The Beginnings

From The Viking Age Wiki

The Germanic Iron Age ended, and a new age began when a raid was conducted on the British monastery of Lindisfarne in 793 AD. This new age was called the Viking Age, named after the Vikings, fierce Scandinavian warriors and traders whose reign lasted until 1066 AD. The society of these Vikings was based on agriculture and trade with others, and placed great emphasis on the concept of honour both in combat and in their criminal justice system. Many countries tried to fight back to the Vikings, but were generally unsucessful. The region now known as Normandy (after the Viking "Norsemen, men from the north") was profoundly disrupted during the Viking Age.

The Vikings had a profound impact on modern society, and even Christianity. For instance, much of Christmas was taken from Yule, a Viking holiday. Also, the word "saga" comes from an Icelandic word, that was referring to the style of storytelling used in the late Viking age and early 1200-1300s.