Eric the Red shown in a woodcut frontispiece from the 1688 publication of Gronlandia (Greenland).
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Viking/Norse Exploration

The Vikings, or Norsemen, were a group of seafarers from Scandinavia that colonized (and raided) parts of Europe from about 800 AD through about 1050 AD. This time period is also called the Viking Age. The word Viking originally meant a man from Vik, which is a bay that lies along the border of Norway and Sweden, though the term is now often used to refer to the entire Scandinavian culture during the Middle Ages.

Although the Vikings are often thought of as warriors, we know now that most of their travels were based on trade and exploration. They ranged over most of the coast of Europe, and established long-standing colonies in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, and other parts of Europe. They also explored North Africa, Russia, and the Middle East. Some Viking expeditions even reached North America - archaeologists have found evidence that Vikings colonized Greenland and Newfoundland, and explored what is now Maine and Massachusetts roughly 500 years before Columbus.

The Vikings used two different kinds of ships in their travels. The longship, which was used for war and exploring, was faster and had oars so that it was not completely dependent on the wind. It had a very shallow draft, so it could travel in rivers and over rocky coastal waters without running aground, and it was built to be very light so it could be carried over short stretches of land if necessary. The knarr, which was used for trade, was slower but could carry much more cargo. It was usually dependent on wind for propulsion, and did not have oars.

Some of the most famous Vikings are Eric the Red, who is commonly thought to have discovered Greenland, and his son Lief Ericson, who was the first European to land in North America when he and his crew reached what is now Newfoundland, Canada.

Last modified September 19, 2007 by Jennifer Bergman.

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