1. Medieval History
The Vikings

2. Where did the Vikings come from?
Celts
Romans
Saxons
Vikings
Normans
Tudors
Victorians
WW ll
500 BC
AD 43
450
793
1066
1485
1837
1939

3. Viking Explorers
Toward the end of the 8th century CE, Viking seafarers from what we now call Norway (A), Denmark (B), and Sweden (C) embarked on a series of daring voyages for trade, colonization, and sometimes even plunder. Over the next 250 years, they planted settlements in Europe — from the British Isles (D) and France (E) to Italy (F) and Russia (G). Vikings from Norway, in particular, became the first Europeans, ever, to establish a passage across the Atlantic to North America. They did it in stages, setting up bases, as they went, in the Shetland Islands (H), Faroe Islands (I), Iceland (J), Greenland (K), and — for just a few years — in the place they called Vinland (L).

4. Key Terms
berserker
Warrior gangs that attached themselves to courts as bodyguards and shock troops
draught
The depth of water the longships needed to float
fjord
Inlet of the sea
saga
A long poem that tells of a hero and his adventures
Valhalla
The hall of the warriors in heaven
Valkyrie
Warrior goddesses

5. Viking Beliefs Gods & Goddesses Beliefs and Stories
Thor
the life force, lightning, strength, thunder & thunder storms
Freya
fertility, prophecy, sex, sexuality (feminine), war, wealth & weather
Odin
god of death, knowledge, poetry, rune magic, travel, war, warriors, & wisdom

6. Religion and Rituals of the Vikings Gods: The Vikings believed in many gods. They thought these gods helped their crops to grow and helped them in battle. There were two families of gods:
Important Asar gods
Odin (also called Woden) – chief of gods, god of battle who ruled Asgard, home of the gods. He is shown as a mysterious one-eyed god
Tyr – god of war
Balder – Odin’s son, god of youth, beauty and goodness
Loki – a troublemaker (Balder and Loki were not friends)
Important Vanir gods
Mimir – wisest of the Asar, sent as a hostage to the Vanir but was killed
Niord – ruler of wind and god of seafaring
Frey – son of Niord, god of fertility who gave good crops and ensured the survival of the race
Freyja – the daughter who was always attended by cats

7. Who are these days of the week named after?
Tuesday
Tyr’s day
Named after Tyr, god of war
Wednesday
Woden’s Day
Named after Woden (Odin), chief of gods
Thursday
Thor’s day
Named after Thor, god of thunder
Friday
Frey’s day
Named after Frey, god of fertility

8. Festivals
The Vikings made sacrifices to the gods, especially during the three main festivals:
Vertarblot
Mid-October, when sacrifices were made to ensure a good Winter
Jolablot or Midsvetrarblot
Mid-January when sacrifices were made to ensure good crops
Sacrifices were always made to Frey
Sigrblot
In April when sacrifices were made for victories at war
At these festivals people ate horsemeat and drank bowls of wine. Sometimes animals given to the gods were not killed, but were dedicated to the god and the owner could still use the animal.

9. Viking Contact with other Peoples
Trade
Constantinople (Istanbul), Russia, Greenland, Baltic area
Traded in silk, spices, slaves, amber, weapons, glass
Founded trading cities in Scandinavia, Ireland and England (York)
Trade was peaceful
Raids
France, England and elsewhere
Landed, raided, destroyed and looted along the coastlines
Colonisation
Established settlements in Iceland and Greenland
Discovered North America (Vinland)
Established some peaceful settlements or colonies in England, France and Finland.