The Vikings

8th and 12th Centuries A.D.

Background Information:

During this era, warriors called Vikings terrorized the people of Europe.  They came from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, where the weather was cold and soil was poor, to look for loot.  At first they made lightning raids on coastal villages and lonely farms.  They stole horses and food, captured prisoners for slaves, and robbed churches of their gold and silver.  Later they conquered and settled in parts of England, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia.  

The Vikings were the finest shipbuilders of the time, and their swift, light boats could travel many miles form their homelands.  They settled in Iceland and Greenland and were the first Europeans to reach North America.  Although they are chiefly remembered for their conquests, most Nordic people lived peacefully in small settlements and worked as farmers, merchants and craft workers.

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