Viking

Viking refers to Norse seafarers from Scandinavia who, during the Viking Age, conducted raiding, trading, exploration, and settlement across wide areas of Europe and the North Atlantic. The term derives from Old Norse víkingr, meaning a person who goes on expeditions by sea; it does not denote a single nationality or ethnic group.

Viking society originated in rural Nordic communities and developed advanced shipbuilding and navigational skills. Longships, lightweight and versatile, enabled rapid coastal raids and long open-sea voyages. In addition to raiding, Norse people established trade networks and settlements, and some joined or led expeditions that connected Scandinavia with Iceland (c. 874), Greenland (c. 982), and, around 1000, Vinland in North America.

Geographically, Viking activity extended to the British Isles, Ireland, parts of the Frankish Empire, the Baltic and Slavic regions, and the Kievan Rus'. They engaged in raiding as well as commerce, diplomacy, and colonization, influencing language, art, and legal practices in various regions. Norse travelers and traders also served as intermediaries within broader medieval networks.

The Viking Age is commonly dated from the raid on Lindisfarne in 793 to the early 11th century, with the end tied to the Christianization and political consolidation of Scandinavia and rising centralized kingdoms. The legacy of the Vikings includes lasting cultural and linguistic influence, changes in maritime technology, and the integration of Norse communities into medieval European polities.