THE VIKINGS

a. Origins

i. From northern Europeii. Called Norsemeniii. Society was rural and agricultural

1. Most worked as fishermen or farmers2. Scandinavia’s soil was not suitable for

farminga. As the population grew; food shortages

became a common problemb. This will lead some Viking leaders to take

what they needed from other people. Starts the beginning of Viking raids.

b. Viking Raids

i. Vikings were great ship builders

ii. Vikings were also skilled at navigation

1. Navigation- planning the course across the sea or land

iii. Vikings targeted several areas1. Initially they raided England and France2. Eventually extended to Kiev (Russia) and

Constantinople

iv. Vikings left people in constant fear of their raids

v. Favorite target for Viking raids were monasteries3. They were easier to plunder

c. Viking Settlements

i. Some Vikings were explorers

1. Some will establish permanent settlements in distant lands

ii. Iceland1. According to Icelandic sources, Vikings

arrived there in the late 700s.2. Led by a council called the Althing

a. Settlement thrived and outlasted settlements in mainland Europe

3. Sagas tell that the Vikings will set out from Iceland and reach Greenland in 982

a. Sagas- long Icelandic stories about heroes and events

iii. Leif Eriksson1. About a hundred

years after Vikings reached Greenland, Leif led an expedition to North America

2. Settled on the eastern shore of modern-day Canada

iv. Rollo1. Established a settlement in northern

France2. Will raid France many times3. Made a deal with the king of France

a. Agreed to stop his raids and help defend France against other Viking raids in exchange for land in northern France

b. This area became known as Normandy or the land of the Northmen