I took this week off to immerse myself in Viking research. Before we dive in, take a look at Ken Stornes, a real life Norwegian Viking.
I have not quite attained his physique as of yet. 2 meals a day are steadily paying off though. This week I obliterated my 10 minute row record, adding on another 120 metres.
I wondered if anyone had blended 2 of my big interests – Viking history, and contemporary House music. It seems they have:
I sat down and scrolled through the weighty supply of PDFs kindly donated by Emily North of Yorkshire Museums Trust. All of this was fascinating material, but I was specifically searching for anything pertaining to my Toki ancestors.
One of these documents was titled ‘Place Names and Personal Names,’ a thesis by Gillian Fellows-Jensen of the Institute for Name-Studies. In this there’s a mention of Tockwith, a village in York, about 63 miles (102km) northeast from me. The meaning is ‘Toki’s Wood.’
In a document saved as 11-7-Gibson, there’s a segment of a book. It’s titled RUNIC INSCRIPTIONS: ANGLO-SAXON AND SCANDINAVIAN, dated 10th March, 1859. A. Craig Gibson, author, details many findings of hogbacks and runestones, inscribed stones from the Viking era. One passage details the Toki runestone that I mentioned was displayed in The Museum of London.
“Of the other two Danish Runic inscriptions known to exist in England, the next date of discovery is that found in St Paul’s Churchyard in London in 1852; which is to the following effect: - KONAL LET LEGGJA STEN THENNSI AUK TOKI; in English, ‘Konal caused this stone to be laid, and Toki.’ A sentence very meagre and insignificant so far as regards historical interest.”
A few pages later, Gibson purports that in 1066 ‘this King of Norway invaded the dominions of his Saxon Namesake, in alliance with the rebel brother of the latter, Totsi the outlawed Earl of Nothumberland; and that the allies were both slain with 30 thousand of their army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York… Though defeated, this invasion was most disastrous in its consequences to the Saxons of England. Harold had to hasten southward, all unprepared, to meet the Normans; and, but for this Norwegian invasion, and the hard won fight of Stamford Bridge, the battle of Hastings might have had a different result.’
Another interesting find came in Durham E-Theses: Anglo Scandinavians in north east England and south east Scotland between the eighth and eleventh centuries. In this, John Luke Carson claims that Toxside in Midlothian Scotland is ‘possibly derived from the Old Norse personal name “Toki” and a misunderstood use of the old English word “heafod” meaning height.’
Furthermore, this thesis draws from The Boldon Book, a survey conducted in 1183. ‘The entry for Preston recorded that land was held by Orm son of Toki, both Old Norse names (BB1982, 55) and that land at Carlton was held by William son of Orm, again showing possible links to Scandinavia (BB 1982, 57).’
‘Apart from Coniscliffe, the other ‘vills’ were recorded in The Boldon Book in addition to the three other ‘vills’ not mentioned in the HSC, which now formed part of the Darlington grouping (Johnson-South 2001, 112). One of these later ‘vills’ was Whessoe, where The Boldon Book recorded that two brothers, Orm and Toki, held land (BB 1982, 63). Both are names of Norse origin. The ‘vills’ making up the Darlington estate formed a continuous and coherent block of settlements and The Boldon Book recorded that tenants at three of these ‘vills’ had obligations commonly associated with composite estates (Johnson-South, 2001, 112), suggesting that either a new composite estate was being created or an older, fragmented estate was being reconstructed (Johnson-South 2001, 112).’
So, from this we can ascertain that the Toki surname had not changed into Tuckey until the 13th century at the earliest.
The last document in the email was Sculpture and Viking Age London, which has no author name or date, but was probably written by staff at St Paul’s Cathedral. It sheds further light on the Toki runestone that I’ve previously mentioned from my findings. Here’s a key excerpt:
“One of the most famous sculptures in England is this runestone discovered in the churchyard of St Paul’s cathedral in London in 1852. The runestone reads ‘Ginna and Toki had this stone set up.’ It shows a creature which may be a lion or dragon with its front paws entangled with a snake. The ringerike style is one of a series of Viking Art styles that were introduced to England in the 9th to 11th centuries. Ringerike style is characterised by plant and animal motifs with extended tendrils and knots, the animals have small heads and slender sinuous bodies and almond-shaped eyes. The style takes its name from a region north of Oslo and it was in fashion from c. 980-1070. The runestone in St Paul’s Cathedral was probably erected in the early 11th century, when Danish king Cnut ruled England from 1016-1035.”
Finally, away from this research, I’ve been trying to mix up the food I eat yet still stay inside the Viking principle. Have you ever had Basa fish? A first for me. My god. Taste sensation. With a few sweet potato chips and herb-infused breadcrumbs (marjoram was popular a thousand years ago in Scandinavia, so I banged some of that in), and natural yoghurt to stick the coating to the fish, these elements all fused to make a great Viking-era dish.
Also, I listened to That Jorvik Viking Thing, a podcast from Jorvik Viking Museum in York. The episode I chose was a fascinating talk about Leif Erikson, who found the Americas 400 years before Columbus.
One more week of the research side before I focus on the more practical side of Viking lifestyle.
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