Read our articles to explore these aspects of the incredible culture of these intrepid and dangerous men. And all along the trade routes, the Vikings traded in slaves. They traded all the goods of the north – furs, amber, iron and timber – for all the goods of the south – silver, gold, silks and spices. They were also shrewd and competent traders and merchants. They settled Iceland and tried to colonize Greenland. The people called Vikings were also fearless explorers who actually reached North America, making them the first Europeans to discover America.
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#Historical viking battle axe full
Raiding was very profitable, however, and many farmers became full time pirates and raiders. They often returned in time for harvest in the fall. When a Viking wasn’t busy farming, planting crops, for instance, they left their farms and went raiding. Strangely enough, for most of the men who went a-viking, it was only part time. They were gone before any defense or counter-attack could be made. With their swift and easily landed ships, the Vikings could quickly swarm over the communities, killing and looting, and just as fast return to their ships and leave. Many of the places they attacked were on the coasts as they were easiest to reach. For various reasons, they took to raiding towns, churches and monasteries. Simply put, the Vikings were Norwegians, Swedes and Danes, men who were usually farmers, traders, blacksmiths, and craftsmen. They terrorized, plundered, traded, explored and finally settled and farmed all over the lands they encountered.
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Vikings attacked places all along the coasts of Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Italy and inland Russia. 793 with the Lindisfarne raid, Norwegians, Swedes and Danes set to raiding. Historians use the term the Viking Age to describe the turbulent expansion of the Scandinavian people into Europe and Russia. The attack and plunder of Lindisfarne, a rich and unprotected monastery, echoed throughout the next 300 years of European history. They were fully unprepared for the ferocity of the warriors, armed with sword, axe and shield. When the quiet monks on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne saw the dragon ships approaching, they didn’t know what was coming. Vikings History: The Viking Age-An Overview Viking is a Verb, Not a Noun