In the 8th to 11th centuries, people of the North, or Scandinavians; the Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes, were all together known as Vikings. Their name came from the Icelandic word “vik”, bay or inlet, meaning one who fares by the sea to his adventures of commerce and of war. To be called a Viking, or seafarer, was the greatest praise and highest honor a man could ask for at the time. In the earliest Viking society, the land was the clan's property while each individual claimed his share by living on the land and caring for the cultivation. It was later when they began to yearn for freedom of the sea and for adventures beyond their homeland did they become real Vikings. As skilled shipbuilders and expert seamen, they took use of the sun, moon, and stars in navigating the sea. They were famous for especially for their longboats. Their voyages had started out for trade and satisfying their craving for adventures but soon developed into piratical, savage plundering raids. Intrigued by tales of their barbaric gods, more and more Vikings began to wipe out villages, monasteries, cathedrals and such for gold, silver, and other sacred objects. Moving westward, southward, and eastward, they settled in many other lands and in the end reached Russia. Under Leif Eriksson, they even got as far as North America. England, Scotland, the British Isles, Wales, Ireland, and Greenland were some of the many lands they exploited. After Christianity began its spread in Scandinavia and feudalism began to take part in rule, threat of the Vikings began to fade and the Viking Age began its decline.
