Vikings
The Vikings were fierce pirates and warriors who terrorized Europe from the late 700s to about 1100, a period known as the Viking Age. The Vikings lived in Scandinavia, a region of Europe that includes what are now Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ... The ancestors of the Vikings were Germanic Peoples who once lived in northwestern Europe. ... The Vikings spoke a Germanic language that consisted of two dialects, both of which the Vikings knew. The Vikings used an alphabet made up of characters called runes. The Vikings lived on farms or in villages. ... The majority of Vikings stayed in one class for life. ... The great majority of Vikings were farmers or merchants. ... The Vikings became known for burial customs that involved great ceremony.