Viking Longships Essays

Viking Longships Essays Viking Longships Paper Viking Longships Paper The Vikings are peoples that were originally from Scandinavia. Scandinavia is now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. From the eight to the eleventh century, these people originally referred to as Norsemen began to raid places in Europe and other countries they became referred to as Vikings. The name Viking, originates from the place Viken in the Oslofjord. The Oslofjord is a bay south-east of Norway. Vikings are known for plundering from other societies. They are usually shown that the whole Viking nation went out to help on these raids but, they were done mostly independent by chieftains that obtained men who were willing to aid and longships. Viking Longships are the warships of the Vikings. These ships were used mostly for raids because of their ability to travel swiftly in coastal waters, open waters, rivers, and estuaries and travel long distances. The Longships are usually in between twenty to thirty-five meters long. The largest Longship discovered was at Roskilde Harbor, which is in Demark, and it was 35 meters in length. It had the capacity to carry 72 oars and a crew of 100 men. Tree- ring analysis places this ship to be created around 1025 A. D. The Longships usually carried between twenty to sixty Viking warriors. The ship was also big enough for all the equipment that the Vikings had to transport, and the loot that they plundered. These Longships were light-weight and strong. They were created with a square sail. The square sails were made of woven wool. The sail could be pulled down over the crew to protect them during rough storms. The sail is what allowed the Longship to sail so quickly throughout rough seas and other waters. The sail in combination with the oars allowed for the Vikings to sail through open oceans straight through and then switch to using the oars when they were near attacks. The Longships also featured a shallow hull that allows the ship to sail up onto the beach or sail through rivers. This also aided with raiding villages that have centers on the river. Craftsmen in that time would create the boat differently by first splitting an oak tree’s trunk into long, thin planks. The craftsmen attached the boards together with iron nails then to a single sturdy keel and then to each other, with one board overlapping another. The Vikings used this clinker technique as opposed to the more used method of building the skeleton of the hull first. Craftsmen then spaced the floor timbers to the keel of the boat and not the hull. This created flexibility, speed, maneuverability within the boat. Modern replicas of Viking Longships have reached up to fourteen knots and could be closely compared to the speed of modern sailboats. Viking Longships were basically without any civilized religion and their ships often were created with a dragons head on the bow of the ship to protect them from evil sea spirits. The Longship was a great advantage to the Vikings. When a chief or leader died, the Longship was sometimes buried in the grave with the leader or chief. The Vikings believed that this practice would help the dead chief or leader quickly sail to Valhalla. Some dead Viking warriors were placed in their ships when they passed away. The ship would then be set on fire and they would sail away slowly. The Viking Longships basically created the Viking Age, from eight hundred to eleven hundred A. D. A misconception about this period is that the Vikings were the only group of uncivilized people who were running about plundering societies, but in actuality this was just a time where this was almost normal. There were more groups than just the Vikings plundering societies but, the Vikings were just the best at doing it. The model of the Longship paved the way for other models of ships. The Vikings pretty much had a sort of new technology. Citations: (THE VIKINGS) (Hauge, 2002) (Fitzhugh, 2005)

Clam system Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clam system - Term Paper Example A clan is an extensive type of lineage that is characterized by blood relations whereby all relatives from either the mother’s or father’s lineage, together with all the ancestors and their offspring in that lineage are considered as members. The main features of a clan include being an exogamous group, having a common ancestor and being unilateral. Being unilateral means that a clan was/is made up families from the father’s or the mother’s side (Middleton and David 38). Clans were and are not made up of a combination of lineages of both the mother and the father. Almost all communities had unilateral clan systems which was either patrilineal or matrilineal lineage. Clans were also exogamous groups because all members of a clan were believed to be descendants of a common ancestor, hence most communities discouraged intra-clan marriages. Some clans had ancestors that some scholars term as mythical, while others had real ancestors. They were also small and they were led by elders who were in charge of making all crucial decisions affecting their clans and that of the community at large, but in conjunction with other clan elders from a community. Unlike the modern type of state governance whereby government officials make decisions purported to be representing the will of the citizens, clans were based on the â€Å"we feeling,† an aspect that made decisions made to be more representative. Almost all clans across the globe had teams of elders or the so-called council of elders who were in charge of making decisions affecting the clan and the community (Hudson, Thomas and Robbie 42). Councils of elders from different clans, but who are from the same tribe or community could come together and make decisions affecting the community at large. In case two or more communities were involved in disputes, clan leaders would select the best representatives to negotiate with leaders from the other communities in order to come up

