![]() ![]() Their lives consisted mainly of seemingly endless hard physical labor in a demanding climate and brutal social/political environment. Europeans dreaded few things more than the ever-present possibility of a Viking attack.īut most of the Norse men and women of the period were farmers, craftsmen, housewives, or slaves. They pillaged and plundered throughout Europe, and conquered and ruled most of England. During the Viking Age (roughly 793-1066 AD), these Scandinavians could be found across most of the known world, from the Middle East to the shores of northeastern North America, which they discovered 500 years before Christopher Columbus. The Vikings were indeed fearsome warriors, intrepid explorers, proud pagans, and far-traveling merchants. ![]() While portrayals of the Vikings in the popular imagination and culture often contain a large amount of fantasy and romanticism, there’s a core of historical truth within those fanciful depictions. Modern replicas of Viking armor and weapons (photo by Bernhard Staerck)
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