The Vikings
The Vikings have always had a mixture of negative and positive connotations. Their reputation for brutality, rape and pillage is combined with one of glamour, healthy good looks and heroism. There is no doubt the Vikings were brutal; however, historians claim they were no more so than their contemporaries and their skills and achievements in many areas have left traces which are evident even in present-day society. Furthermore, they were considered skilled tradesmen, although their trading was mostly in stolen goods and slaves.

The Vikings have been an endless source of inspiration for writers as well as other artists, and in recent decades the Viking Age has been popular amongst film makers who have usually portrayed their darker sides.

Descriptions of the Vikings came mostly from their victims; monks, merchants, peasants and others who got in the Vikings' way. The famous Icelandic Sagas describe the Vikings as heroic, virtuous characters; however, one must bear in mind that the Sagas were written some centuries later than the events were supposed to have occurred and are rather considered as literature than history.

The first Viking expeditions took place in the late 8th century and continued for almost three hundred years, during which time the Vikings harassed nations of islands, coastlines and riverbanks.

These tactics yielded easy plunder, and rumours of their methods spread quickly, causing exaggerated reports of numbers of men and ships.

Their techniques in shipbuilding were immensely advanced and their ships were by far the fastest at that time. They crossed the open seas even though land could not be seen for days; whether courage or greed was the driving force is disputable.