2

I am just interested in any respectable source that has an estimate of the size of armies that Scandinavian Kings and/or Jarls could muster based on their power and/or location.

I have read answers on the world building stack exchange about how to estimate the fighting man power of a village/town/city based on population, but I want to know if their is any reference that does not seem to exaggerate on the number of vikings to make the defenders seem heroic.

I know they raided in relatively small parties and hit fast which would be interesting to see an estimate on that, but the focus is on any mustered armies.

Improve this question
5
  • 2
    Have a look at history.stackexchange.com/questions/21540/… It has at least some what you are looking for.
    – Lars Bosteen
    Feb 6, 2018 at 22:52
  • 2
    Bjorn Ironside did a Grand Tour of the Western Mediterranean with sixty longboats in 859, capturing Luna instead of Rome (navigational error I guess) with a force not much smaller than that with which William I conquered England.
    – Pieter Geerkens
    Feb 6, 2018 at 23:00
  • 2
    Scandinavian kings and/or jarls were never vikings, except for during any times in their lives that they may have gone on viking expeditions. Most early viking expeditions were private pirate raids. Later viking expeditions sometimes included larger forces and might have been commanded by jarls or kings of small kingdoms before Denmark and Norway were united. And some kings of united Denmark or united Norway did lead large overseas expeditions which may have been viking raids or simple ordinary international wars.
    – MAGolding
    Feb 7, 2018 at 0:57
  • 1
    Thank you for the link Lars. That is interesting Pieter! Thank you.
    – Cody Ferguson
    Feb 7, 2018 at 14:41
  • Please add the link to the world building stack exchange answer. Thanks.
    – sds
    Feb 7, 2018 at 20:30

0

Reset to default

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.