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Who the Vikings were and where did they came from?

For 300 years, from the 8th to 11th centuries, the Vikings took the world by storm. In search of land, slaves, gold, and silver, these brave warriors and explorers set sail from their homes in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Why and how did they raid and settle  

Vikings had large families. They did not have enough farm land and were told stories of wonderful places across the sea by other Vikings. They came to find rich farmland and treasures for themselves.

The Vikings were superb sailors. Their longships were strong enough to cross the Atlantic Ocean. For trading voyages and for settlement they used broad-beamed cargo ships, called knars. The skills of navigation and shipbuilding were developed in the tricky coastal waters of Scandinavia.

Were the Vikings raiders or traders?

Both. The first Vikings who came to Britain were raiders who sacked the monasteries and returned home, laden with plunder. Later descendents earned their living through trade or farming. The first Danes who attacked Britain were raiders too, but their descendants, who settled here in later years, earned their living through trade or farming.

Most of the written evidence comes from people who met them or saw them. Very little of what the Vikings wrote remains. Later, Vikings were buried with their possessions, which give clues about how they lived. We know more about the earlier Vikings than the later ones because, from about AD 950, more and more Vikings became Christians and the custom of burying the dead with their personal possessions died out. Sites like Jorvik, in York, tell us about how they lived.

Find out more?

• BBC Schools - Vikings
• Channel 4 - Viking Settlers in Europe
• Vikings - The North Atlantic Saga
• BBC History - Viking Quest
• NOVA - Explore the Vikings
• Vikings in Scotland
• BBC - Walk Through Time
• BBC Ancient History - The Vikings
• Virtual Viking Village
• Nordic Stories

For Teachers and Parents

• Resources for Teachers and Parents from the National Maritime Museum
• Map of Anglo Saxon England