Vikings
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
The Vikings were traders and warriors who lived in the north of Europe 1000 years ago. They came from Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) but travelled great distances in their longboats and worked as both settlers and conquerors. Villages in early medieval Europe lived in fear of Viking attacks. Some of the countries most affected by the Viking's piracy were England, Scotland, Ireland, and France.
[change] Exploration
The Vikings travelled through Russia, the Mediterranean Sea, visited southern Europe, northern Africa, and south-western Asia. Some Vikings sailed across the Atlantic Ocean through Iceland and Greenland, and even lived in North America for a while, but were driven away by native Americans whom they called Skraelings. The ruins of a Viking settlement from 1000 AD have been found at L'Anse-aux-Meadows, Newfoundland.
They left their homeland because there was a shortage of food and land. Therefore, they stole land and food from countries they invaded, and traded their goods there.
[change] Vikings in Europe
Europeans were frightened of the Vikings because of their strong weapons, swift attacks, and cruel fighting tactics. They were known for their bad treatment of women, children and monks in the places where they fought. When the Vikings came to England, the English kings paid them to leave the country, but the Vikings took their money and fought them anyway. From the 9th century to 1066, Danish and Norwegian Vikings ruled large parts of England.
Because of their longboats, which could float in 4 feet of water, the Vikings were able to make their way up rivers and conquer land further in a country.
[change] Other websites
- BBC: History of Vikings
- Borg Viking museum, Norway
- The Viking Network
- Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah, by James E. Montgomery, with full translation of Ibn Fadlan
