The Vikings
Sail back a thousand years Who Were the Vikings? · The Longships · Explorers and Raiders · Everyday Viking Life · Gods and Sagas · What They Left Us. Vikings sailed all the way to America 500 years before Columbus — and then simply sailed home again.
Ages 7–10
What's inside
Who Were the Vikings? — seafarers from the cold north
Over a thousand years ago, in the cold lands of northern Europe, lived a people we call the Vikings. When you hear their name, you might picture fierce warriors in horned helmets — but the real Vikings were far more interesting than the legends, and the horns were never real at all.
The Longships — the best boats of their age
If there's one thing that made the Vikings famous, it was their incredible boats. The Viking longship was a masterpiece of building — the finest ship in the whole world at the time — and it was the secret behind everything the Vikings managed to do.
Explorers and Raiders — how far the Vikings roamed
With their brilliant ships, the Vikings became the great travellers of their age, roaming further than anyone in Europe had gone before. They did three main things on their voyages: they explored brand-new lands, they traded goods far and wide, and — the part they're most famous for — they raided.
Everyday Viking Life — home, family and farm
Forget the raids and battles for a moment, because they were only a tiny part of Viking life. Most Vikings never went raiding at all. For nearly everyone, life was about home, family and hard work on the farm — and it's this everyday world that tells us who the Vikings truly were.
Gods and Sagas — Thor, Odin and the great stories
Long before books, the Vikings had a rich world of gods, magic and adventure — all kept alive by telling stories. On long dark winter nights, families would gather round the fire and share tales of mighty gods and daring heroes, and some of these stories are still famous all over the world today.
What They Left Us — the Viking mark on today
The Viking Age ended about a thousand years ago, as the Vikings slowly settled down, mixed with other peoples and became part of the countries we know today. But here's the surprising thing: the Vikings never really disappeared. Look and listen carefully, and you'll find they left their mark on our world in more ways than you'd ever guess.
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