The approximate period in which the Vikings became known is 793-1066. Although we call them Vikings today, this term was first used in the 18th-19th centuries, a term that would mean "one coming from the fjord" or shorter "pirate", being used rather to denote a occupation than an ethnicity. They were simply called Nordics or Danes in their day, referring to their hometowns, Norway and Denmark today. Their beginnings were humble, being simple farmers or fishermen and having as occupation the trade, living in areas with harsh climate. Because of this unfavorable lifestyle and population growth, there has been a desire to find places that can offer them a richer land but also more wealth. The German Iron Age allowed them to use iron weapons and their mastery of shipbuilding and the art of navigation gave them the opportunity to go in search of new lands.
Rebuilt interior of a typical Viking house
Rebuilt interior of a typical Viking house
Rebuilt interior of a typical Viking house
A panorama of an area where the Vikings built their localities in the Nordic countries
A panorama of the Icelandic areas where the Vikings built their first villages
Coin representing Knut the Great. Viking coins struck in the sec. IX-XI were made of silver or real gold