Vikings There are many misconceptions about Vikings such as the myth that Viking wear horned helmets. The biggest misconception, however, is the idea that Vikings were barbarians. A synonym to the word barbarian is uncultured, which is definitely not true about them. Although perceived today as barbarians, the Vikings had a rich and vibrant and exhilarating culture. One misconception is that the Vikings were a nation when in reality they came from many different countries. The larger part of Vikings originated from two European Peninsulas called the Jutland and the Norwegian-Swedish. Denmark being a part of Jutland, Norway and Sweden part of Norwegian-Swedish. Norway with its rocky terrain was home to the largest number of Vikings. Sweden…show more content… Due to this weather the main farming activity throughout the Norse area was livestock. Cows and sheep made up the majority of the livestock, however, other animals raised were pigs and goats. Because of location, fish were a staple to Viking survival. (Short)
Vikings living in scattered settlements by the sea made contact only with immediate neighbors and only by ship (Logan). longships were the epitome of Scandinavian naval power at the time, and were highly valued possessions. Viking longships were often called Dragonships because of the dragon shaped prow. Unlike most ships at the time, they had the ability to navigate along shallow waters. They used this to their advantage by traveling up and down rivers into the heart of a town where all the most important buildings were located so they could easily raid it.
Norse Mythology defined Vikings virtues and motivations. Their chief god was Odin, god of battle, wisdom and poetry. Odin’s thirst for knowledge was the driving force to all his actions. He became all-wise by drinking from Mimir’s fountain, at the cost of an eye and impaled himself with his spear on Yggdrasil, the tree of life, for nine days to learn the secrets of writing in runes. Poetry and wisdom are connected because the Norsemen wrote their history in verse form, which tells of the level of art that the Vikings