What Happened To The Vikings? An Unravelling Mystery With Many ...

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Who were the Vikings?

The Vikings were an ancient warrior tribe who were natives of Scandinavia from basically threes countries- Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The group is still listed among the most furious fighters in history and are known for having conducted raids in several parts of eastern and western Europe.

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Fierce expansionists

The Vikings, who were adept seafarers, did not enter new territories only because of their military dominance. They were able to enter and set base at different parts of the world not only as looters and colonists, but also as traders and mercenaries.

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The Vikings' weapons

While researchers continue to construct the history of Vikings piece by piece, there are many aspects that remain disputed as they are based more on popular beliefs rather than historical findings. Hence, despite having established their military prowess in the annals of history, there is not much clarity on what weapons the Viking used. So far, it is said that they used bow and arrow, spears, shields and axes, among other things.

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Did Vikings wear helmets?

Modern-day representations show them sporting an elaborate head gear, which is supposed to be a part of the warrior costume of the Vikings. However, according to the History channel's website, the horn-festooned helmet, as against popular depictions, may not be the quintessential Viking thing. The only authentic Viking helmet ever discovered is decidedly horn-free, states the website.

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Sailing into new territories

Since they were also seafarers, their expansion was not limited to Europe only. In fact, due to their advanced sailing navigation skills, the Vikings had almost reached North Africa and Russia! History says they had managed to come as far as south to North Africa and east to Russia, apart from Constantinople and the Middle East.

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Who are the descendants of the Vikings?

Viking settlements exist in different parts of the world, including Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Normandy and Swedish parts of Finland, Estonia and Latvia.

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History in the making, still

For almost 500 years, the Norse descendants of Erik the Red built churches and manor homes and expanded their settlements on the icy fringes of Greenland. According to an Associated Press report, new findings on why Viking colonies flourished and fell there have been found in the DNA of medieval walrus bones housed in more than a dozen European museums.

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The Vanishing act

The age of the Vikings is said to have ended when the raids stopped. The year 1066 is usually taken as a convenient marker for the end of the Viking age. The Battle of Stamford Bridge (25 September, 1066) between the English army under King Harold Godwinson and the Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada has traditionally been presented as symbolising the end of the Viking Age.

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Europe remembers the Vikings

In today's world, the Vikings continue to be remembered in different parts of the world with festivals and historical re-enactments being organised to celebrate the Norse heritage in the UK, Scotland, Spain, Denmark and other parts of Europe.

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