The Vikings were a group of people from Scandinavia who settled in Europe during the 8th-11th centuries. There is evidence that some of the first Viking settlements were in Ireland and Scotland. The Vikings came from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They were also known as the “Northmen” or “Norsemen”.
Historians believe the Vikings originated in the area that is now Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The first Viking raid on record took place in 793 AD, when they attacked a monastery on the island of Lindisfarne, off the coast of England.
Viking means ‘pirate’ or ‘raider’ in the Old Norse language. The word ‘viking’ was only used to describe someone who went on these raids – it wasn’t used as a general term for all Scandinavians until much later.
The Vikings were expert sailors and used their longboats to travel up rivers and across seas. They could row for days without stopping, and sometimes covered more than 100 miles in a day!
The Vikings were also very good at trading, and their travels took them all over Europe. They traded everything from fur and hides to weapons and slaves.