Curious facts you didn't know about the Vikings -

Between 800 and 1066 CE, the Vikings were famous for sailing huge distances from their home in Scandinavia to raid and plunder. But these Nordic sea warriors did much more than that, such as trading across Europe and traveling all the way to the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, and North America. They also left their linguistic mark on today's' Scandinavian languages, as well as the English language.

Want to discover more about these northern Europeans? Then check out this gallery.

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They came from Scandinavia -

The Vikings came from Scandinavia, but traveled as far as modern-day Iraq and North America. Their descendants could be found across Europe. For example, the Normans in northern France were Viking descendants.

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Viking means "pirate raid" -

Viking, which means "pirate raid," comes from the Old Norse language that was spoken across Scandinavia during the Viking Age.

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They weren't all pirates -

The Vikings might have been famous for their plundering ways, but many actually traveled to settle in other countries peacefully, or to trade goods to take back home.

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They didn’t wear helmets with horns -

There is actually no evidence that they wore horned helmets. Known from popular culture, it was actually a creation by costume designer Carl Emil Doepler for an 1876 production of Wagner’s 'Der Ring des Nibelungen.'

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They arrived in America long before Columbus -

Although Christopher Columbus is commonly credited with being the first European to 'discover' the Americas, Viking explorer Leif Erikson beat him to it by 500 years.

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They had their own gods -

The Vikings practiced Norse Paganism. Their top gods were Odin and Thor. They believed that if they died in battle, Odin could choose to bring them to Valhalla, their version of heaven.

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The days of the week are named after some of their gods -

For example, Thursday is named after the Norse god Thor, famous for his hammer. In the English language, the only day of the week not named after a Norse god is Saturday, which is named after the Roman god Saturn.

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They were expert shipbuilders -

As far as ships go, they were mostly known for their famous vessel, the longship. It was adopted by many other cultures and influenced shipbuilding for centuries.

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They ate twice a day -

Vikings ate twice a day, with their first meal served approximately an hour after rising. It was effectively breakfast, but known as dagmal to the Vikings. Their second meal, nattmal, was served in the evening. They mostly consumed seafood, but also livestock such as horses and cattle. They also consumed bread and oats.

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Nobel Vikings were buried in boats -

Nobel-born Vikings and warriors were often laid to rest in ships, surrounded by weapons, valuable goods, and sometimes even sacrificed slaves. It was believed that the ship would take them to the afterlife.

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A sword was a prized possession -

The craftsmanship in making swords made them extremely expensive and therefore likely to be the most valuable item that a Viking owned.

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Viking women enjoyed some basic rights -

Even if Viking women got married young and had to take care of the household, they still had more freedom than other women of their era. As long as they weren’t slaves, women could inherit property, request a divorce, and reclaim their dowries if their marriages ended.

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They were never part of a unified group -

Vikings didn’t recognize fellow Vikings. The term simply referred to all Scandinavians who took part in overseas expeditions. When they didn't wreak havoc on foreign shores, they would most likely fight each other.

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The last great Viking king was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge -

The last great Viking king, Harald Hardrada, went to England to challenge the then-king, Harold Godwinson, for the English throne. The Viking king was defeated and killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

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Harald Hardrada’s death marked the end of the Viking Age -

The year 1066, when Harald Hardrada was killed, is often given as the year in which the Viking Age came to an end. By this time, Christianity had spread and changed Scandinavian society.

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They prepared their fish for the winter -

Bitter winters and frozen fjords didn't stop the Vikings from having their favorite food: fish. During warmer months, they would hang up and dry fish to eat later.

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The Vikings kept slaves -

Known as thralls, slaves were captured abroad by the Vikings during their raids. Thralls carried out household chores and provided the labor for large-scale construction projects.

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Viking men spent most of their time farming -

The vast majority of Viking men sowed barley, rye, and oats. They also raised cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep on their small farms, which provided just enough food to support a family.

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They discovered Greenland -

Greenland was discovered by the Vikings centuries before the Inuit arrived. However, when the Inuit did arrive, they attacked and ended the Norse settlements.

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Writing was uncommon until the arrival of Christianity -

They used the runic alphabet, but it was usually used in a ritual fashion, such as on gravestones, property markers, and identifiers for important places. It wasn’t until the Roman Catholic Church introduced the Roman alphabet that writing became commonplace.

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Honey was their only sweetener -

Vikings only knew honey as a sweetener, which they used for various things, but mostly to make a strong alcoholic drink called mead.

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The most famous Viking warriors were the berserkers -

These warriors went into battle in a near-mindless rage while enduring injuries without collapsing from shock and pain. Historians believe they achieved such a state through the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

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The Vikings traveled and traded around medieval Eastern Europe -

They generally explored a region we today know as Belarus, Ukraine, and Western Russia. They sailed down the Volga and Don Rivers, and reached the Black and Caspian Seas.

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They were eco-pioneers -

The Viking were unintentional eco-pioneers when it came to their homes. Families would live in long houses that would have turf roofs to help keep in the heat.

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They wrote down stories known as sagas -

Based on oral traditions, these tales, which were mostly written in Iceland, are the only written records found about Vikings. They were usually realistic and based on true events and figures, but often very romanticized.

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Viking males preferred being blonde -

To confirm to the culture's beauty ideal, brunette Vikings, usually men, would use a strong soap with a high lye content to bleach their hair. In some regions, beards were lightened as well.

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They skied for fun -

Scandinavians developed primitive skis at least 6,000 years ago, though ancient Russians may have invented them even earlier. Vikings even worshiped a god of skiing: Ullr.

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They used a unique liquid to start fires -

The Vikings would collect a fungus called touch wood from tree bark and boil it for several days in urine. The sodium nitrate found in urine would allow the material to smolder rather than burn, so they could take fire with them on the go.

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They were known for their excellent hygiene -

Contrary to popular belief, Vikings bathed once a week and enjoyed dips in natural hot springs and lakes. Excavations of Viking sites have also found tweezers, razors, combs, and ear cleaners made from animal bones.

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They left their mark on modern languages -

The Vikings gave the modern English language a number of words, such as axle, raft, plow, and window. Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic all descend from the Norse language. 

Sources: (History) (History Hit) 

See also: Facts about ancient Rome you had no idea about

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