what made the vikings come out and start raiding europe ?

Question

Some thing must have changed socially/economically for the vikings to take to the seas.

Answer 1

As is usual with such questions, the answer probably cannot be reduced to ONE cause/event, but to a confluence of factors.

First, note that the Scandinavians had ALWAYS been "turned toward the sea"; they did not suddenly "take to the sea" at this time. The limits of arable land, and the long coastlines with fijords that made overland travel difficult had already caused this.

Second, it is key to observer the DATE of the "Viking Age" from the 790s to about 1066.

The dates rule out Johnny Canuck's explanation. The Viking raids began about a century BEFORE the settlement of Iceland!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_of_Iceland

Also the "climate change" argument won't work. "Medieval Warm Period" is a bit too late to explain the Scandinavians' "taking to the seas". Some date it to about 900 -- much too late to explain Viking raids-- but even if it begins by 800 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Warm_Period ) the theory leaves no time for the supposed changes to which the people were responding to have taken place.

-------------------------

The most common explanation is that the Vikings, perhaps because of technological advances (use of iron), had improved their agricultural yields, leading to a population growth they could not support.. . . so they went to settle other lands.'
http://www.battle1066.com/vikings2.shtml
http://www.regia.org/vik1.htm

But this is questionable, in part because it's not so certain there even WAS a great population growth. Rather it seems to have been that the population became more concentrated in certain areas due to the growth of mining. (This explanation is often paired with suggestions that a "milder climate" led to such growth. But this may again falter in that the growth would have to have taken place BEFORE the "Medieval Warm Period".)

But more than that, this fails to explain why the Viking raids on England began in the 790s but there is no evidence of Viking colonization for another 50-60 years!

-------------------------

Actually, several factors came together to not only encourage the Vikings raids, but to make them POSSIBLE.

1) TRADE and economic development in Scandinavia in the 8th Century... growth in trade is often accompanied by growth in piracy (compare the growth of piracy in the 16th century as many ships bearing goods from colonial outposts)

Historical reasons for growth in trade at this time:

"Europeans had to become financially independent at the time when Arabs isolated northwest Europe from the trade routes into the Far East, and in order to prosper trade routes were extended from the English Channel to the North Sea coasts, while ports grew along the way"
http://www.exulanten.com/karl1.html

2) TECHNOLOGY: the development of ocean-going ships (that is, technological development made long distance trade and piracy POSSIBLE about this time!) As already noted, the shipbuilding had been going on a long time already, encouraged by the simple realities of Scandinavian geography. But by the late eighth century they had reached the point where they were ABLE to build ships that could travel far across the sea.

3) supported by the particular heroic ethic in Scanadinavian society ("Moveable wealth is the cement of the lord-follower relationship in this type of society.")

4) the lure of plundering moveable wealth (ease/success in initial raids breeded more)

Many of these reasons are considered here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A330788

5) KINGDOMS (AND RELIGIONS?) IN CONFLICT: Danes vs. Franks:
Another key historical factor may be found in the conflict between the Danish vs. Frankish kingdoms. In 785 Charlemagne defeated the Frisian fleet. This may have disrupted Scandinavian trade with inland Europe and encouraged their journeys.
http://www.crystalinks.com/vikings.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne#Saxon_campaigns

But, more than that, it brought the two kingdoms in direct proximity and conflict. The raids of the Vikings (note that the Danes are a key part of this) may be a reprisal for Charlemagne's acts.

This may have been exacerbated by a 'pagan vs. Christian' conflict (reflected, for instance, in Beowulf). The Scandinavians were the LAST group to give up their pagan/native religions. The fact that they frequently raiding churches and monasteries fits with the "anti-Christian" argument.
"The Danish/Viking raids on Charlemagne’s empire and on the wealthy churches and monastries in it, can be seen as a heathen reprisal"
http://web.quipo.it/minola/frysk/history_of_the_frisian_people.htm

But it must also be kept in mind that these are precisely the sort of places ANYONE might raid, since they were locations where wealth was concentrated.

Answer 2

Current theory holds that the Vikings time as the power brokers and feared raiders of Europe had everything to do with climate change. The world just got warmer for a while, farming got easier in the north and it was easier to travel. This is what turned them to raiding. In many ways the evidence was right before us all the time. Ever wonder why Greenland is called Greenland and Iceland is called Iceland even though Iceland is green and Greenland is not? It's all because when the Vikings found Iceland (prior to the climatic change) it was a cold northern wasteland. When they found Greenland however, it was during this change and it was green. They even farmed there for over a century until they got frozen out. It's really just that simple.

Answer 3

inhabitants tension, extra valuable deliver technologies, and probability. The arable factors of Norway have been fairly small, and the growing to be inhabitants placed an increasing tension in this. The already seafaring and fishing human beings have been solid innovators at boat-construction, and stable stable shallow-bottomed longboats became the mainstay. The British Isles became into starting to be progressively extra wealthy with commerce after the lull of the Roman withdrawal and Anglo-Saxon invasions, and church homes prefer to cost and assemble treasures created from invaluable metals. So, a great style of seafaring youthful adult men without area of interest back homestead went in seek of plunder, besides as new websites to settle and farm.

Answer 4

greed for more. They were technologically better equipped than the Saxons. Large Viking raiding parties of a couple of hundred heavily armed and protected Norsemen could sweep saxon villages until Alfred the Great - first King of England stopped them.

Answer 5

Looking for a better way to make crops and get food. Where the Viking lived it was not great land to cultivate crops especially to feed large family like they were. So they headed out to search for food(raid), get women, and anything else to get hands on. More details go to History channel.com.

Answer 6

Boredom

Answer 7

After Randy Moss went to the Raiders and Daunte Culpepper went to the Dolphins, I guess they went a little nuts.