Nationhood and Nationalism in Henry V Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nationhood and Nationalism in Henry V - Essay Example The literary work is about a king with a common touch in a war situation in which the French greatly outnumbered the English. It depicts a king who is a great war time leader, who, during war, exhibits patriotism - Henry V. Nationalism comes to the fore during wartime, in which participants are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice - giving one's life to one's country. Henry V is all about English nationalism, its very own diversity of love for country and fighting for its glory. Henry V, told entirely from the English point of view, is an almost complete study of the war with France in 1400s, in which the first part looks at the causes of the war, the preparation for it, and the people on the English side. England, led by Henry V was fighting an aggressive war against France for certain territories it wanted to obtain on its side, and staging such war with such intention was the very essence of this English nationalism in this period. During the time of which Henry V lived and reigned, dominant countries like England staged and fought aggressive wars in order to further a certain purpose and sacrificed lives of men to this end. The play's theatrical elements convey a political act, while theatrical interventions are traced in its substantial introduction into conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to Vietnam and the Falklands.2 Henry V is an epic of English nationalism, considered a knowing and cynical piece of power politics to which its nationalism is primari ly based. One might argue that nationalism and power politics cannot go together, but the very essence of the literature on Henry V shows this distinct character of English nationalism in 1600s. The invasion of territory in order to herald a country as glorious and powerful is what characterised Henry V's nationalism. This nationalism was undertaken by Henry V as a king of the English throne, reaping victories for Her, and Her alone. Due to the emergence of international organizations and laws regarding warship, such the United Nations, today's purpose and conduct of fighting a war have long left the kinds that Henry V launched and fought. Hence, such war depicted in the epic seems to be confined only in movies nowadays, made into an entertainment or a historical saga. The Hollywood uses it as a film genre that expects to target a general patronage and show a historical drama and/or a documentary film, which learning institutions might use for visual aid in literature. Hollywood might be using it also as a heritage film, depicting the previous century in which England was often in a nostalgic approach, such as filming Shakespeare plays like this one and using splendid landscapes.3 They have been criticized for presenting 'heritage' in the background, such as presenting a stately home in the background and using this genre as both a marketable commodity and a romanticized portrayal of the past. 4 However, as pointed out a while ago, Henry V is not in any way an expose' of Hollywood fiction, but is rather a paean to English nationalism, amidst an almost power politics involved in the intent of staging the war. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, focusing on the events following the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. Shakespeare was able to convey truthfully the events that transpired in

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example public to constantly keep hearing the same chorus ‘Secure the perimeter first, then discuss about migration reform.’ The indication appeals to civic sentiment and appears like a modest demand. However, it is not clear what pundits and politicians mean when they publicize their idea. Most of them suggest that a border is protect only when no person crosses illegitimately and on cases when illegal imports slips through. However, anyone with minimal information or appreciation about the approximately 2,000-mile band of land amid Mexico and the U.S. realizes that needing a secure border launches an incredible standard. Hence, the question that most politicians have been ignoring is the amount permeability acceptable through the border. In April 2010, the state of Arizona legislators passed two regulations addressing migration, SB 1070 as well as HB 2162. These regulations added new government requirements, wrongdoings, and penalties connected to enforcement of migration laws. They were to become active on July, the year 2010. Before the rules could go into influence, the American Justice Department filed a complaint asking for an order against these rules disagreeing that they are unlawful. The aim of this rhetorical analysis is to shade more light on the Arizona immigration laws that dispute the direct analogy or ideology held by politicians on how the border should be secured. The article will be centered on the SB 1070 as well as HB 2162 immigration act. The major audience of the paper are the legislators in the aim to give a proper comprehension of their voice in securing the border and their law placed in Arizona. On the 19th of April 2010 the SB 1070, â€Å"Maintain Our Law Implementation and Safe Neighbourhoods Act† was accepted by the Arizona Legislature, and subsequently four days later, it was retained into ruling by Governor Brewer. SB 1070 comprises of provisions that add state drawbacks relating to migration law enforcement comprising trespassing,

migration :: essays research papers

Migration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thinking back to my childhood, I can recall that my family moved quite frequently from place to place. Since my birth, my family has moved a total of seven times and that was only in the first six years of my life. As an ignorant child, the constant moving around did not question me to think why we moved so much. I never stopped to think that my family could have been in a troubled situation. When I now ask my father the reasons why we moved so often back then, he tells me that he was in search for a better standard of living. He mentioned that we were never forced to move because of a financial situation, but instead he wanted to find a more rewarding occupation to live more elegantly. He wanted to find a place with a good education system for his children and also wanted to live in a warm climate not too distant from the beach. With these three pull factors we moved many times during my childhood and the end result of our migration has played a positive role in my life. My parents and I lived in the over-populated city of Chicago when I was born. My father wanted to relocate in a place that was not over populated. So with this in his mind, we moved in the south direction to Kansas. He got what he wanted in the terms of a smaller population setting. But he was still dissatisfied with the cold weather. The disappointing business experience and cold weather was a push factor to move on and find a better place to live. After Kansas we moved to Ohio because were persuaded by some relatives that we knew that lived there, but again he was not successful with business there either. In search for a better occupation, my father would look in the classified section of the newspaper every afternoon in search of eye-catching businesses. After he would find a few that he was interested in, he would call them up and arrange to take a look at the businesses. In particular, my father saw an advertisement for a â€Å"Days Inn† in Atlanta, Georgia. A pull factor that encouraged my father to move to Georgia was because of the wonderful hot weather. He was attracted to the fact that the beach setting was not very far. The business turned out to be a success and we ended up settling in this state.

