Viking Age

Quick Facts: Who was Viking Age?

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Viking Age

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A period (c. 800–1050 CE) of Norse expansion through raiding, trade, and colonization across Europe.

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Origins & Early Life

The Viking Age (about 800–1050 CE) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their homeland of Scandinavia but also to any place significantly settled by Scandinavians during the period. Although few of the Scandinavians of the Viking Age were Vikings in the sense of being engaged in piracy, they are often referred to as Vikings as well as Norsemen. Voyaging by sea from their homelands in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the Norse people settled in the British Isles, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Normandy, and the Baltic coast and along the Dnieper and Volga trade routes in eastern Europe, where they were also known as Varangians. They also briefly settled in Newfoundland, becoming the first Europeans to reach North America.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The Norse-Gaels, Normans, Rus' people, Faroese, and Icelanders emerged from these Norse colonies. The Vikings founded several kingdoms and earldoms in Europe: the Kingdom of the Isles (Suðreyjar), Orkney (Norðreyjar), York (Jórvík) and the Danelaw (Danalǫg), Dublin (Dyflin), Normandy, and Kievan Rus' (Garðaríki). In the 11th century the Norse homelands were unified into larger kingdoms during the Viking Age, and the short-lived North Sea Empire included large swathes of Scandinavia and Britain. In 1021, the Vikings achieved the feat of reaching North America—the date of which was not determined until a millennium later. Several factors drove this expansion.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Vikings were drawn by the growth of wealthy towns and monasteries overseas and weak kingdoms. They may also have been pushed to leave their homeland by overpopulation, lack of good farmland, and political strife arising from the unification of Norway. The aggressive expansion of the Carolingian Empire and forced conversion of the neighbouring Saxons to Christianity may also have been a factor. This period of raiding, colonizing and trade was also fueled by innovations in sailing that gave the Vikings the ability to sail over longer periods to farther destinations. 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.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1021: 1021 Milestone — In 1021, the Vikings achieved the feat of reaching North America—the date of which was not determined until a millennium later.
2. 1050: 1050 Milestone — The Viking Age (about 800–1050 CE) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Viking Age

True or False: “The Lindisfarne raid in 793 CE was definitively the first Viking attack on Britain.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Scholars suggest that earlier contacts between Scandinavia and the British Isles occurred before 793 CE, with initial raids likely being smaller in scale.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Guido of Arezzo — Historical peer (Died in 1050) (1050): Pioneering music theorist credited with developing modern staff notation.
• Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor — Historical peer (Born in 1050) (1050): Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, and pivotal figure in the Investiture Controversy.
• Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah — Historical peer (Died in 1021) (1021): Sixth Fatimid Caliph and 16th Ismaili Imam, known for a controversial reign.
• Minamoto no Yorimitsu — Historical peer (Died in 1021) (1021): Prominent Heian period samurai and early Minamoto figure known for military prowess.

Frequently Asked Questions about Viking Age