VIKING RAIDERS
Portrayed as bloodthirsty pirates pillaging innocent villagers, Vikings also ruled the waves with a lucrative trade network
WORDS FRANCES WHITE
DID YOU KNOW? Viking women were free to own property and request a divorce
Thhe great white sail cracked as the vicious Atlantic wind lashed against it, but still the ship sailed on. Long and sleek, the warship, crafted from mighty oak, crashed through the waves, sending a sharp spray of water across the deck. The men inside rowed as one, their mighty muscles straining as they plunged the oars deep into the water and drove the ship forward through the turbulent waves. Their strength alone brought the ship to land and they poured out onto the beach.