The Vikings - even though they called candinavia their home, the ancient Nore experts did it all from exploration, trade, colonies, and plunder.
The Vikings - even though they called Scandinavia their home, these ancient Norse experts did everything from exploration, trade, colony, and plunder.
During their time, they planted fear in much of Europe, and even in parts of the middle east.
To the astonishing extent of their influence, it is not surprising that they will remain well-known to this day for the mark they left!
Check out 30 incredible facts about Vikings that will surprise you!
The Vikings do not wear helmets! It is possible that the artists developed horned helmets during the 19th century
The word "Viking" means "a pirate invasion" in the old Norse language.
The age of the Vikings lasted less than 300 years between 900 A.D. at 1066.
The Vikings are known to have amazing hygiene. Archaeologists have found tweezers, razors, combs, and even ear cleaners in excavations. The Vikings bathed at least once a week more often than other Europeans of their time.
Because of the Norse religion, it is believed that the warriors went to incredible lands after their death, therefore burying their dead in boats is common to help reach the afterlife. In boats, the dead were often sent with their weapons, jewelry, and sometimes even sacrificed slaves.
Primitive skis were formed 6,000 years ago by Scandinavians. In Viking times, the Norse used skiing as an effective means of travel, as well as for pleasure. They even had a skiing god, Ullr.
Most Vikings spent their time farming barley, rye, oats, as well as raising cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep on farms just enough to support their family.
Due to the ideals of the beauty of Norse culture, brunette Vikings (often men) will whiten their hair. These treatments have also helped head lice!
The Vikings were never called Vikings and they did not think of themselves as a united group. They were a series of tribal-led tribes that fought against each other throughout Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
The Vikings practiced Norse Paganism, the chief of their gods being Odin and Thor. The Vikings thought that if they died in battle Odin would choose them to take them to Valhalla - their version of Heaven where only the wise Norse heroes go.
500 years before Christopher Columbus “found” off the coast of America, the Vikings landed in what is now Canada in about A.D. 1000.
Compared to other cultures, Viking women have more rights than most women. Viking women have the right to divorce their husbands and inherit property.
It is difficult to gather information about the Vikings, because they never wrote their own history. Much of what is known about Viking invasions and customs comes from what their enemies have recorded about them.
There are four main classes of Nordic societies: Kings, Jarls, Karls, and Thralls. Kings are the leader, Jarls are the nobles, Karls are the farmers, merchants, and builders, while thralls are the slave class.
Vikings who invade a trance-like state of rage are called berserker. It is said that they often wore bear or wolf skins in battle.
20% of English words are from Old Norse. Some of these include anger, ugliness, weakness, skull, and murder.
Some Vikings keep pets - from cats, dogs, falcons, peacocks, and bears. Bears will be caught as cubs and then raised by Viking families. However, polar bears are reserved for nobles only.
Only 80% of Viking children have survived the past 5 years. If a child is sick or weak, the parents will leave the child and throw them into the sea. This was due to the extreme pride the Vikings took in strength and power.
There is a secluded valley in Sweden where an ancient Viking dialect of Old Norse is still spoken.
The Bluetooth symbol is an old Viking rune - they represent of the initials of a Viking King.
Greenland was found by the Vikings hundreds of years before the Inuit showed up. However, when the Inuit began to move south, they invaded and demolished the Norse settlements.
There was an ancient Viking King who took Christmas seriously, whose subjects were forced to drink ale throughout the holidays. Anyone who does not do so will be fined.
When the Vikings came together to make laws and settle disputes, it was a meeting called "Things."
One of the Viking kings once ruled as King of England for 5 weeks.
To tell how severe a battle wound was, Viking women would feed an wounded warrior a broth with strong onions. After eating it, if they can smell the broth on the wound, they know it is very deep and there is no way to fix it.
The Vikings' most important weapon was their long swords. They often name their swords things like "Widow-Maker" and "Corpse-Bramble." Swords are often passed down through the generations.
The Vikings were notorious for their amazing boat building skills for their time. They invented the keel, as well as the middle thorn under the boat to make the vessel more stable.
Some of the Viking runners are just a kind of graffiti, like "Tholfir Kolbeinsson carved these high runes."
The poem is thought to be a gift from Odin. The Vikings eventually invented the rap battle during the 5th known as "flying," it was a poetic exchange of insults often targeting cowardice or perversion.
Iceland’s national sport is GlÃma, which is a Scandinavian martial art used by the Vikings.
0 Comments