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12 unusual facts about Vikings


Brad Childress

On January 6, 2006, Childress was hired to be the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Brad "Chilly" Childress (born June 27, 1956) is a former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Brooks Bollinger

After a disappointing preseason, Bollinger lost the third-string spot and was released by the Vikings on August 30, 2008.

Bollinger was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 for defensive tackle C. J. Mosley and a draft pick where he was reunited with new head coach Brad Childress, his offensive coordinator in college.

East Lancashire Vikings

Widnes Vikings donated a kit to get the club off to a flying start.

Grand Desert, Nova Scotia

It is known that Vikings traveled in this part of the world in the year 1000 and that Portuguese, French and Basque fishermen were frequenting these shores in search of the plentiful cod in the late 1400s and early 1500s.

Hemsby

Hemsby along with much of the Norfolk coast was targeted by the Vikings, who initially raided the area in search of precious materials and slaves.

Klingon culture

With the advent of Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent series the Klingons became allies, and the portrayal of their culture changed to resemble a warrior code similar to the Samurai (or, rather, Western imaginations of them) and Vikings.

Tavish Scott

After the resignation of his friend and former ministerial colleague Nicol Stephen, Scott declared his candidacy for the leadership of the Scottish Liberal Democrats on 7 July 2008 at Lerwick harbour, surrounded by a group of men dressed as Vikings which is a tradition in Shetland called Up Helly Aa where Shetlanders celebrate their Viking heritage.

The Del-Vikings

The Del-Vikings were formed in 1955 by members of the United States Air Force stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Don Jackson, Samuel Paterson, and Bernard Robertson.

Vikings! Of Middle England

Combat is thoroughly trained with members practising in a variety of Viking Age weapons such as Seax, Spear, Axe and Sword.

Yngvars saga víðförla

It describes what was the last Viking campaign in the Caspian in 1041, adding much legend to the historical facts.


1988 San Francisco 49ers season

Late in the fourth quarter the Vikings led 21–17 with the Niners at Minnesota's 49-yard line; Young escaped a sack and ran in the game-winning touchdown, earning applause from the same audience that had been booing him; the NFL Films clip with Lon Simmons' call of the score is among the most replayed in retrospectives on Young's career.

1994 Minnesota Vikings season

Looking for only their third win of the season, the Bucs held off the Vikings for a 17–9 lead in the fourth until Warren Moon once again found Qadry Ismail; a two-point conversion throw to Cris Carter forced overtime tied 17–17, but the Bucs drove downfield for Michael Husted's winning field goal and the 20–17 loss, the third loss in a row and second in overtime in that span.

Two touchdowns (one a Moon throw to Cris Carter) put the Vikings up 14–10 but from there Moon was intercepted four times and Boomer Esiason unloaded three consecutive touchdowns, offsetting 400 passing yards from Moon and a late Qadry Ismail score.

2001 Minnesota Vikings season

After the disappointing season, the Vikings bought out the contract of Dennis Green, who had become a polarizing force in the Viking fan base despite his successful coaching tenure with the team.

Aberfoyle Park, South Australia

The Happy Valley sports park, which is located near Aberfoyle Park High School, contains the Happy Valley Football Club who are known as the Vikings, the Happy Valley Cricket Club, the Happy Valley tennis club, a lawn bowls club and a BMX track.

Archdiocese of Nidaros

Both were converted Vikings, the former having been baptized at Andover, England, by Aelfeah, Bishop of Winchester, and the latter at Rouen by Archbishop Robert.

Askericus

In 887, it was he who went to Kirchen to collect the ransom owed the Vikings for relieving their siege.

Audinghen

The town was originally named Odingehem, 'home of Odin', by the Vikings who built a temple here dedicated to the Germanic god Odin.

Brad Childress

The owner Zygi Wilf was cited as saying, “Brad has done a tremendous job leading this football team and we value the positive environment he has created for the Minnesota Vikings on and off the field, He has continued to positively impact this team and create a strong foundation for future success.

Brian Tobin

It was also during this time in the lead-up to the millennium that Newfoundland undertook an aggressive tourism marketing campaign which focused on important anniversaries such as the 500th year since John Cabot's voyage of discovery (1997), as well as the 1000th year since Vikings, such as Leif Ericson, made landfall on the province's shores (2000).

Bryant McKinnie

In the summer of 2011, McKinnie was placed on the Vikings' non-football injury list for reportedly showing up to camp out of shape, according to The Star Tribune.

Canadian Centenary Series

The series traces Canada's history from the early voyages of the Vikings to the 1967 Canadian Centennial year.

Charles the Simple

For the Vikings' loyalty, they were granted all the land between the river Epte and the sea, as well as Brittany, which at the time was an independent country which France had unsuccessfully tried to conquer.

Dennis Raetz

Vencie Glenn, the safety who played for the Patriots, Chargers, Saints, Vikings and Giants.

Dovonte Edwards

Edwards was a possible reason the Vikings were able to release Ken Irvin and sign a third quarterback, J.T. O'Sullivan, when Daunte Culpepper was lost for the season.

