Vikings

The Vikings, also known as Norsemen, were fierce pirates and warriors who terrorized Europe from the late 700's to about 1100. During this period, daring Viking sailors also explored the North Atlantic Ocean and even reached America. Such deeds have given this period of European history the name the Viking Age.

The Vikings lived in Scandinavia, a region of Europe that includes what are now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Vikings conquered or looted parts of England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, and Spain. At first, they raided these areas to obtain loot. Later, they set up trading centers and trade routes. Viking ships carried settlers to Greenland, which was unknown to Europeans at that time, and to Iceland. Leif Ericson, a Viking explorer, landed in North America about 500 years before Christopher Columbus arrived there in 1492. The Vikings established a settlement in North America, but it lasted only a few years.

The Viking Age began after a long period of rapid population growth in Scandinavia. This growth reduced the amount of available farmland. It led many Vikings to leave Scandinavia to find a source of wealth or a new place to live. At the same time, Scandinavians developed new shipbuilding techniques that enabled their ships to travel farther than ever before.

The Vikings had no direct effect on the history of America. But their conquests in Europe influenced relations between England and France for hundreds of years after the Viking Age.

Excerpt adapted from the "Vikings" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999