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⚓ The Vikings

Meet the seafaring raiders, traders, and farmers from Scandinavia, and find out what made their longships the fastest things on the water.

2
lessons
~15 min
to learn
🏛️ History
subject
Ages 6–12
level
Start the course →

What you’ll learn

  1. Who Were the Vikings?Describe who the Vikings were and where they came from.The Vikings came from Scandinavia — the northern lands now called Norway, Sweden, and Denmark — a chilly place of mountains and sea bays that made them great sailors. Some Vikings were fierce warriors who raided towns in Britain, but many were traders and farmers. They were skilled sailors and explorers.
  2. Viking LongshipsExplain what made Viking longships special.The longship was the Vikings' greatest invention and the fastest ship on the water. It moved with a big square sail when the wind blew and with long oars when it didn't. Its flat bottom let it sail up shallow rivers and land on beaches. Many longships had a fierce carved dragon or snake head at the front, called a prow.

Questions this course answers

Where did the Vikings come from?

The Vikings came from Scandinavia — the northern lands we now call Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Besides being warriors, what else were many Vikings?

Vikings were not only raiders — many were also traders who sold goods and farmers who grew crops.

What made Viking longships special?

Longships were fast and had flat bottoms, so they could sail up shallow rivers and land on beaches.

How did a longship move across the sea?

A longship used a big square sail to catch the wind, and long oars for the sailors to row.

What was often carved onto the front of a longship?

Many longships had a fierce carved dragon or snake head at the front, called a prow.

Grounded in trusted sources

  • British Museum
  • Britannica Kids
  • National Museum of Denmark
  • BBC Bitesize

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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