On this page we discuss who the Vikings were, where they lived, how they became so successful, and several other aspects of their history. For more detailed information on many aspects of Viking life see the other pages of this site.
The popular picture of Vikings as merciless, savage warriors is somewhat distorted. This was certainly part of the Vikings history but not the only part. They were amazing mariners and explorers, and archeological sources tell us they were mainly farmers and traders.
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Most historians mark the beginning of the "Viking Age" as June 8th 793 A.D. when the Vikings looted and burned a church and convent on an island off the east coast of England called Lindisfarne. The raid on Lindisfarne was to become typical of how the ancient Norse warriors would conduct their early attacks. It was quick, it was a surprise, they attacked a target close to the shore, the objective was looting, and they left quickly.
Viking history is closely connected to the sea. They are well known for their costal attacks, sea expeditions, and sea trade routes. In fact the word Viking probably originates from the Swedish word for bay "vik". The Vikings used long narrow boats that could be powered by sail or oar. These so called long ships were quick, light, and could be sailed right onto a beach making Viking attacks lightning quick. The Vikings became some of the most famed sailors in history so confident in their skills that they even reached, and settled in North America for a brief time.
Historians usually make a distinction between "Danish/Norwegian" and "Swedish" Vikings. The "Danish/Norwegian" Vikings were know for concentrating their voyages in western Europe, including England, Ireland, and Scotland. They ventured as far as Iceland, Greenland, and even North America. They settled Iceland in 874 and visited Greenland in 876, 616 years before Columbus sailed to America. Their greatest feat was sailing to North America. This was accomplished by Leif Ericsson in the year 1000. Eventually they set up settlements in L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada.
The Swedish Vikings concentrated mostly on eastern Europe reaching such places as modern-day Russia. The Vikings settled in a Russian town called Novgorod, which they called "Holmgard". It has been argued that the Swedish Vikings founded Russia. This is not very likely. However the name Russia is probably derived from the name of the Swedish Viking "Ruser".