The Viking Age, which lasted from approximately the late 8th century to the early 11th century, is one of the most fascinating periods in history. The Vikings, seafaring people from the late eighth to early 11th century, have a storied history full of myths, legends, and facts. Here are 100 interesting facts about these Norse explorers:
100 Facts About Vikings
- Origin of the Name: The term “Viking” comes from the Old Norse word “víkingr,” which means “pirate” or “raider”.
- Homelands: The Vikings hailed from the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
- Expert Sailors: Their legendary longships allowed them to navigate the oceans and rivers of Europe, Asia, and even North America.
- Viking Navigation: They used various tools for navigation, including the sun compass and possibly the “sun stone” – a crystal that helped determine the sun’s position on cloudy days.
- Rune Stones: Vikings used rune stones as monuments to commemorate deceased relatives, events, or heroic deeds.
- Settled Countries: Vikings founded cities like Dublin, Ireland and established colonies in far-off places like Greenland and Iceland.
- North America: Vikings were likely the first Europeans to land in North America, around 500 years before Christopher Columbus. They called it Vinland.
- Varied Diet: Their diet consisted of both farming produce like barley, and protein like fish, meat, and dairy.
- Pagan Beliefs: Originally, Vikings followed Norse paganism and worshipped gods like Odin, Thor, and Freyja.
- Conversion: Many Vikings later converted to Christianity, especially after coming into contact with Christian Europe.
- Alphabet: Vikings used a script called runes, which were not only alphabetic symbols but also believed to have magical properties.
- Berserkers: Some Viking warriors allegedly went into battle in a trance-like state, known as going “berserk”.
- Traders: Apart from being raiders, many Vikings were peaceful traders, exchanging goods like fur, tusks, and seal fat.
- Women’s Rights: Viking women enjoyed more rights and freedoms than many of their European counterparts. They could own property, request a divorce, and reclaim their dowries if their marriages ended.
- End of the Viking Age: The Viking Age is traditionally marked as ending in 1066, with the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
- Language: The Vikings spoke Old Norse, a North Germanic language from which modern Scandinavian languages are derived.
- Burial Rituals: Prominent Vikings were often buried with their possessions, animals, and even slaves, in grand ships.
- Valhalla: Vikings believed that those who died in battle would join the gods in Valhalla, an enormous hall in Asgard.
- Raid on Lindisfarne: In 793 AD, Vikings raided the Lindisfarne monastery in England, marking the beginning of the Viking Age in the British Isles.
- Ravens: The god Odin had two ravens, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), which flew around the world gathering information for him.
- Tattoos: There’s some evidence to suggest that Vikings might have had tattoos, though it’s a topic of debate among historians.
- Blond Ambitions: Some Vikings would use lye soap to bleach their hair, as blond hair was highly valued.
- Viking Parliament: In Iceland, Vikings established one of the world’s first parliaments, called the Althing, around 930 AD.
- Slave Trade: Slavery was a significant part of Viking society, and they participated in the slave trade.
- Viking Sports: Vikings participated in a variety of sports, including wrestling, stone lifting, and knattleikr (a ball game).
- Skalds: Viking poets were called skalds, and they recited epic tales about gods, heroes, and kings.
- Jelling Stones: Erected by King Gorm as a memorial to his wife and later by his son King Harald Bluetooth to commemorate his parents and celebrate his conquest of Denmark and Norway. The stones are often termed “Denmark’s birth certificate.”
- Viking Laws: Though they’re often viewed as lawless, Vikings had a complex system of laws and a system to enforce them.
- Sagas: Many Viking stories, or sagas, were written in the 13th century but are based on older oral tradition.
- Chess: The Vikings played board games, the most famous being Hnefatafl. Later, they adopted chess.
- Drinking Horns: Contrary to popular belief, there’s limited evidence that Vikings drank from horns. They likely drank from