The Longobards (Winnili) were a pre-Viking era Scandinavian tribe who migrated south towards Germania. Upon reaching Germania, the Winnili ran into conflict with the powerful Germanic Vandals. Both sides appealed to their chief god Odin for victory. To achieve victory against the more numerous Vandals, the godess Freia told the Winnili women to tie their hair to look like beards. Odin saw them standing in the field and asked who are these long beard warriors? After their victory the Winnili were called the Longbeards which in time renamed to Longobards/Lombards. Not finding adequate food resources, they ventured into Pannonia in modern day Hungary. There the Longobards allied with the Avars to defeat the Gepids, but all the spoils went to the Avars. As a result, the Longobards under King Alboin left the region and relocated into northern Italy where the land was ripe and by then the Longobards had a fierce reputation. The Byzantine Empire had spent vast amounts of money defeating the Ostrogoths and now had the Longobards to deal with. Eventually the Longobard Kingdom of Italy was split between two rulers, one at Milan and the other at Pavia. Weakened by internal fighting, Charlemagne of the Franks seized the lands of the Longobards and absorbed it into the kingdom of the Franks. However, some territories survived under Lombard dukes.

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