They settled Iceland and tried to colonize Greenland. The people called Vikings were also fearless explorers who actually reached North America, making them the first Europeans to discover America. Raiding was very profitable, however, and many farmers became full time pirates and raiders. They often returned in time for harvest in the fall. When a Viking wasn’t busy farming, planting crops, for instance, they left their farms and went raiding. Strangely enough, for most of the men who went a-viking, it was only part time. They were gone before any defense or counter-attack could be made. With their swift and easily landed ships, the Vikings could quickly swarm over the communities, killing and looting, and just as fast return to their ships and leave. Many of the places they attacked were on the coasts as they were easiest to reach. For various reasons, they took to raiding towns, churches and monasteries. Simply put, the Vikings were Norwegians, Swedes and Danes, men who were usually farmers, traders, blacksmiths, and craftsmen. They terrorized, plundered, traded, explored and finally settled and farmed all over the lands they encountered. Vikings attacked places all along the coasts of Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Italy and inland Russia. 793 with the Lindisfarne raid, Norwegians, Swedes and Danes set to raiding. Historians use the term the Viking Age to describe the turbulent expansion of the Scandinavian people into Europe and Russia. The attack and plunder of Lindisfarne, a rich and unprotected monastery, echoed throughout the next 300 years of European history. They were fully unprepared for the ferocity of the warriors, armed with sword, axe and shield. When the quiet monks on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne saw the dragon ships approaching, they didn’t know what was coming. Vikings History: The Viking Age-An Overview Viking is a Verb, Not a Noun Scroll down to see our comprehensive collection of articles on Vikings history. This is the true story of Vikings history.Ĭlick here to see more posts in this category. In fact, they arrived in America 1,000 years before Columbus ever did, and archeologists have found some of their remnants scattered as far east as Russia. They made an enduring name for themselves in the 8th through the 11th centuries for being tactical warriors, smart traders, and daring explorers. The seafaring Vikings (in Danish, the Vikinger) were a group of people that came from the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Vikings history is as extensive as the people it studies.
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