What Are The Vikings Pirates

Coming from Scandinavian countries, predominantly Denmark and Norway, the Vikings began raiding the British Isles in the late 700s (James). The Vikings primarily targeted monasteries, because that is where most of the wealth was concentrated (Loughrey). These raids were very violent, people were killed, and the survivors were sold into slavery (Loughrey). These violent raids earned the Vikings the reputation of barbarians, much like the Mongols a few centuries later in Asia. After some time, once the Vikings exhausted most of the wealth in the monasteries, they turned their interest into settling the British Isles (James). By the late 9th century the Vikings had conquered most of England (James). However, even though these Viking kingdoms did not last very long, the Scandinavians who resided there stayed. These Scandinavians would go on to change the British Isles in many ways. Despite the violent and negative impacts of Viking raids on the British Isles, once the Vikings settled down, they had a significant and positive peaceful impact on the British Isles culturally, politically, and economically.

The reason for the Vikings leaving their homelands and venturing off on trade missions, raids, explorations, and new settlements is largely unknown, due to a lack of evidence (Vikings weren’t huge fans of writing down their day to day lives and history.) However, it can be speculated that they left for a few reasons. The first of those reasons was to escape forced conversion to Christianity by Charlemagne. The Vikings had their own unique religion which differed heavily from Christianity. Add to this the fact that Christians don’t have the best history with accepting other beliefs, it is understandable that the Vikings may have feared Christian conversion and sought to find new lands to escape. This fear of conversion was a large part of the Saxon wars affecting Germanic peoples. It’s worth noting the irony of the Vikings leaving their homeland in fear of Christian conversion considering their leader Harald Bluetooth (935-985), who was the King of Norway and Denmark, eventually converted the Vikings himself to Christianity. The second reason for the Vikings suddenly migrating may be due to their beliefs in relation to inheritance. Vikings gave their first sons all acquired land, this caused younger sons to venture off on their own to gain their own property. Regardless of the reason, the Vikings ventured off in their long ships to raid, pillage,

Beginning in about A.D. 800, many Scandinavians sailed south from their homelands to seek their fortunes. These seafaring warriors began by raiding coastal sites of the British Isles but soon grew more ambitious. During the next three centuries, they left their mark as traders, pirates and settlers on much of Britain and the European continent. These raiders became known collectively as Norsemen, or “Northmen,” though they are better remembered by another name: Vikings.

The Vikings were travelers and voyagers as well; which were people that go on long trips, usually in ships. The area in which they traveled to were Southern

The Vikings lived about one thousand years ago in the lands that we now call Iceland, Lapland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. To most people the Vikings were raiders that got in their longboats and sailed somewhere and then went from town to town killing and pillaging. This is not completely true, because the Vikings were also

It is impossible to assign the various Viking groups at all precisely to places of origin. But broadly speaking, adventurers from the coast of Norway raid the north of England and continue round the Scottish coast to Ireland. Vikings from the same region later settle in the Scottish islands, Iceland and parts of Ireland.

Viking history and culture have been depicted in many movies, television series, and stories. Vikings are commonly known as barbarians that raid villages and intimidate others with huge ships with dragon heads, and horned helmets. This information is based on facts, but has been distorted and exaggerated over many years and tales. Viking history spans from the years 780 until 1100, which is the time span of the Viking raids. Not every Scandinavian was a Viking; Vikings were known as the men that conducted raids and bloody battles. The old definition of Viking was synonymous with the term pirate. The modern definition is relevant to the Scandinavian medieval culture, to include farming, crafting and trading.

