Introduction


Vikings besieging a city in the ninth century. (Library of Congress)
They came out of the dark, traveling swiftly over the sea in silent, deadly longboats. When the Vikings attacked the monastery of St. Cuthbert on the island of Lindisfarne in 793, they sent shockwaves throughout Europe. Who were these savage men who fought without warning and showed no mercy—not even to holy monks? Explorers and warriors from Scandinavia, the Vikings used their longboats to terrorize Christian Europe and even traveled as far as Iceland, Greenland, and North America. The Viking age of raids and colonization lasted from the late eighth to the early eleventh centuries, but with their ferocity, shipbuilding skills, and independent spirit, the Vikings left an indelible mark on Europe.

Essential Facts

  1. The Vikings came from present-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
  2. Viking longboats were long and low with a shallow draft so that they could be rowed right up to shore or down shallow rivers. Because they were so low in the water, the boats could not be seen from a distance. By the time they were sighted, there was no time to raise a defensive force.
  3. The Vikings had a complex society based on a strong sense of moral values and honor as well as an intricate system of gods to be worshipped. Viking women fought beside their men and were valued members of society. Viking kings were elected on the basis of their military prowess and leadership. Several European nations, especially England, were strongly influenced by Viking culture.
  4. The Vikings were traders as well as raiders. One Viking tribe known as the Rus penetrated deeply into what is present-day Russia to trade. As the Vikings settled and mixed with the native population, they became the first Russians.
  5. The Vikings also had a major influence in the development of England. Canute of Denmark actually became the King of England in 1016, although after his death the throne went back to the English line. Rollo, a Viking leader who had become a Christian, became the vassal of the French king, Charles the Fat, and was given the duchy of Normandy in France. One of his descendants was William I of Normandy, better known to the English as William the Conqueror.