"The Viking Age (793–1066 CE) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America."
This period saw the emergence of Viking raiders from Scandinavia, who terrorized coastal towns of Europe, established settlements, and traded extensively with other cultures.
Viking society and culture: Explore the social structure, beliefs, and cultural practices of the Vikings, including their religion, economy, and politics.
Viking raiding and conquest: Study the Viking's raiding tactics and strategies, their targets, and the impact of their conquests on Europe and beyond.
Viking ships and navigation: Learn about the Viking's mastery of shipbuilding and navigation, their use of rivers and oceans for travel, and their impact on trade and commerce.
Viking art and architecture: Explore the Viking's artistic and architectural achievements, including their metalwork, carvings, and monuments.
Viking literature and language: Study the Viking's written works, including sagas and poetry, and their language, Old Norse.
Viking warfare and weaponry: Examine the Viking's military tactics, their weapons and armor, and their influence on medieval warfare.
Viking exploration and colonization: Discover the extent of the Viking's exploration and colonisation, including their settlements in Iceland, Greenland, and North America.
Viking mythology and folklore: Learn about the Viking's myths and legends, including their gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, and heroic sagas.
Viking trade and economy: Investigate the Viking's trade routes and commodities, their role in the medieval economy, and the legacy of their commercial activities.
Viking burial practices and beliefs: Delve into the Viking's views of death and the afterlife, their funeral rites and burial customs, and the archaeological evidence of their funerary practices.
Vikings: Sea-faring warriors and traders from Scandinavia who conducted raids on coastal regions of Europe and traded with other societies, including the Byzantine Empire and Islamic lands.
Varangians: A term used to describe Vikings who settled or served as mercenaries in the Byzantine Empire. They were renowned for their military prowess and were employed by the Byzantine emperors as personal bodyguards.
Rus: A term used to describe Vikings who settled in what is now Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. They established trade routes along major rivers and were instrumental in the formation of the early Russian state.
Normans: Descendants of Vikings who settled in what is now Normandy, France. They were known for their military skill and played a prominent role in medieval European politics, including the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
Jomsvikings: A legendary group of Viking warriors who were said to have been based in Jomsborg, Denmark. They were renowned for their strict code of conduct and were said to have been led by a mythical figure named Sigvald the Strong.
Berserkers: A term used to describe Viking warriors who wore animal skins and fought with reckless abandon, often in a state of frenzied rage. They were feared by their enemies and were said to have possessed supernatural powers.
Skalds: Poets and storytellers who composed and recited epic poems and sagas about heroic deeds and legendary figures from Norse mythology.
Thingmen: Free men who participated in the Thing, a democratic assembly and court system in Viking societies. They were responsible for making and enforcing laws and resolving disputes.
Jarls: A term used to describe Viking nobles who ruled over a region or kingdom. They were often wealthy and powerful, and were expected to provide military and political leadership.
Thralls: Enslaved people who were captured during Viking raids or were born into slavery. They were used for manual labor and had few rights or freedoms.
"The Norse people settled in the British Isles, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Normandy, and the Baltic coast and along the Dnieper and Volga trade routes in eastern Europe."
"Where they were also known as Varangians."
"They also briefly settled in Newfoundland, becoming the first Europeans to reach North America."
"The Norse-Gaels, Normans, Rus' people, Faroese, and Icelanders emerged from these Norse colonies."
"The Vikings founded several kingdoms and earldoms in Europe: the kingdom of the Isles (Suðreyjar), Orkney (Norðreyjar), York (Jórvík) and the Danelaw (Danalǫg), Dublin (Dyflin), Normandy, and Kievan Rus' (Garðaríki)."
"The Vikings were drawn by the growth of wealthy towns and monasteries overseas and weak kingdoms. They may also have been pushed to leave their homeland by overpopulation, lack of good farmland, and political strife arising from the unification of Norway."
"The aggressive expansion of the Carolingian Empire and forced conversion of the neighboring Saxons to Christianity may also have been a factor."
"Sailing innovations had allowed the Vikings to sail further and longer to begin with."
"Information about the Viking Age is drawn largely from primary sources written by those the Vikings encountered, as well as archaeology, supplemented with secondary sources such as the Icelandic Sagas." Note: Due to the limited information provided in the paragraph, not all questions have direct quotes for answers. Some answers are inferred based on the information available.