The Viking's Homeland
The period that we now refer to as the Viking age, dates from around AD 800 all the way up to AD 1050. The Viking age was a time in history where the the Vikings left their homeland of Scandinavia and sailed across the sea to modern day Scotland. Once the Vikings reached Scotland they began to pillaging costal cities. After such cities were exhausted of resources the Vikings traveled south towards England and continued the cycle of pillaging then moving on to another areas. such questions as Why did the Vikings leave their homes? and, What was their homelands like? are presented.
Below: Where the Vikings came to the United Kingdom and What Were Their Homes Like
then where they went.
then where they went.
Their Lifestyle
Throughout Viking-age, in Scandinavia, the main occupation was the production of food. Farming, fishing, hunting, trapping, and collecting were the main activities in the annual cycle. The vikings did this by taking advantage of their fertile ground, which supported both crops and animals, and using rivers, lakes, and seas for fishing. Through these occupations communities were largely self sufficient and were not only able to survive but able to prosper. For the reason above most Vikings lived on farms. They grew crops such as oats, barley, wheat, onions, beans, and cabbages. A typical viking house on a farm was built with wood, stone, or blocks of turf as the supporting walls and tightly packed thatched roof .
What The Vikings Wore
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The Vikings although very different from the people Wales, England, and Scotland at the time, wore very similar clothing. The men dressed in tunics and trousers while the women wore a long dress with a sort of apron in the front of it. Both male and female clothing was made from wool, linen, and multiple animal skins. The animals where such products were cultivated were typically found on the farms of theVikings.
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Why Did They Lave Their Homelands?
The topic of why the Vikings left their homeland to raid the United Kingdom is a widely debated topic among the educational community. One standpoint is that the Vikings were running out of food and resources to support their rapidly growing population. The second theory is that the vikings moved because they felt themselves under threat by powerful neighbours, or by rulers who wanted to strengthen their grip by uniting their territory into one kingdom, opted to look for new lands across the sea. I personally agree with the latter for one main reasons. The first of which is that there is no feasible evidence to suggest that the Vikings had to leave to find new land on which to settle their population, as studies have shown that there was sufficient land available in Scandinavia which could statically hold the population.