Читать книгу Search Engines - Jon Jonsson - Страница 20

I am standing on the shoulders of my forerunners. My direct forefathers were the terrorists of old: the Vikings of Scandinavia. They have a fascinating history with the strangest of twists. The Viking Age spans the late 8th–11th centuries. At that time, mid- and southern Europe was Catholic Christian. It was the civilized part of the continent compared with northern Europe, which was heathen to the core. Those northern Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Sweden, had many good things going for them. One of those things was plenty of excellent timber. During the Viking Age, the Scandinavians developed something that would now be called a cutting-edge technology. They built longships, which were cleverly designed to be open, light, and very strong. They built fleets of these vessels. At times it was an organized production, turning out ships in great numbers. With these the Scandinavians began ruling the seas. They could sail vast distances on the open seas by using the longships' large center sails. Also, rowers on each side could row the ships when needed. The strategic advantage was that the ships were light enough to maneuver in very shallow water. The Vikings could therefore land on any sandy beach or travel far inland by going up the rivers. The waterways served as the highways of old, so along the rivers, villages and riches could be found. These ships were used for trading, raiding, and exploring new territory far and wide. The Vikings were the most restless seekers of that dark era. They had harnessed a powerful tool to move around easily in that world.