The Viking age started in the 8th Century AD and lasted until the 11th. The population of, Denmark, Norway and Sweden grew so rapidly that there was hardly any room or opportunity for them all at home. The custom of the Vikings was to leave all of their land and wealth to the eldest son, there for there were many other sons looking for land and riches elsewhere. The Vikings were better ship brnlders, more daring seamen and tougher warriors than other people. They began attacking and raiding other countries. At first they raided the monasteries because the monks could not defend themselves and they contained so many riches. They also captured some of the monks for slaves. The first recorded Viking raid on England was recorded in 793, and on Ireland in 795.

After a while the Vikings began to settle abroad. The Swedes travelled across the Baltic sea and began living in Russia and Ukraine. The Danes and Norwegians began Viking states in Ireland, England, Scotland, The Netherlands, France Turkey and the Faroe Islands.

York became the capital of the Viking kingdom. Danelaw was eventually won back from the Vikings; the last Viking king of York died in 954. He was killed at the battle of Stainmore, his name was Eric Bloodaxe. After this England became one kingdom.

Read about Viking Place Names in England

News and rumours were spreading about the new uninhabited island to the west with plenty of land to whoever would go there. Two men, who were close friends and foster brothers, lost all of their riches and land in an argument. They decided to make an expedition to Iceland to see what it looked like. They found out that it was good and fertile land so went back to Norway to collect all of their belongings including their family and slaves. They sold the stuff that they could not take with them and set off for Iceland in about 870 AD.

One of the brothers was a very religious man, and so wanted the gods to tell him where to live in Iceland. He threw a pillar into the sea, and said that he would build his home wherever it drifted ashore. The pillar was found washed ashore in a little bay. The man was so pleased that the gods had shown him where to live that he let his slaves free. In the bay there were a number of hot springs, they were not familiar with this and so he called the new home Reykjavik or "Smoky Bay" after the white steam or smoke that he saw rising.

Between 870 AD and 930 AD, many other people claimed some of Iceland's land. There is a big book which clearly recorded the names of all the settlers and their family backgrounds.

Eric the Red lived on the west coast of Iceland. He had an argument with someone and killed him and was sentenced to three years of exile. As he heard about this new land he decided to go there and explore it. He gave it the name Greenland expecting other people to come and join him because of the attractive name. He went back to Iceland for the winter and then the following summer of 986 AD he moved to Greenland for good with his household.

Many more people came to the island and settled there and this became a successful colony. Later for some odd reason all of the Nordic people disappeared from Greenland and only the native people were living there after 1500 AD.

See photographs of Viking ruins in Greenland today.

See map of Viking settlements in Greenland and Canada.

At last Leif found the new land. He went ashore with his men to explore. First they came to Baffin Island which they called "Helluland," then Labrador which they called "Markland." Then they sailed south for a long time and stopped at a place that they called Vinland because of the many grape vines growing there. News of his discovery spread, and eventually a few people settled there. After some time, they moved back because the natives were too many and fought them off. If the Vikings had settled there perhaps the North Americans would be speaking Icelandic today.

See map of Norse exploration in the North Atlantic from National Library of Canada.

Read about a Viking settlement discovered at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada. (see more photos)

Visit L'Anse aux Meadows, Archeological Site. (Quicktime Video 1)

The Vikings: They beat Columbus to the New World by 500 years
vased on the Time Magazine Cover Story on May 8, 2000

Leifur Eiriksson - Discoverer of America