The Viking Age, spanning the late 8th to the mid-11th century, saw Scandinavian Norsemen explore, raid, trade, and settle across Europe and the North Atlantic, reaching as far as North America. Their success was largely due to their revolutionary clinker-built longships, which were fast, flexible, and could navigate shallow rivers as well as open seas. Culturally, they left a lasting impact, particularly through their Old Norse language which contributed many common words and place-names to English.
The truth about warrior headwear.
Think again before drawing that next Viking! The fierce image of a warrior with horns on his helmet is a creative myth from centuries after the Viking Age ended. Real helmets were practical tools for survival, keeping the head safe in a challenging world.
Sailing 17 knots and spanning continents.
These wooden boats were the ultimate all-terrain vehicles of the medieval world! The shallow draft was the secret weapon, letting Vikings surprise enemies on coasts or navigate far inland where other ships couldn't go.
From Russia to North America (1000 AD).
The Vikings were true global citizens of their time! This map highlights just how far their incredible ships took them, establishing trade, new settlements, and cultural links across huge distances.
Most Vikings were farmers, not just raiders.
Most Vikings spent their days tending the land and sea! Farming was tough work, especially with sandy soil, so everyone, young and old, pitched in to make sure they had food like fish and grain stored for the long winter.
Viking language lives on in English!
Next time you talk about the 'sky' or eat an 'egg', thank a Viking! Their language influence is woven into our everyday words, showing how cultures mix over time.
Not everyone was a warrior or a king.
Viking life was very structured! While the image of the Jarl in his great hall is famous, the majority of people were the hard-working Karls who made the society function.
Gods of strength, wisdom, and mischief.
Norse mythology was full of dramatic stories! These powerful gods and goddesses influenced everything from weather to warfare, and many of their stories live on today.
The Viking alphabet: Futhark.
The runic alphabet was beautiful and practical! Vikings carved these symbols on everything from memorial stones to everyday items like combs, connecting their words to their deep cultural beliefs.
Raiding evolved into long-distance commerce.
The Vikings were masters of adaptation! What started with swift raids often turned into long-term trade relationships, making them powerful merchants who connected distant parts of the world.
A dragon head for fear, then tucked away.
These scary heads were a psychological tool! The Vikings used them to strike fear into their foes, but were smart enough to take them off when peace - or a storm - required a more humble approach.
So we can tailor your experience
We'll use this to shape your experience.
Join parents and educators who use Kidopoly
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.