Appeared 790, feared by Europeans targeted churches and monasteries.
Danes, Northmen, Norse, ruled by kings and nobles, fairly democratic, hunters, gatherers, fishers, esp. farmers, raided Europe and the British Isles as the weather permitted, used slaves, assemblies of landowners made the laws, during the 800s famine, Vikings sailed away, Normandy gets its name from Normans, meaning northmen, large settlement of Vikings existed there, Vikings traded w/strong, pillaged the weak, savage and cruel, enjoyed battle, used axes and swords, customs and myths centered on pagan Norse gods, boats and instruments prepared people for use in the afterlife, sometimes a dead person was placed on a ship which was then burned