Welcome to the Viking Museum
The Viking Museum is the place to learn about everything Viking. The Viking Age began in 793AD when a band of Scandinavians sacked the monestary at Lindisfarne. And it ended with the death of Harold Hardrada in 1066 at the battle of Stamford Bridge. This was an age of heroic journeys and great battles.
Many think of horned helmets, raping and pillaging when they hear Viking. Horned helmets are a creation of much more modern times. And though the Vikings did some raping and pillaging it should not at all define them. When studying the Viking Age it's very important to remember that most of the history was written down by their enemies. They did have the runes for writing, but did not write down any of their history in books. Christian monks wrote much of what we know, and they would not have had a very positive view of them.
It is also important to understand the history of Scandinavia, so we will also go back farther in time to the Migration period. There is an incredibly rich history of Scandinavia before the Viking Age even began. This period before the Viking Age helped define the Vikings that would come. Many of the well known Viking heroes were actually from this time before the Viking Age. Heroes such as Beowulf, Sigfried, Hrolf Kraki, and King Hadding of Denmark were all from the Migration period.
Many think of horned helmets, raping and pillaging when they hear Viking. Horned helmets are a creation of much more modern times. And though the Vikings did some raping and pillaging it should not at all define them. When studying the Viking Age it's very important to remember that most of the history was written down by their enemies. They did have the runes for writing, but did not write down any of their history in books. Christian monks wrote much of what we know, and they would not have had a very positive view of them.
It is also important to understand the history of Scandinavia, so we will also go back farther in time to the Migration period. There is an incredibly rich history of Scandinavia before the Viking Age even began. This period before the Viking Age helped define the Vikings that would come. Many of the well known Viking heroes were actually from this time before the Viking Age. Heroes such as Beowulf, Sigfried, Hrolf Kraki, and King Hadding of Denmark were all from the Migration period.
