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The Vikings
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Norse people (that is, people from the North) came from the region we now know as Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In the late eighth century ce, the Norse people began to voyage by sea from their homelands, commencing an era of raids (surprise attacks) and violence. For the next 200 years – a period known as the Viking Age – they were feared by people across Europe as fierce plunderers. Monasteries and towns were ransacked, and many people were killed or taken prisoner. This behaviour earned Norse people the title Vikingr, most probably meaning ‘pirate’ in early Scandinavian languages. By around 1000 ce, however, Vikings began settling in many of the places they had formerly raided. Some Viking leaders were given areas of land or money by foreign rulers in exchange for promises to stop the raids. Around this time, most Vikings stopped worshipping Norse gods and became Christians.
Source 1 A replica of a Viking longship in a national park in Norway; longships were used to raid and settle new territories.
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09-Nov-21 15:17:13
