A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE VIKINGS

Q: Who were the Vikings and where did they come from?

A: The people we know as the Vikings hailed from modern-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden; it was from their Scandinavian homelands in the late eighth century that they stormed onto the European stage with their first forays into raiding and exploration. It was a bloody beginning to an era that would have a profound impact on society, trade and culture across the continent.

But what exactly was a Viking? The term did not actually refer to a distinct social group. Strictly speaking, it was a way of life, referring specifically to the seafaring warriors carrying out the raids on the rest of northwestern Europe. What might have been said at the time was that these warriors had gone ‘a-viking’, meaning they had gone on a raid. It was only later that the term would be transferred to the entire Norse culture, political evolution, artistic styles, and everybody who lived there, including those who stayed behind and didn’t go raiding.