Personal Statement: Participated in a Nasa Space Camp Essay

At the age of five, a young boy from India boarded his first flight while travelling from Chennai to Hong Kong. He developed a strong interest in aircrafts. In the year 2008, this young boy from India was inspired when he participated in a NASA space camp. This boy and his friends were awarded the prize of the best junior scientists by Mr Steve Johnson, the Chairman of NASA. The award was given on the basis of fulfilment of various criteria based on various fascinating activities like modelling a rover and constructing a rocket that would travel upwards 250m or above. This boy was none other than me and I enjoyed every second that I spent in the space camp. The NASA space camp was a turning point in my life. My keenness to be involved with aircraft took a definite shape in the form of my wanting to become an astronaut or be involved in Aerospace Engineering. Working in an organisation like NASA as an Aerospace Engineer became my ambition for life. Since then I have been enthusiastic about gaining all kinds of knowledge regarding aviation and aerospace engineering. I also visited ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Indian equivalent of NASA, located in Sriharikota, a place in the southern part of India. Though there was a great deal of difference in the technology used in the space centres in the US and in India, I was able to learn a great deal about Chandarayan, the first successful mission constructed by an Indian as the project director MylswamyAnnadurai gave a detailed explanation about it. By the end of Grade 10, I had understood that if I really wished to take up a career in Aeronautical Engineering I would have to further my horizons of education. The first step that I took to pursue this dream of mine was to take up an international curriculum, the International Baccalaureate in an international, residential school. It is here that I was enabled to do some research regarding the best universities that offered Aerospace Engineering and Aeronautics. I found out that though there are comparatively few universities in India in which the subject is available, the ones that do are the best. I have, since then, been putting in my best to mould myself into a suitable candidate to enter one of these highly-acclaimed universities. I took up Physics, Mathematics, and Information technology in Global Society the basic requirements to pursue Aeronautical Engineering, at the higher level and made the most of the opportunities available. Undeterred by my poor performance initially, primarily due to my weakness in English, I worked hard to become one of the toppers in these subjects in my batch. In the year of my visit to NASA, another significant event took place in my life. Being interested in hockey and having played the game for a few years, I was selected to play in the Under-14 CBSE (the most popular Indian curriculum) South Zone hockey tournament. My success in the game led to my being selected in the All-India Under-14 Hockey team. However, a serious injury prevented my playing any match as part of the team. The game I have picked up since is Badminton which I play well enough to be part of the school team. Besides, I enjoy watching Tamil movies. My other hobbies are playing computer games and listening to m usic. As I have been brought up in a family of politicians, the wish to serve the society is an inherent part of me. My father encourages me to serve the needy and the poor especially on special days like my birthday and Diwali, the festival of lights. Hence, it was with ease that I fulfilled the requirements for acquiring the silver medal of the International Award for Young People and the service activities of CAS. Now I am poised to move ahead in life, gain all the knowledge and skills required to be able to design aircraft and set up my own industry that will cater to my needs and those of my country and countrymen by providing quality infrastructure and employment at a large scale.

Human Natures True Form in William Blakes Poem, A Poison...

The poem â€Å"A Poison Tree† by William Blake discusses human nature’s true form. Someone who is furious with a friend would obviously want to mend the friendship, so they let their anger simmer. However, someone who is upset with an enemy has no reason to tell him or herself to not be mad because all they are to you is an enemy. Therefore, your hatred eventually takes over and you do something dreadful. This literary composition shows the readers how anger can take a toll in two different directions. The poet writes with such ease, that it makes us readers believe he’s gone through it already. The second stanza of the poem can be interpreted in many ways. The narrator mentions his fear and how at one point he broke down in tears. To me, this could mean that he is so headstrong about his hatred towards his enemy that it scares him. He couldn’t possibly be scared of his enemy because it was never mentioned that his enemy threatened him. The narrator then starts crying because he never expected to grow so quickly and instead of yelling about his anger, he develops these tears. Just as the unwanted emotions surface, the good emotions come up just as quickly. The narrator smiling could mean that he wants to mask everything with a smile to show his enemy that he’s doing fine. It could also mean that he’s enjoying how everything is unfolding. The third stanza is when the narrator has something physical. He mentions how he has an apple and his enemy knew that the apple was his. The