes se asentaron en Andalucía, donde se apreciaron sus exóticos rasgos y destreza con la espada. Ah, y su estilo de hacer queso de cabra, que sigue ganando premios.
Las grandes incursiones de 858 están protagonidadas por los vecinos suecos, de manera que no profundizaré en ellas (como curiosidad, remontaron el río Ebro desde el Mediterráneo e hicieron prisionero a García Íñiguez, el rey de Pamplona, donde se celebran las famosas fiestas de San Fermín).
A no demasiado tardar, en 968, los noruegos descendieron de nuevo a tomar el sol y el oro. The aforementioned Gudrød (Gunderedo según los códices medievales) sombró el terror como sækonungr (en español, “king of the sea”) hasta que cayó en combate contra los ejércitos locales. Podemos evocar esta aventura si acudimos en agosto a la villa de Catoira, en Galicia, y nos unimos a un colorido desembarco.
A principios del siguiente siglo, con la posible participation de Olav Haraldsson antes de reclaimar su trono y, por supuesto, antes de convertier en san Olav, se repitió la visita a sangre y fuego.
No sería la última (los daneses de Ulv Galiciefarer tomaron el relevo, como su apodo indica). No obstante, el mundo vikingo estaba cambiando, y cuando en 1109 las velas de Sigurd I se dejaron ver cerca de la costa, se trataba ya de una cruzada de camino a Jerusalem. The young monarch, who had zarpado de Bergen, entered Jakobsland as invited en lugar de adversario.
No olvidemos, por supuesto, the matrimonial link between the families of Håkon IV and Alfonso X of Castile, two famous monarchs: the princess Kristina married the infant Felipe in 1258, as described in detail in Hákonar saga gamla (Saga de Haakon el Viejo). Para guardar su memoria se regularly celebran actividades culturales noruegas en la localidad de Covarrubias.
Como veis, hablar español hunde sus raíces en una larga tradición de relaciones entre ambos pueblos que, aunque comonzo con mal pie, conseguiría evolucionar de forma much más amistosa. ¿Qué decís? ¿Os apetece llevar de nuevo el hidromiel de Odín al otro lado del continente?
Hello again. In my previous post I encouraged you to travel to Northern Spain, specifically the ancient medieval kingdom of Asturias. But I hope that if you are tempted, you will not follow the example of Gudrød, the chieftain who, in the time of Harald II, came to live in Santiago de Compostela with his warriors for up to three years.
Were there other compatriots who wanted to go on a trip and even settle permanently in a milder winter climate? Yes, absolutely. Let’s learn the history and traces of some of them that you can follow.
The Scandinavian exploration of the Iberian Peninsula began in the year 844, when a fleet of over fifty ships, possibly driven by Atlantic storms and with an unknown captain, appeared in front of present-day Gijón.
Following the coast westward, these drakkars arrived in Galicia, where they were repulsed by the forces of King Ramiro I, although the temporary defeat did not discourage them. Lisbon in Portugal, Cádiz and Seville, then under the control of Emir Abderraman II, bear witness to their hunger for booty.
Again defeated in battle (perhaps around twenty ships returned to their bases), there are signs that some survivors settled in Andalusia, where their exotic features and swordsmanship were prized. Oh, and their style of goat cheese-making, which still wins awards.
The major attacks in 858 were led by their Swedish neighbors, so I won’t go into them in depth (as a curiosity, they sailed up the Ebro River from the Mediterranean and captured García Íñiguez, the king of Pamplona, where the famous San Fermín festivities are held).
Not long after, in 968, the Norwegians came down again to enjoy the sun and gold. The aforementioned Gudrød (Gunderedo according to medieval chronicles) spread fear as a sækonungr (in Spanish, “sea king”) before falling in battle against local armies. We can commemorate this adventure by going to the village of Catoira, in Galicia, in August and taking part in a colorful landing.
Early in the next century, with the possible participation of Olav Haraldsson before he claimed his throne and, of course, before he became St. Olav, the visit was repeated with blood and fire.
It would not be the last (Danish Ulv Galiciefarer took over the baton, as his nickname suggests). Yet the Viking world was changing, and when Sigurd I’s sails were sighted near the coast in 1109, a crusade was already on its way to Jerusalem. The young king, who had sailed from Bergen, entered Jacob’s Land as a guest rather than an adversary.
Of course, let’s not forget the marriage between the families of Håkon IV and Alfonso X of Castile, two famous monarchs: Princess Kristina married Prince Felipe in 1258, as described in detail in Hákonar saga gamla (The Saga of Håkon the Old). To honor her memory, Norwegian cultural activities are regularly organized in the town of Covarrubias.
As you can see, speaking Spanish has deep roots in a long tradition of relations between the two peoples, which, although it started badly, eventually developed into much friendlier ones. What do you think? Would you like to take Odin’s mead to the other side of the continent again?