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Viking
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Exhumed Viking ship with a tall, curved prow on display inside the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway, surrounded by stone flooring and visitors in the background. Viking burial ground at Lindholm Hoje near Alborg, Denmark, featuring numerous upright stones arranged in circles and ovals on grassy terrain with trees in the background.
What artifacts teach us about the Vikings
Map showing Viking travels, trading, and raiding routes from the 9th to 11th centuries across Europe, the North Atlantic, and into North America. Viking homelands in Scandinavia are shaded, with routes extending to Iceland, Greenland, the British Isles, France, Eastern Europe, and L'Anse aux Meadows in present-day Canada. Key settlements and areas of initial Viking presence are marked. An inset map in the lower left shows the 1000-year anniversary reenactment route of Leif Eriksson's voyage from Erik the Red Painting by Christian Krohg showing Leif Eriksson in a yellow tunic standing on a Viking ship, pointing toward land as his crew looks ahead over rough seas. Battle of Clontarf Historical map showing the extent of Kievan Rus in the 11th century, shaded in pink, covering parts of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The map also marks the neighboring Byzantine Empire in purple to the south, with major cities such as Kyiv, Novgorod, and Smolensk labeled, along with surrounding peoples and regions including the Volga Bulgars, Khazars, and Kipchaks. Major rivers, seas, and adjacent territories like Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria are also depicted.
Did Vikings found the Russian state?
Gotland, Sweden: The Vikings' treasure island
At a Glance
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Viking summary
Quizzes
Vikings. Viking warriors hold swords and shields. 9th c. AD seafaring warriors raided the coasts of Europe, burning, plundering and killing. Marauders or pirates came from Scandinavia, now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. European History
European History
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Viking: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: Heritage History - Winter in Vinland. Jan 08, 2026
Add new Web site: Heritage History - Winter in Vinland. Oct 31, 2025
Migration of Accordions to article. Dec 06, 2024
Add new Web site: BBC News - Were the Vikings really so bloodthirsty? May 06, 2024
Add new Web site: Historic UK - Invaders! Angles, Saxons and Vikings. Jul 21, 2023
Add new Web site: Live Science - Who were the Vikings, the warriors who raided Europe and explored the New World? Mar 28, 2023
Add new Web site: Ancient Origins - History of the Vikings: All You Need to Know. Dec 01, 2022
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Viking. Aug 23, 2022
Deleted video. Dec 09, 2019
Corrected display issue. Aug 20, 2019
Add new Web site: Norse Mythology for Smart People - Who Were the Historical Vikings? Mar 08, 2019
Add new Web site: Norse Mythology for Smart People - Who Were the Historical Vikings? Mar 08, 2019
Changed "Ivan the Boneless" to "Ivar the Boneless." Dec 06, 2017
Article revised and expanded. Nov 20, 2017
Add new Web site: PBS LearningMedia - Eric the Red and Leif Ericson. Feb 16, 2017
Add new Web site: None. Dec 05, 2016
Add new Web site: LiveScience - Viking History: Facts & Myths. Dec 05, 2016
Add new Web site: World History International Project - Viking. Jul 14, 2016
Added video. Feb 18, 2015
Added video. Dec 17, 2014
Spelling adjusted for several proper names. Apr 25, 2013
Add new Web site: Quatr.us - The Vikings. Dec 27, 2012
Add new Web site: National Geographic Kids - 10 facts about the Vikings. Dec 21, 2012
Add new Web site: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Canada's Peoples History and Games. Dec 21, 2012
Add new Web site: History World - History of The Vikings. Dec 21, 2012
Add new Web site: Public Broadcasting Service - Who Were the Vikings? Dec 14, 2012
Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Who Were the Vikings? Dec 14, 2012
Add new Web site: British Broadcasting Corporation - Who were the Vikings. Dec 14, 2012
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Norsemen or Vikings. Oct 31, 2008
Media added. Jul 30, 2008
Added new Web site: World History International Project - Viking. Jul 25, 2006
Added new Web site: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History -. Jun 14, 2006
Article revised. Jun 06, 2005
Article revised. Mar 28, 2003
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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