The Vikings are often represented in modern culture as burly, horn-helm wearing savages, who ruthlessly plunder and destroy towns and countrysides, and while this might be an exaggeration, it is not completely untrue. In the 9th century, the Vikings from Scandinavia exposed the weakness of Charlemagne’s self-confident regime, they sought to loot the now-wealthy Franks and replace them as the dominant warrior class of northern Europe. It was their turn to extract plunder and to sell off slaves across the water. They succeeded because of a deadly technological advantage, ships of unparalleled sophistication, developed by Scandinavian sailors in the Baltic Sea. They were light and agile, with a shallow draft, which allowed them to penetrate

The definition of a Viking is any of the Scandinavian pirates who plundered the coasts of Europe from the 8th to 10th centuries. The Vikings made their impact in parts of modern day Russia, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, Britain, and the majority of the European continent. They were first known as Norsemen and Northmen before they got the name that people know them for today. When conquering these lands, Vikings opted for naval battles as they succeeded at these were what they excelled at; some of the ships the Vikings used held more than three hundred men. Vikings built an extensive network of trade links that stretched all over modern Europe and continued into Russia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The Vikings are known for being some of history’s most ruthless invaders. Norseman who pillaged every town they came upon and destroyed any military resistance to their extensive raids. Starting in the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark the seafarers began extending the scope of their raids and influence, eventually wintering overseas. Two modern day countries England and France, once empires and kingdoms, were particularly targeted throughout the Vikings long history. Viking raids happened fast and were effective, often leaving villages in ruins, having been pillaged by the fearless warriors.

'Ravagers, pagans, ruthless," Time magazine claims on the Vikings. They were more than that. Without them history wouldn't be the same. They had trade routes from Iraq to the Canadian Pacific. They were Metalworkers. they were explorers "whose restless hearts brought them to North America some 500 years before Columbus." They were warriors. They were Democrats. Many people think of them as the men who worshipped Thor and had horned hats. Well one of these is wrong. Vikings never wore horned hats. They had great Hygiene. They slave traded. Much like Sparta their women had rights. Vikings were known also for farming.

Vikings came from three countries of scandinavia; Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. The term Vikings literally means ‘a pirate raid’, they get their name from a scandinavian language called “Old Norse”(BBC-primary history). People who go off raiding in ships were called vikings. Because of the raids and constant battles in many places they were often also called savages, traders, and explorers. In scandinavia they were also called Norsemen. During the time A.D. 700 to 1100(BBC-primary history),

The people that lived in northern Europe between A.D. 800 and 1100 were known as Danes, Northmen, or Norsemen. In later years they became known as Vikings, a name derived from a Norse word for pirate. They were famous and feared pirates and raider. The Vikings were known to be remarkable traders, explorers and warriors. The Vikings were most known for their fighting ability but they were also excellent at trading goods such as slaves and exploring many parts of the world. They were also well known for their weapon choice but also people knew to be scared of them because they are such fierce warriors and if you are not expecting it can be extremely bad for you

The Vikings spent most of their time raiding villages and killing people. They sailed very far distances in their longships to find land to raid. The Vikings mostly raided western and eastern parts of Europe. They also raided places like Greenland and Canada. While raiding the Vikings would basically kill anyone that got in their way and they would destroy villages completely. If you survived a Viking raid, you were extremely lucky. When the Vikings raided they would steal anything they could, including money, food, cattle and loot from churches. The Vikings would usually not leave places alone. Once they had raided them one time, they would do it again and keep stealing and killing. One famous raid that the Vikings did was in Northumbria, North-east England. Here the Vikings arrived in their longships and burned down buildings, murdered monks, stole things and frightened everyone. Apparently some of the Christian church leaders said

Vikings do live up to their name as being a brutal and barbaric pirates, sailing towards villages in their long fast sailing boats towards settlements, taking all the treasures, materials and livestock they could grab a hold of for their people. Slaughtering everyone who had lived in the village, and tortured people if they stood up against them. When they left the village, the village was on fire in mass destruction. Vikings destroyed monks, churches, villages and farms all for the sake of them. Brutally murdering people. Then sailing away with the treasures not caring for what they have done, not double thinking if they should’ve killed the wives and children. A monk wrote what happened, during the battle in fear, ‘On the seventh of the 13th of June, they reached the church of Lindisfarne, and there they miserably ravaged and pillaged everything; they trampled the holy things under their polluted feet, they dug down the platforms, and plundered all the treasures of the church. Some of the comrades they killed, some