how many years ago there were vikings in Scandinavia??

Answer 1

The Danes and Norwegians really gave up the viking life about 900 or 1000 ce. They evolved into organized kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, ruled by central monarchs. Norwegians who felt oppressed by the kings sailed to Iceland and Greenland where they could be more free.

About the middle 800's, vikings settled in France and Russia. In France, the king recognized their leader as duke of Normandy, and they settled down. Danish vikings invaded England, but a Dane named Canute inherited the throne of England peacefully in 1025. The Normans conquered England in 1066 and Sicily in 1071, but that was the work of a settled nobility. Also about the mid-800's vikings began going to Constantinople, where they signed on as the Varangian guard for the Byzantine emperors.

Answer 2

The Vikings are still in Scandinavia. Their descendants are also still in parts of UK, Shetland, Iceland and yes, even Greenland and parts of the North American East Coastal regions, esp. Newfound Land in Canada.

The worlds biggest Viking festival, "ap halayah" [not sure if this is the correct spelling, but it's the phonetic pronunciation of the words] is held every January on Shetland. During this day long mid-Winter Viking Festival, they set fire to and burn a replica Viking ship. This event heralds the dawn of the coming year.

Always remember, when researching the history of the Vikings that they had, in plain English, "a bad press". Historically the Vikings are seen as barbarians in England who destroyed Christian Churches and Monasteries. Only the English never did this, not apparently until the reign of King Henry VIII.

There is no Viking blood to be found in Wales. All the DNA samples taken there in recent years among the pop of Wales, point directly towards Ireland.

There's plenty of Viking blood up in the North East of England. More elsewhere. The city of York, or to give it it's Viking name "Yarvik" has plenty of Viking Blood.

Recommend you also see the movie, "The Vikings" - a Hollywood blockbuster of the c1960s.

Answer 3

"Viking" was an activity that some of the Norse peoples engaged. Viking comes from an Old Norse word meaning "detour"; it was something you "turned aside" to do - like raiding Lindisfarne or sailing for Vinland.

The tribes of the Norse, the Geats, Danes, Rus, etc were from Scandinavia, and most of thier decendans still there. There are three notable exceptions: the Icelanders, the Normans, and the Rus - who settled in part of what is now Russia and although they assimilated with the local population, gave the country their name.

The "Viking Age", i.e. the period of viking activity, stretched from the mid 790's to the year 1066. King Harald Hadrada's unsucessful attempt to invade England that year is seen most scholars to signal the end of that period of history.

Answer 4

Isn't that where the Vikings came from? I thought they left because the cold northern landscape couldn't feed them all.

Answer 5

They are still there - in Denmark especially, but also in Norway and Sweden...

Answer 6

late 8th century to 11th century.