The rise and fall of Vikings

The history of Vikings is one of courage, brilliance and valour. These sea-fearing Scandinavian warriors, also known as Norsemen or Northmen, were expert sailors and navigators. They hailed from lands which correspond to the present-day Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The Vikings raided, pirated, traded and settled throughout Europe in the pre-Christian era between late 8th and 11th centuries. After the 11th century, the Viking chief became a figure of the past. Olaf II Haraldsson of Norway was practically the last Viking chief in the old independent tradition before he became the king in 1015.

The etymology of the word viking is uncertain. In Old Norse, an Old Scandinavian language, the word appears as 'vikingr', which designates a person. The word 'viking', on the other hand, designates a practice.