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The Vikings lived from 800 to 1200, in the era known as the Viking Age. Originally, they didn't just come from Denmark, but also from Norway and Sweden.
The Viking Warriors
The Vikings were very good sailors, travelling far in their ships. But they were also warriors, and among the most fearsome ones. They went on forays around Europe. Many Danish Vikings went to Englandto plunder, but some went all the way to the cities on the French and Spanish coasts.
The French capital, Paris, was besieged by Vikings, and the French king didn't dare to fight them, so he offered them money if only they'd go away. The Vikings accepted - it was a pretty smart idea to get money without even fighting. That kind of payment was called danegeld.
But the Vikings didn't continue to plunder and kill. Eventually they settled down as peaceful farmers in various countries. In England the Vikings established a great kingdom known as the Danelaw. Other Vikings settled in northern France, and their land was called Normandyø and that's what it's still called. Iceland and Greenland also got populated by Vikings - and even North America was visited by Vikings around the year 1000, 500 years before Columbus discovered the place.
What did they fight with?
The preferred weapon for the Vikings was the sword. There were two kinds of swords. One was almost one metre long and sharp on both sides of the blade - the so-called double-edged sword. The other kind was called a 'sax'. It was short and heavy and only sharpened on one edge.
The battle-axe was also a very popular weapon with the Vikings. The axe head was made of iron and often ornamented. The handle was made of wood. The shield, which the Vikings used to defend themselves with, was made of wood with iron studs, and most shields were painted in bright colours. They wore iron helmets, often equipped with nose-plates for protection against blows.
The peaceful Vikings
Most people in the Viking Age were peaceful farmers, merchants or artisans. The merchants sailed to other countries to sell their goods - and they were skilled tradesmen. They dealt in wood, tar, skins, honey and fish. The Vikings were also good at making jewellery. A lot of nice jewellery from the Viking Age, such as brooches, bracelets, necklaces and rings, has been found.
Most Vikings lived in villages with 10-12 farms. In the largest house the chief and his family lived. A farm normally consisted of a single house in which both people and animals lived. In the middle of the floor was a fireplace, where the cooking was done. The smoke escaped through a hole in the ceiling. Most often they ate porridge, bread and fish. And they drank milk or home-brewed beer, known as mead.
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