Did the Vikings do anything good?

[Gifu]

It seems like for about 200 years the Vikings just kept sailing to Britain and pillaging everything. I could understand it more if they wanted to conquer (which, I realise, they eventually did decide to do), but for most of those 200 years they were just plundering and murdering. They weren't even stealing from rich lords and noblemen, they were mostly just burning peasant villages and destroying monasteries and taking slaves. Every time anyone tried to create anything or learn anything or write anything or have any sort of peace for 200 years, the bloody Vikings would sail up, destroy everything, and then sail home again.

Voracious shaggers.

This King Rollo chap. He's not the one I used to watch when I was little? Cartoon series a bit like Mr Ben?

Interesting more equality between men and women is mentioned. And that still today, Scandinavia is seen as leading the way with equality.

Was Noggin The Nog a Viking?

Why are you asking? Are we helping you out with your kids homework?

@Thickasmincepie I think cartoon King Rollo wasn't a viking.
Do you remember Vicky the Viking?

@Appalonia according to Google Noggin the Nog was set in a vague "viking age" and also included dragons !

Jewelry, bathing, textiles.

What did the Vikings ever do for us, in the voice of Life of Brian.

Who cares ? This thread is fun 😁

Didn't the Vikings "discover" America waaaay before that Chris Columbus bloke?

'By' is the Danish word for town

Aparently they made good boats ?

@SolarWinds I know of two towns in Northampton that have areas called Danesmoor which I believe means Danish Settlement or similar.
One of those is a "by" town - Corby (then they were invaded by the Scottish in the 20th Century 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿)
Edit : the Corby one is Danesholme. I assume that means"Danes home" 🙂

The Isle of Man became part of the Viking kingdom (Sodor and Mann), so they definitely settled! As well as their art, etc, they set up the Manx parliament - Tynwald - which is the oldest continuous parliament in the world.

If you're interested, take a look at this: https://manxnationalheritage.im/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vikings-in-Mann-Teachers-Guide.pdf

Some recent news articles these last few days have been saying the Vikings were actually ''coming back'' - that they had come to Britain many years before the so called ''raids''. Not generally had this information in their history.

Look up the Lewis chessmen

I would say they brought culture and art

Drank out of horns ?

Gave us the first 'recorded' creature feature in (Old) English?

Showing my ignorance here but were the vikings mainly Danish or does viking = scandinavia, or was there a specific area that has now been carved up into several countries?

There were the Norsemen who did the plundering/returning and then some came with armies ‘took over’ lands. Scandinavian settlers (normal working people who settled here) integrated well into Anglo Saxon society and most adopted Christianity. They were wonderful ship builders and brought new trading routes into the UK. (I’ve just been to the Jorvik Viking centre in York). ‘Viking’ is a relatively new term. People who came from Scandinavian countries were collectively known as Northmen

There was a Norse settlement in Newfoundland.
https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows

My understanding is that Vikings never actually had horned helmets. As far as I know there's not been any archaeological evidence of them. Happy to hear otherwise though. Edited to add, did they possibly have ceremonial ones with horns on maybe?

My understanding is that Vikings never actually had horned helmets. As far as I know there's not been any archaeological evidence of them.

That's right, no horns.

Do you mean the Saxons had landed in the east and driven the native English west into Wales? That was my understanding.

I had this book on my Christmas wish list so would be able to answer all your questions...if anyone had bought it for me!