Human Heritage: A World History

“Who Were the Vikings?”

Introduction
The Vikings of Scandinavia terrorized the coasts of Europe during the early Middle Ages with such ruthlessness that local Christians believed that the barbarians lacked any form of faith. To the contrary, Vikings worshiped several gods, and they had a rich collection of stories, called the Eddas, describing their gods and their deeds. They had their own culture that they mixed with others as they traded and raided in Europe.

Destination Title: Vikings: North Atlantic Saga

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Directions
Start at the Smithsonian Institute's “Vikings: North Atlantic Saga” Web site.

• Click on “Viking Voyage.”
• Click either “Enter Enhanced Site” or “Standard Site” depending on your computer's capabilities. Explore the information on this page.
• Click on “Viking Homelands” and read the information on the page. Then click on “Archaeology,” “Sagas,” and “History.”
• Then investigate the “Western Isles” link.
• Answer the following questions.

1			Did the Vikings have a single culture? Why or why not?
2			What evidence allows archaeologists to conclude that women in the Viking Age could garner great authority and respect?
3			Why did Snorri Sturluson record non-Christian beliefs?
4			What is the story of Egil's Saga discussed in the Western Isles section?
5			Consider what you have learned about Viking culture. Write an essay describing the sorts of characteristics that seem to be important to Vikings. Why do the Vikings value these characteristics?