The Vikings: Most Powerful Force In Europe

Scott Harriford
World History
February 22, 2008
History of the Vikings
The Vikings, who lived in Scandinavia, made every thing that they used, and also they were the most powerful force in Europe. For a while Vikings were polytheistic, until the kings realized that Christianity would help strengthen their rule. Vikings lived on farms with houses made of wood, where they hunted and farmed their own food. Their society allowed women to have more freedom in choosing their husbands. Most Vikings were mainly in the middle class, and could gain fame and money to move on to the upper class. Through war and conquest the Vikings gained a lot of land and power. The Vikings were lead by a king and the king assigned a ruler to each Viking division.…show more content…
They plowed through cities without any warning, destroying everything in their sight, and stole anything of value. “After the first Viking raid in Europe people were shocked” (Margeson 16). As the Vikings conquered more cities they became meaner. If a city wanted to be left unharmed they would have to give a large sum of money to the Vikings. Also the Vikings were known for their dangerous voyages across frozen waters in search of unfound land. The Vikings have discovered Fare islands, Iceland, and Greenland, but while on these voyages they Vikings lost many ships and men due to the harsh conditions on the sea.
The Vikings were lead by a king and the king assigned an Earl to each Viking division. The kings were the most powerful in the Viking society and under the kings were Earls and Chieftains; they were in charge of their own cities. The people of each town had their choice in some parts of the government. Sometimes an assembly of freemen met to discuss laws and to decide punishment for criminals. The Vikings were the best seamen in Europe. They used long narrow ships that enabled them to sail in narrow waters. The ships were built to endure a lot of damage on the waters. The ship had a square cloth sail, and also had oars to help them reach farther inland. They used the stars to help them navigate through the…show more content…
They have created their own standard of living and social classes. The Vikings expanded their empire by forcefully taking other countries over, and by taking a risk and setting out to sea to discover unknown lands. Also they have mastered the barter economy, and changed their religion to Christianity. Those are the main reasons why the Vikings society was so strong, and that’s why they strong in a military sense but in a social, economic, and religious way also. Works Cited

1. Ager, Barry. Ancient History Vikings. 7 Febuary, 2008
<WWW.bbc.uk/history/ancient/vikings/weapons_01
2. Grant, Neil. Uncovering History Everyday Life of the Vikings. Florence, Italy: McRae
Books, 2003
.3. Kerven, Rosalind. The Vikings. 7 February, 2008<WWW.bbc.uk/schools/Vikings life/index>. 4. Margeson, Susan. Vikings, New York: Dorling, Kindersley, 1997 5.Short, William. Viking Age History. 9 February, 2008