10 facts about Vikings

Did you know that ....

1. The Viking Age is often considered to have lasted from around 750 to 1100 AD?

The Viking Age lasted from around 750 to 1100 AD, a period when people from Norway, Sweden and Denmark made their mark and played a political role in Europe. Through contact with other cultures, they brought new ideas and impulses, including Christianity, back to Scandinavia.

2.Viking was a thing you did, not something you were? You went Viking, you were not a Viking.

As seafarers and explorers, the Vikings travelled longer distances than anyone else in their time. They travelled to trade, plunder and conquer land.

3.The Vikings' written language was runes?

The word runes means ‘secret’ or ‘mystery’ and were carved on weapons, tools, jewellery, amulets, pieces of wood and church walls. Note that when talking about runes, the word ‘carved’ is used instead of ‘written’. Runes were not written on tools, they were carved on the tool.

4. The Vikings discovered America before Columbus?

The Vikings, led by Leiv Eiriksson, reached America around the year 1000, almost 500 years before Columbus. They established settlements on Newfoundland in present-day Canada, known as Vinland. This is proven by archaeological finds, such as the Viking camp at L'Anse aux Meadows.

5. The Vikings used straw as a candle wick?

They were skilful craftsmen who made use of the natural resources available to them. To get extra light in the house, the Vikings made lamps using oil from fish, seals and whales, and this is where the straws called "lyssiv" were used as wicks.

6. Vikings were skilled shipbuilders?

The Vikings were skilled shipbuilders and built ships with flexible and clinker-built hulls, which made the ships very seaworthy. Viking ships could easily be pulled up onto beaches and were both fast and efficient for sailing and rowing. The ships were built to withstand long journeys over great distances, enabling them to explore and conquer seas from the Americas to Asia Minor.

7. It is a myth that the Vikings had horns in their helmets?

Archaeological evidence shows that Viking helmets were practical and without decorative horns. Viking helmets with horns are a phenomenon that is used today in popular culture as a symbol of the Vikings, but which is not based on historical findings.

8. The word ‘law’ originate from the Viking Age?

The word has its roots in the Norse language from the Viking Age. The Vikings had a legal system called ‘ting’, where laws were discussed and passed orally. These laws regulated their society and set standards for justice and order. The term evolved further in the Norse language and has survived in modern Scandinavian languages.

9. The Vikings were skillful navigators and sailors?

The Vikings had an extensive knowledge of sailing and navigation, which was crucial to their success at sea. They used natural navigation methods, such as the sun, stars, wind direction, and ocean currents, to navigate the open seas. The sunstone was an important navigational tool for the Vikings, the crystal was used to find the position of the sun in foggy or cloudy weather. This exceptional understanding of the sea is also reflected in the Norse language, which has around 150 different words for ‘waves’.

10. The Vikings didn't eat potatoes?

That's because the potato wasn't a known commodity in Viking times, it only became known in the 16th century. The Vikings' diet consisted of raw materials such as grain, meat, fish and vegetables.