Time: 750AD - 1100AD

Who were the Vikings and where did they come from?

The word Vikings probably means 'pirate'. They were fierce fighters that came from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. They were often farmers and when the Vikings did not have enough land to farm they started to attack other countries for new land.

For 300 years the Vikings arrived in other European counties in boats called longships. They would rob towns and villages and invaded large areas of Britain, Ireland, France & Italy.

Viking Facts

BBC Bitesize - Vikings
Who were the Vikings and how did they Vikings fight? Found out this and more.

Jorvik Viking Centre
Everything you want to know about the Vikings, how they lived, what happened to them and more.

Ten Facts about the Vikings
Discover ten facts about the Vikings at the National Geographic Kids website.

Kids Fun Facts - Vikings
Learn and discover fast, interesting fun facts on Vikings for kids.

Places to see Viking history

Jorvik Viking Centre
Visit the Jorvik Viking Centre in York and discover 2000 years of history.

What happened to the Vikings?

Eventually, the Vikings became less violent as they settled in the new countries.

Vikings that settled in Northern France were known as Normans (Northmen). This part of France is now known as Normandy.

The Vikings that settled in eastern Europe were known as Rus (redheaded people). This is now known as Russia.