What Were the Vikings Like?

Oh, I think I know exactly which book you mean, Koko. That sounds like it could be about the Vikings!

The Vikings were a group of people who lived a very long time ago. They came from the cold lands of northern Europe, places we now call Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

They lived roughly a thousand years ago, Koko. That is so long ago that there were no cars, no phones, and no schools like ours.

They learned by doing, and by listening to stories told by their elders. Let me show you something. Come with me to the library map table.

Here is a big map of the world. See this area up here in the north? That is where the Vikings came from. It was very cold and snowy.

Not at all! The Vikings were incredible sailors. They built strong wooden ships and sailed across huge oceans to explore new places.

A little of both, perhaps! Their ships were called longships. They were long and narrow, which helped them move very fast through the water.

They did! Vikings sailed to places like Iceland, Greenland, and some historians believe they even reached North America. That is the continent we live on!

It truly is. A Viking explorer named Leif Erikson is believed to have landed in North America about five hundred years before Christopher Columbus.

He absolutely was. Now, many people picture Vikings as only warriors, but that is just one part of their story. They were also farmers, traders, and skilled craftspeople.

Exactly right. Most Vikings spent their days farming, fishing, and trading goods like furs, wood, and metals with other communities far away.

Stories and pictures often focus on the exciting parts. But everyday Viking life was actually quite busy and ordinary in many ways.

This is one of the most famous mix-ups in history, Koko. Real Vikings did not actually wear helmets with horns. That idea came from paintings made hundreds of years later.

You are not alone in that feeling. Real Viking helmets were simple and round, made to protect their heads in battle. No horns needed.

You are doing wonderfully. One more thing worth knowing is that Vikings had their own stories and beliefs. They told tales of brave heroes and powerful gods.

Very important stories to them. These tales were called Norse mythology. Some of those names, like Thor and Odin, you might have heard before.

It really is. The Vikings kept their history alive through storytelling, poems, and carvings on stone. They called these carved writings runes.

That was a perfect summary, Koko. You remembered every important piece. I am very proud of you today.

Now that sounds like a wonderful next adventure. The library has just the right books waiting for us.