Masters of the waters, fearless and ambitious, and driven by a need to raid, trade and explore, the Vikings travelled huge distances in their voyages of exploration. They were pioneers, building advanced ships capable of traversing massive oceans. They were adventurers, heading off into the unknown and facing violent resistance to settle in harsh and unforgiving lands. They were savvy merchants, taking control of major trade routes and becoming rich by transporting goods from across their domains. And they were ambassadors of their culture, with Scandinavian influence spreading to civilisations far and wide.
The Vikings pointed the monstrous figureheads of their longships towards uncharted waters and sailed the world, from Russia to North America
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From their first bloody appearances in the late-eighth century, the Vikings came to dominate in Europe. Their explorers came to call the British Isles and Ireland home and they manoeuvred along the coasts of Europe, from Francia to the Iberian Peninsula to the Mediterranean. They did deals with Byzantine emperors; sailed the longest river in Europe, the Volga; and established a ruling dynasty in what is now Russia – a country that is named after them.