The Vikings

Their kings had names such as Svien Forkbeard or Eirik Bloodaxe, their ships plied the seas and rivers of half the globe. They were the Vikings. From Newfoundland to the Caspian Sea they robbed and traded fine furs and jewelry, slaves and weapons: anything that was worth something. The Viking era is the last of the great periods of barbarian attacks. It left Europe transformed, ripe for the rise of the new nations that marked the middle ages. Norsemen, another word for Vikings, conquered a quarter of France, half of England and a third of Italy. They served as bodyguards to emperors in Constantinople while they pushed the frontiers of trade into Asia, exchanging walrus ivory and amber, furs and slaves for the fine gold and precious stones from southern lands. Their original homeland was the windswept north of Europe, the ragged and rocky fjords of Norway, the dark forests of Sweden and the bleak lowlands of Denmark.

The series describes the Viking way of life, in which pillage was just one many activities. Vikings grew crops, raised cattle, wove splendid cloth, carved wood and stone, and traded in the best weapons. Their military technology was advanced – they built the first ever landing ships for their raids on England, their steel was better than any other, their hit-and-run tactics were invincible. Wherever they went, they spread terror and they ruled the lands they conquered with an iron fist.