Architecture

Above, is a Viking long house, a very common example of Medieval Scandinavian

Architecture. Used for pretty much anything and everything, meetings, parties, a lot of the
time as homes or food stores.

An later example that had started after the influx of Christianity to Scandinavia, a stave
church. Combining typical Norse architecture with the recurring Christian theme of steeples
and crosses.

A larger example now, this time of a Ring Fort, a defensive position build inside a ring of
earth, a burrow. The two images show what the fort looks like now, hundreds of years after
the wood and fortifications have either been rotted away or removed, and the other shows
an artists impression of what the fort would have looked like in its prime.
Facts

1. Most Vikings werent actually raiders or pillagers, a lot of them were farmers or
herders who only went out on small raids occasionally, they didnt even recognise the
name Viking, as that only referred to any seafaring Scandinavian.
2. When a Viking passed away, they were laid in their boats before they were burned,
set adrift at sea. This was seen as a form of last right.
3. The Vikings actually discovered the Americas long before Christopher Columbus,
as they were known sailing great distances for the sake of exploration and finding
new lands.
4. Typically, Vikings were known for being exceptionally clean, typically going to great
lengths to get strong, effective soaps, as well as using hot water springs as effective
baths.
5. A cultural classic horned helmets. While they may appear in almost every
depictions of Vikings for the last hundred years, its actual a myth. Viking helmets
sadly didnt have horns.

Art