+ Of course the Norman (French) who invaded England in 1066 were
+ themselves descendants of the Vikings, too (Norman is derived
+ from 'northman' -or vikings). There are bagpipes used in some
+ western parts of France, notably in Brittany, but this may be the
+ result of cross channel cultural exchanges by the Celtic peoples of
+ Cornwall during the Romano-Britanic period. So there!
It has been theorised that Hrolf Ganger (aka Marching Rollo, first king
of the Normans) originally resided on Rousay (= Rolf's Island), one of the
Orkney islands off the North of Scotland. The Orkneys also had quite a
strong Pictish element, thereby adding another flavouring into the cultural
mix of Western Europe.
+ None of these people were known to have put 5 speed
+ transmissions into their chariots, but probably the origins of the ash
+ framed vehicle can be traced back to this era. The original Morgan,
+ which was a horse, was used by the Romano-Britains, the
+ Normans, and the Anglo-Saxons, but the Vikings tended to use
+ Saabs and Volvos.
Except for Marching Rollo, who gained his nickname because he was too
tall to ride any horse. The long-leg Morgan was a later development.
Graeme (who forgot to mention his Orcadian family ties)
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