This is Reginald or Ragnall, the Viking Founder of the Waterford Settlement in 914. Maybe I should have had Steve snarl for this picture...
The Vikings were sea-faring warriors who from the 790's sailed from their Scandinavian homelands to explore and plunder. Most of the plundering in Ireland was done by Vikings from Norway, who would raid the monasteries which were the main centers of population, trade, and supplies when there weren't yet towns established.
Here's a chilling thought - Steve is of Norwegian descent. Perhaps his ancestors raided mine?! Now that shot of Steve as a Viking is a bit more ominous!
Below is Reginald's Tower. It is also known as Dundory which is Irish meaning The Fort of Oak. It is the only monument in Ireland named in honor of a Viking, and Waterford is the only town in Ireland that has retained it's Scandinavian-derived place name, which was Vedrarfjordr in the Norwegian Viking language.
The point they chose to settle was a triangular ridge of high ground between the River Suir and St. John's River. It is known today at the Viking Triangle. The first tower built here was the tip of that triangle, with walls stretching along the ridges and connecting across to make the settlement in 914. Though it was believed to be the oldest city and Viking settlement in Ireland, there have been recent excavations in nearby Woodstown which apparently have lead the archaeologists to believe that it housed a Viking settlement that predates the Waterford settlement by about 50 years! The Tower was re-built in the 12th or 13th Century by the Anglo-Norman's using stone and mortar and the top two floors of the tower were added in the 15th Century.
Viking history here in Ireland is quite interesting. From the info provided at the Tower, it appears that the Danish Vikings largely settled Dublin and the east coast, and the Norwegian Vikings largely settled Waterford and the southern coast. In the Battle of Clontarf, the Norwegian Vikings of Waterford joined forces with Brian Boru to defeat the Leinster King and the Danish Vikings of Dublin. Thus, I guess Steve's ancestors and mine can be considered friends, at least for that historic battle.
It was clearly incredibly well-built. The Tower has been used for many things throughout history, including as a mint, a military storehouse, and a prison. It's final use was as a home for the High Constable of Waterford. The last Constable to use the tower as a home left in 1954, and the tower was then established as a museum.
Inside there was a lot of info about Woodstown, but the info inside described Woodstown as a trading post, not a settlement. As I noted above, that is being re-thought given the evidence they are finding during excavations which would indicate it was actually a settlement, and not just a trade center. During the 800's and 900's, trade was done using silver which was weighed with lead weights. Woodstown was a major processing center for the silver pieces. Much of the silver ended up with the Irish, who used it to make brooches, chalices, and other decorative things. In Woodstown they have found silver pieces that came from as far away as Wasit, a town in present-day Iraq, and they found a coin minted in Wasit that dates from 742. Apparently over 200 weights have been found in Woodstown, which is the largest number of Viking weights found in Britain or Ireland. It is now believed that Woodstown may have been a Viking settlement as early as 840.
There were numerous artifacts on display here and it was extremely informational and very well done. All of the items here were excavated in the Waterford settlement.
Below: This sword would have been intentionally broken before being placed in the warrior's grave.
Okay, you KNOW I had to take a picture of the dog collar!
But, in my love for all things canine, I missed out on the Waterford Kite Brooch which was made of silver and coated in gold foil with amethyst colored glass. The Kite Brooch was used to secure a cloak. It is thought to be of Irish origin with decorations that infuse foreign influence. As the Vikings settled in Ireland, they married into the Irish families and the cultures combined their designs, styles, and way of life. The Kite Brooch is an example of Hiberno-Norse or Irish-Scandinavian Style. Though it is believed Kite Brooches would have been quite numerous, only 13 have been excavated in Ireland. So, I am sorry I don't have a picture of it, but it gives me another reason to head back down to Waterford!
I did, however, get a picture of the toilet...
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