21 Facts About Viking Age

Viking Age was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America.

The Viking Age applies not only to their homeland of Scandinavia but to any place significantly settled by Scandinavians during the period.

The Scandinavians of the Viking Age are often referred to as Vikings as well as Norsemen, although few of them were Vikings in sense of being engaged in piracy.

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.

Viking Age's successors moved further, founding the early East Slavic state of Kievan Rus' with the capital in Kiev.

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In Scandinavia, the Viking Age is considered to have ended with the establishment of royal authority in the Scandinavian countries and the establishment of Christianity as the dominant religion.

The end of the Viking Age is traditionally marked in England by the failed invasion attempted by the Norwegian king Harald III, who was defeated by Saxon King Harold Godwinson in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge; in Ireland, the capture of Dublin by Strongbow and his Hiberno-Norman forces in 1171; and 1263 in Scotland by the defeat of King Hakon Hakonarson at the Battle of Largs by troops loyal to Alexander III.

Viking Age presence declined until 1066, when they lost their final battle with the English at Stamford Bridge.

The upheaval and pressure of Viking Age raiding, occupation, conquest and settlement resulted in alliances among the formerly enemy peoples that comprised what would become present-day Scotland.

Viking Age organised a fleet and was able to subdue the rebels, and in doing so brought the independent Jarls under his control, many of the rebels having fled to Iceland.

Viking Age found himself ruling not only Norway, but the Isles, Man, and parts of Scotland.

Viking Age's kingdom was to develop latterly into the Lordship of the Isles.

Viking Age's fleet linked up with those of King Magnus of Man and King Dougal of the Hebrides.

Estonia during Viking Age was a Finnic area divided between two major cultural regions, a coastal and an inland one, corresponding to the historical cultural and linguistic division between Northern and Southern Estonian.

Weapons found in Estonian Viking Age graves are common to types found throughout Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

Some Viking Age leaders took an active role in Frisian politics, like Godfrid, Duke of Frisia.

The Viking Age attackers sought to capture the treasures stored at monasteries, easy prey given the monks' lack of defensive capacity.

In 911, a band of Viking Age warriors attempted to siege Chartres but was defeated by Robert I of France.

In 1015, a Viking Age fleet entered the river Minho and sacked the episcopal city of Tui ; no new bishop was appointed until 1070.

In terms of Y-DNA composition, Viking Age individuals were similar to present-day Scandinavians.

Viking Age's burial is the richest one in the whole cemetery; moreover, strontium analysis of his teeth enamel shows he was not local.