Vikings Author: Philip Steele Consultant: Dr. Ragnhild Ljosland US_001_Half_title.indd 1 30/07/18 4:10 PM Contents Project editors Satu Hämeenaho-Fox, Roohi Sehgal Editor Radhika Haswani 4 Who were the Vikings? Project art editor Emma Hobson, Radhika Banerjee Art editor Mohd Zishan US editors Allison Singer, Jenny Wilson 6 Viking voyages DTP designers Dheeraj Singh, Mohd Rizwan, Vijay Kandwal Picture researcher Sumita Khatwani 8 Longship Jacket co-ordinator Francesca Young Jacket designer Suzena Sengupta Educational consultant Jacqueline Harris 10 Raids Managing editors Laura Gilbert, Monica Saigal Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones Deputy managing art editor Ivy Sengupta 12 Warriors and weapons Senior Pre-production Producer Luca Frassinetti Senior producer Isabell Schart Creative director Helen Senior 14 Traders Publishing director Sarah Larter DIGITAL OPERATIONS, DELHI 16 Myth busters Editor Suruchi Bhatia Production co-ordinator Manish Bhatt 18 Famous Vikings DK CREATIVE, DELHI Assistant editor Prerna Grewal 20 Walls and forts Art editor Mohd Zishan Managing editor Monica Saigal Deputy managing art editor Ivy Sengupta 22 Viking society eISBN: 9781465483379 Digital edition published by Dorling Kindersley Limited 24 At home First American Edition, 2018 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 26 Jobs and skills Copyright © 2018 Dorling Kindersley Limited DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC 28 Viking feast All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 [email protected] A WORLD OF IDEAS: SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW www.dk.com Thorc’sh harammmer Drinking horn Viking child practising fighting skills 2 US_002-003_Contents.indd 2 30/07/18 2:58 PM Contents 30 Viking animals 54 After the Vikings 32 Viking women 56 A Viking adventure 34 Growing up 58 Viking facts and figures 36 Games and sports 60 Timeline of key events 38 Words and music 62 Viking runes 40 Writing in runes 64 Glossary 42 Art styles 66 Index 44 Dress like a Viking 68 Acknowledgments 46 Gods and goddesses 69 Quiz 48 A Norse tale 70 Quiz answers 50 Afterlife 52 Meet the expert K nif e Loom The Oseberg ship Stave church in Norway 3 US_002-003_Contents.indd 3 30/07/18 12:35 PM Who were Warriors Viking fighters were mostly part-time the Vikings? warriors who left their farms to go raiding. In the Middle Ages, the people of Europe’s far north were farmers and sailors. From the 790s they began to attack neighboring lands, killing people and stealing their treasure. The Vikings are remembered as fierce warriors, but they made history in other ways, too, as traders, explorers, craft Children workers, and storytellers. Kids didn’t go to school, but they had to learn skills such as farming or weaving. How did the Vikings get their name? Viking meant “raiding” or “raider.” They were Traders also known as “Northmen.” Today we use the Viking merchants word Viking to describe Scandinavian people traded far from home, in the time between about 790 and 1050. including in Greenland, Russia, and Baghdad. The Vikings attacking Paris 4 US_004-005_Who_were_the_Vikings.indd 4 30/07/18 12:35 PM Farmers Settlers The Vikings were You needed to be skilled farmers, even tough and brave to in lands with harsh leave home and move Viking community weather. to an unknown land. Many Vikings lived in remote farms, linked only by muddy tracks or by boat. Where the farmland was good, there were more people, and trading towns grew up around ports. Rulers Power was held by leaders called jarls, local assemblies called Things, and by chiefs and kings. Parents and babies Strong family bonds helped Vikings survive cold winters in Scandinavia and Greenland. FACT FILE » Who: The Vikings » When: The Middle Ages, between about 790 and 1050 » Where: Originally in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway » What: Raided overseas, in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Iceland, and Greenland » Language: Old Norse 5 US_004-005_Who_were_the_Vikings.indd 5 30/07/18 12:35 PM Greenland In about 982, Erik the Red explored TIMELINE this bleak and icy land. He named it » 780–90 The first raids Greenland to persuade other Vikings are carried out to move there. The first permanent settlement was made in 985. » 800s New settlements are founded » 900s Kings begin to rule over the Vikings » Iceland 1000s Vikings reach Viking seafarers, fishermen, mainland North America and farmers made their homes in Iceland between about 870 and 930. NORTH Canada ATLANTIC OCEAN Erik’s son, Leif the Lucky, sailed to what is now Canada. He Ireland probably explored Vikings raided Ireland Baffin Bay, Labrador, and from the 790s, and by Newfoundland in 1001. 845 had founded a town at Dublin. They also settled around Wexford, Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. Viking homelands Viking voyages ! WO W! The Viking homelands were surrounded by seas and had deep, narrow inland waters called It took about fjords. This meant the Vikings had to learn to seven days to sail be sailors and shipbuilders. Their warriors and from Scandinavia traders sailed long distances to discover new to Iceland. lands. In some places they built settlements, which were places for Viking people to live. 6 US_006_007_Discoveries_and_Settlements.indd 6 30/07/18 12:35 PM The Faroe Islands ARCTIC OCEAN The remote Faroe islands Sweden were settled by Viking sheep Norway Swedish Vikings farmed farmers in about 800. Norwegian in the southeast and on Vikings lived islands in the Baltic Sea. by the fjords of Scotland and the west coast. the Isle of Man Vikings from Norway took over Scotland’s far north, the Shetland and Orkney Islands, and the Isle of Man. L T I C S E A Russia England A Vikings from Sweden, B By 876 a large area of known as Varangians, England, known as traded with the Slavs of the Danelaw, was Russia and eastern Europe. under Viking rule. Denmark Danish Vikings lived in the far south of the Constantinople Viking homelands. This city (modern Istanbul) France was capital of the Byzantine Wales Viking armies put Paris under Empire. The Vikings called it Wales was siege in 845 and 885–886. In 910 Miklagard, the Great City. raided by the they were given a large area of Vikings from 850. France called Normandy. Southern Europe Viking raiders and traders sailed into the Mediterranean Sea. Medieval neighbors WO W! The Vikings lived alongside many other medieval powers. In the 800s, the Frankish emperor Charlemagne ruled a huge area of France, Germany, and Italy. Most of Spain was ruled by Muslims called the Moors. In the 800s the Anglo-Saxon King Alfred of Wessex fought against large armies of Viking invaders in Britain. Charlemagne King Alfred 7 US_006_007_Discoveries_and_Settlements.indd 7 30/07/18 12:35 PM 6 Longship The longship was a narrow boat designed for speed. The underside was flat enough to sail up a river without hitting the riverbed, and could be dragged up onto a beach. The longship was ideal for raiding, but a wider, sturdier ship called a knarr was used for carrying cargo. ! WO W! A longship could move at up to 17 miles (28 km/h) an hour. 3 1 5 4 Overlapping planks Each plank, or strake, overlapped the next, 2 and was fixed with nails and rivets. 8 US_008-009_Viking_longship.indd 8 30/07/18 12:35 PM