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Vikings
Viking Ship
Viking Ship by Tvilling
History >> Middle Ages

The Vikings were people who lived in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. They originally settled the Scandinavian lands that are today the countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The Vikings played a major role in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, especially during the Viking Age which was from 800 CE to 1066 CE.

Viking Raids

The word Viking actually means "to raid" in Old Norse. The Vikings would board their long ships and head across the waters to raid villages on the northern coast of Europe, including islands such as Great Britain. They first showed up in England to raid villages in 787 CE. The Vikings were known to attack defenseless monasteries when they raided. This got them a bad reputation as barbarians, but to the Vikings, monasteries were wealthy and undefended easy targets.

The Viking Age and Expansion into Europe

Eventually the Vikings began to settle in lands outside of Scandinavia. In the 9th century they settled portions of Great Britain, Germany, and Iceland. In the 10th century they moved into northeastern Europe including Russia. They also settled along the coast of northern France, where they established Normandy, which means "northmen".

Viking Expansion during the Middle Ages and Medieval times
Viking expansion during the Middle Ages by Max Naylor
Click to see larger view


By the start of the 11th century the Vikings were at the peak of their expansion. One Viking, Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, actually made it to North America. He started a brief settlement in present day Canada. This was many hundreds of years before Columbus.

Defeat in Great Britain and the End of the Viking Age

In 1066, the Vikings, led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway were defeated by the English and King Harold Godwinson. The loss of this battle is sometimes used to symbolize the end of the Viking Age. At this point the Vikings stopped expanding their territory and raiding became less frequent.

A major reason for the end of the Viking age was the coming of Christianity. With Scandinavia being converted to Christianity and becoming part of Christian Europe, the Vikings became more and more a part of mainland Europe. The identity and boundaries of the three countries Sweden, Denmark, and Norway began to form as well.

Viking Ships

Perhaps the Vikings were most famous for their ships. The Vikings made longships for exploration and raiding. Longships were long, narrow boats designed for speed. They were generally propelled using oars, but later had a sail to help out in windy conditions. Longships had a shallow draft, meaning they could float in shallow water, making them good for landing on beaches.

The Vikings also made cargo ships called knarr for trading. The knarr was wider and deeper than the longship so it could carry more cargo.

At the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark you can see five recovered Viking ships. You can also see how the Vikings built their ships. The Vikings used a ship building method called clinker building. They used long planks of wood that overlapped along the edges.


Oseberg ship by Daderot

Interesting Facts about Vikings Activities



More subjects on the Middle Ages:

Overview
Timeline
Feudal System
Guilds
Medieval Monasteries
Glossary and Terms

Knights and Castles
Becoming a Knight
Castles
History of Knights
Knight's Armor and Weapons
Knight's coat of arms
Tournaments, Jousts, and Chivalry

 Culture
Daily Life in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages Art and Literature
The Catholic Church and Cathedrals
Entertainment and Music
The King's Court

Major Events
The Black Death
The Crusades
Hundred Years War
Magna Carta
Norman Conquest of 1066
Reconquista of Spain
Wars of the Roses

 Nations
Anglo-Saxons
Byzantine Empire
The Franks
Kievan Rus
Vikings for kids

People
Alfred the Great
Charlemagne
Genghis Khan
Joan of Arc
Justinian I
Marco Polo
Saint Francis of Assisi
William the Conqueror
Famous Queens

Works Cited

History >> Middle Ages for Kids


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