Exchange and trade: the Carolingian economy
Marios Costambeys|Matthew Innes|Simon MacLean
Around 890, a team of scholars at the court Anglo-Saxon king Alfred Great undertook translation fifth-century Latin world history Orosius into written version their vernacular Old English language. Orosius's work, with its story barbarian invasions and Christian triumph, had an obvious message for readers in Viking-age England, Alfred's translated freely: as result, when they came across lengthy geographical descriptions Europe, updated his very classical picture northern eastern Europe to reflect contemporary realities. The detailed account different peoples groupings Baltic southern Scandinavia led series digressions, recounting tales told King by two travellers north, Ohthere Wulfstan. claimed that ‘he lived furthest north all Northmen’, gave exploration around modern Norwegian coast far Lapland White Sea. Ohthere's accounts various Beormas, Cwenas, Finnas Norðmanna distinguish them not terms ethnic origin but land economy. lands Finnas, example, were described ‘waste’, is lacking agriculture, animal husbandry or permanent settlement: seasonal hunters, contrast whose territory was ‘fully settled’.
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