BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VIKINGS

The Vikings, coming from the cold regions of Scandinavia, attacked and conquered many parts of Europe, as well as expanding their settlements to the New World. It all began at the end of the 8th century, when bands of fierce warriors from the north began terrorizing the peoples of Western Europe. These seafarers and skilled combatants raped, plundered, murdered and enslaved entire peoples. Today they are known as the Vikings.

Small in number, it is believed that only two million Vikings existed in total. These warriors are part of European history, settling mainly in various parts of Britain and Russia. But, in addition to the bloody battles and the saddest episodes, they were responsible for revitalizing European trade after the collapse of the Roman Empire.

What we know today about the Vikings is that they belonged to three different cultures: the Danes, the Norwegians, and the Swedes. Although they came from different places, they were united under a common language, a common culture, and a common pagan religion. In addition to all this, they were united by an insatiable thirst for wealth and glory.

One of the first Viking incursions into Western Europe took place in Northumbria, along the northern coast of Britain, by the Danish Vikings. In less than 50 years, the Vikings managed to travel down the waterways to cities such as Rouen and Nantes in France. They glided silently along the rivers aboard their famous ships, stealing from churches and monasteries, killing men and enslaving women and children. Viking raids in Europe began to decline after the year 1000.

While the Danes moved through the North Sea and the English Channel, Eastern Europe was the domain of the Swedish Vikings. They traveled the Baltic Sea, sailing along the deep rivers of what is now Russia. They even reached the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. In Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, the Vikings established permanent colonies and created a new culture in places that had never before had ties to Scandinavia.

Viking society was very harsh, even for themselves. People who were rejected by society, whether for committing crimes such as murder, had no choice but to find another place to live. This is how many Vikings traveled far beyond Europe, first to Iceland and Greenland, and even some to the coast of Canada and New England. This is how, under the reign of Harald Fairhair, the first Viking colonies in the New World were born.

No one knows for certain why the Vikings began their incursions into Western Europe. Perhaps what they needed was more land, or a desire for fame and glory. Whatever the reason, the Vikings helped shape European society, leaving behind the ancient world and bringing us closer to the Middle Ages.

Source: http://historiageneral.com