damn Danes! Always causing trouble
LOL...actually these Vikings from this article most likely came from Norway...as the settlers in Iceland and Greenland (where the Viking explorers left to go to No America) came from Norway
The Norwegian Vikings for the most part went west, it is thought they looking for better farm lands – Norway being very mountainous with less tillable land compared to Sweden and Denmark. The Norwegian Viking voyages to the America’s and their settlement attempts were not voyages of war and plunder but primarily in seeking better farm lands and permanent settlements (the Vikings were, contrary to many misconceptions, were not solely pillagers and plunders and no more or less so than many other Europeans tribes of their time but were some of the first truly international traders). It also had something to do with land inheritance laws at the time wherein the first born son got everything, leading subsequent sons to go out and find their own lands and fortune.
The Danes also went west but stopped in England and Ireland and establishing towns that are still known today by their Viking names (many towns and cities in the British Isles that ends in “ford” (fiord) have their roots in a Viking settlement. Parts of England were known as the “Daneland” and Viking kings ruled there for many years, imparting laws and words in the English language that are still evident today. Even the Norman Conquest was not a conquest by the French as it was a conquest by Norseman who had previously conquered northern France (The Normans were decedents of Norsemen). Parts of the Magna Carte have roots in Old Norse law which in its time was rather democratic compared to other European kingdoms.
The Swedish Vikings primarily went east into Russia (the Russland (sp?) being a Viking name) and even into Byzantium and perhaps even as far as Baghdad, establishing trade routes with the Middle East. There is even some evidence that the Swedish Vikings ventured into China – Viking coinage has been found in China and Chinese coinage found in Sweden dating back to the Viking era. It has been said that some Swedish architecture and design going back to the Viking era, has a profound Asian influence which can still be seen today.
I find this interesting not only because I am descendent from Vikings (my dad was born in Norway) but because I’m very interested in European history from the pre-Roman era up through the Renaissance. Fascinating stuff.