Foul Facts

The book begins at pirates, then goes through Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Medieval Times, Aztecs, Tudors, the French Revolution, Victorians, and World War II (WWII) spies.

Hamilton Harlequins

Annual matches with NZ Area Schools and the NZ Vikings Club from Northland have become regular features.

House of Knýtlinga

This was the last time the Vikings attempted to attack Western Europe, and Cnut's death is regarded as the end of the Viking Age.

I'm Spinning

"I'm Spinning" is a Doo Wop song recorded by the Del-Vikings on the Fee Bee Records label in 1957 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as an A side for the single "I'm Spinning"/"You Say You Love Me," written by Pat DiCesare.

John Randle

Randle left the NFL tied with Richard Dent for 5th in number of career sacks, and his 137.5 career sacks is the most by a defensive tackle in NFL history, aside from Vikings legend Alan Page who had a total of 148.5 sacks.

Koy Detmer

Detmer was reunited with Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress who previously was with the Eagles as the Offensive Coordinator.

La Isabela

The only earlier European settlements in America were settlements by the Vikings in Greenland and Newfoundland which dated from 500 years earlier.

Lagertha

More recently, Lagertha (played by Katheryn Winnick) is a principal character in the 2013 TV series Vikings, where she is portrayed as a shieldmaiden and the wife of Ragnar Lodbrok.

Leonard Little

Vikings offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said that Little "wrecked the game plan, just wrecked it."

Ljungby Municipality

Vikings followed the river Lagan and lived in its vicinity, and one of the locations were in what is now Ljungby Municipality.

ManCrunch

The ad featured a male Packers fan and a male Vikings fan reaching into the same bowl of chips at the same time, and after a brief pause, passionately kissing and dry humping each other, much to the surprise of the other man present.

Mary Kiffmeyer

In 2012, Kiffmeyer referred to fellow Republican State Representative John Kriesel as having "no courage" for not running for re-election in light of the Vikings Stadium vote.

Mormaer

The etymology is variously debated as "Great Steward" (incorporating Gaelic and Picto-Latin), or "Sea Lord" (perhaps defenders against Vikings).

Nordic art

The Vikings were active in the Nordic countries between the late Early Middle Ages and the early portion of the High Middle Ages.

Norumbega

In the late 19th century, Eben Norton Horsford linked the name and legend of Norumbega to sites in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area, and built the Norumbega Tower at the confluence of Stony Brook and the Charles River in Weston, Massachusetts, where he believed Fort Norumbega was located (see the Horsford article for more on his claims).

Odo of France

Odo continued to battle against the Vikings and defeated them at Montfaucon, but he was soon involved in a struggle with powerful nobles who supported the claim of Charles the Simple to the Frankish throne.

Raske Menn

Their most famous sketch is "Verdenshistorien på 5 minutter" which can be translated to "The history of the world in 5 minutes" The 5 minute long sketch is essentially a summary of the most important events and people through history including Jesus Christ, Charles Darwin, Muhammad, Neil Armstrong, Moses and the vikings.

Saint Hunger

At first his relations with the Vikings were peaceful, but eventually Utrecht was threatened by the Vikings, at which the bishop and the entire clergy of Utrecht fled to Saint-Odiliënberg, near Roermond.

Sian James

Sean James (born 1969), American football player; signed as rookie free agent with Minnesota Vikings (1991–1992); Chicago Bears (1995)

Simon Keith

Keith played at the University of Victoria for the Vikings soccer team where in 1984 he was diagnosed with myocarditis, a deterioration of the heart muscle.

Spielmann

Rick Spielman, Vice President of Player Personnel of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings

Steve Dils

He played six seasons with the Vikings and started most of the 1983 season, where he was paired in the backfield with former Stanford teammate Darrin Nelson.

Taller

William II Sánchez of Gascony perpetrated a major defeat of the Vikings at Taller in 982 and they vanished as a serious threat thereafter.

The Dethalbum

All songs recorded at Mordhaus Studios, except "Murmaider" and "Go into the Water" that were recorded miles below the earth's surface in the Dethsub studio deep within the Mariana Trench, and "Better Metal Snake", "The Lost Vikings", and "Thunderhorse", AKA "The Viking Trilogy", recovered from sessions deleted by Nathan Explosion.

The Return of the Black Death

The cover of the demo contains a famous Norwegian painting of skiing Vikings (Birkebeinerne, by Knud Bergslien).

Todd Kalis

After starting his final (36) with Arizona State University which included three Bowl Game appearances (Holiday, Rose and Freedom), Kalis was the 17th offensive lineman (the fifth guard) in the fourth-round (108th pick) of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1988 NFL Draft.

Varyag

Varangians, ancestors of the Rus' sometimes called "Vikings" in English publications

Warrior on the Edge of Time

It was performed live, but when Robert Calvert joined the band at the beginning of 1976, he would recite the poem "Vikings on Mars" over the top of it, the song evolving into "Uncle Sam's on Mars" on the 1979 album PXR5.