“Horsey” Vikings II — Goals & Requirements
The important point is that seeking to find an exact match between any ancient people and the folk of what is after all (I know I'll get lynched for this) a work of fantasy and fiction, is (you'll pardon me, I hope, Stephen) a fool's errand!
Nonetheless, without being so dogmatic, there's much in this area that's interesting (to say the least), educational, and fun!
Let's investigate the possibilities, after setting our goals and requirements.
As the earlier article tried to convey, what is being sought is a folk like or reminiscent of the Rohirrim, not some will-o'-the-wisp of who exactly, really was the Rohirrim (answer: nobody, really).
No, the real goal, here at Impearls anyway, is to illuminate a few little known (though fascinating and significant) peoples in history through the vivid example of the Rohirrim — whom they resemble — and vice versa: to cast a light on the Rohirrim through the spectacle of real peoples in history!
Keeping that in mind, let's consider Bainbridge's stated requirements:
- Language: Old English
- Place of origin: Somewhere to the north of present location
- Current location: Occupying lands that had once been part of the domain of a neighboring culture that is both older and more highly developed
- War panoply includes: Mainly cavalry, saddles with stirrups, spears, swords (probably iron), and bows (long bows in the movie, although composite bows seem a more likely candidate for a cavalry army)
- Lifestyle: Possibly semi-nomadic herding, but with a permanent residence for the king
- Fortifications: A place of refuge (i.e., Helm's Deep; which in John Keegan's technical terminology seems to be a hybrid between a refuge and stronghold)
Now edit these requirements, according to the above criteria.
The first of these, language, deserves a section of its very own.
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