The Viking Age: A History from Beginning to End

From the late eighth century to somewhere around the middle of the eleventh century, the history of Europe was dominated by the people who have become known as the Vikings. The Vikings were among the first global explorers who established territory that stretched from North America in the west to Constantinople in the east and from the frigid wastes of the Arctic in the north to the warm shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the south.

The term Viking is synonymous with war and violent conquest, but that is misleading. While a Viking was, by definition, a sea raider, and many Christians in Europe regarded Viking raids as a punishment by God, this was much more than a one-dimensional military culture. The Norse people who originated in present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden had a rich culture with their own unique society, religion, art, mythology, language, and philosophy. Traces of that culture remain visible today in many of the lands settled by the Vikings. Although the Norsemen were certainly feared warriors, the story of the Viking Age is as much a story of assimilation and change as it is an account of battles and conquest. This is the dynamic, complex, and sometimes surprising story of the period that has become known as the Viking Age.