The Vikings

What is myth? What is fact? Did the Vikings have horns on their helmets? Why not? What do we know about? What have they left behind? The Viking Network Web tries to answer these and other questions. This is a great place to start exploring the Vikings!

Viking visits

The Vikings were great travelers, both raiding, trading and settling in other lands. From Norway, Denmark and Sweden they spread through Europe and the North Atlantic in the period of vigorous Scandinavian expansion (AD 800-1050) known as the Viking Age.

Behind them they left a legacy not only of archaeological remains, but also of family names, place names and field names. Their “remains” can be found in language, local dialects and customs, in folk tales and oral traditions, and of course in the genetic make up of the local people themselves.

The Viking Ship

The development of the Viking ship, made this expansion possible. With its flexible hull and its keel and sail, the Viking ship was far superior to ships and boats used by other peoples at the time.

Pagans – Christians

Originally pagan worshipers of Thor and Odin, many became Christians, and during the 10th century they brought Christianity back to Scandinavia.

Everyday life

Of course the Vikings didn’t spend all their time raiding and trading. From the everyday life page you can find information on such things as what the Vikings ate, what games and sports they played, the clothes they wore etc.

This post is also available in: Norwegian Bokmål

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.