Vikings

The Vikings came from Scandinavia, which is modern-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Their land was cold and rocky, which made farming difficult. Because food was hard to grow and land was limited, many Vikings sailed away to find new land, riches, and adventure.

Vikings were famous sailors. They built fast, lightweight boats called longships. These ships could sail across the open sea and also move through shallow rivers. This allowed Vikings to surprise towns, trade far away, or explore new lands. Their longships had dragon heads on the front to scare enemies.

In battle, some Vikings were known as berserkers. They fought with wild energy and wore little or no armor. People believed berserkers were so fierce that they felt no pain and terrified their enemies.

Vikings traveled very far. One of the most famous places in Viking stories was Constantinople, a huge and incredibly rich city. Vikings were amazed by its gold, tall walls, and massive buildings. Some Vikings even worked there as elite guards for the emperor. To them, Constantinople was a city of legends.

The Vikings also explored west across the ocean. A Viking leader named Erik the Red sailed to find new lands. Vikings reached places like Greenland and even parts of North America long before Columbus. However, these journeys were very hard. The land was cold, supplies were low, and fighting with local people made life difficult. In the end, the Viking settlements in the Americas failed and were abandoned.

The Vikings are remembered as explorers, warriors, traders, and storytellers. Their journeys helped connect different parts of the world and left behind legends that still fascinate people today.