Eric the Red shown in a woodcut frontispiece from the 1688 publication of Gronlandia (Greenland).
Click on image for full size
Image is in public domain.
Viking/Norse Exploration
The Vikings were a group of seafarers from Scandinavia that colonized and raided parts of Europe from about 800 AD through about 1050 AD. This time period is also called
the Viking Age. The word Viking originally meant a man from Vik, which is a bay that lies along the border of Norway and Sweden. Now the term is used to refer to the entire Scandinavian culture during the Middle Ages. The Vikings are sometimes called Norsemen.
The Vikings are often thought of as warriors and conquerers. Now we know that most of their travels were based on trade and exploration. They traveled over much of the coast of Europe including Great Britain, Ireland, France, and Spain. They also explored North Africa, Russia, and the Middle East. Some Viking trips even reached North America. Archaeologists have found evidence that Vikings colonized Newfoundland in Canada. They also explored what is now Maine and Massachusetts about 500 years before Columbus's time!
The Vikings used two different kinds of ships in their travels. The longship, which was used for war and exploring, was faster and had oars so that it was not completely dependent on the wind. The knarr, which was used for trade, was slower but could carry much more cargo. It was usually dependent on wind to move, and did not have oars.
One of the most famous Vikings is Eric the Red, who is thought to have discovered Greenland. His son was Lief Ericson. Lief Ericson was the first European to land in North America when he and his crew reached what is now Newfoundland, Canada.
You might also be interested in:
Wind is moving air. Warm air rises, and cool air comes in to take its place. This movement creates different pressures in the atmosphere which creates the winds around the globe. Since the Earth spins,
...morePolar exploration includes the physical exploration of the Arctic and the Antarctica. The Arctic is the area around the Earth's north pole and includes parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, the United States
...moreWhat Will You Find There? South of the Antarctic Circle (at 66.5°S latitude) you will find the continent of Antarctica surrounded by the Southern Ocean, the geographic South Pole and the magnetic South
...moreAntarctica is unique. It is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth. The land is barren and mostly covered with a thick sheet of ice. Antarctica is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle
...moreNorth of the Arctic Circle (at 66.5°N latitude) you will find the Arctic Ocean surrounded by the continents of Europe, Asia, and North America. You will find the geographic North Pole and the magnetic
...more“Polar bears are one of nature’s ultimate survivors, able to live and thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments, but we are concerned the polar bears’ habitat may literally be melting” said US
...moreSea ice is frozen seawater. It can be several meters thick and it moves over time. Although the salts in the seawater do not freeze, pockets of concentrated salty water become trapped in the sea ice when
...more