Vikings were Scandinavian sea-bearing warrior traders, known for their ruthlessness in gathering wealth. They raided towns and ports throughout the coast of Europe, taking all gold and wealth by any means possible.

They are widely known for destroying the Abbey in Lindisfarne in 793, marking the beginning of the Viking Age. They devastated many of the monasteries, killing and enslaving monks. They threw many of the dead off into the seas. The event was significant because it shaped the perception of Vikings across Europe. The Viking age is considered to have ended in 1066 with William of Normandy (commonly known as "William the Conqueror") conquering England.

It is widely debated as to why the Vikings began their expansion. It's theorized that their land was overpopulated and there was not enough agriculture to sustain them, but this has not been proven. Viking raids took a toll on much of Europe, depleting forces that could have been used in battle elsewhere, and sometimes shifting the outcomes of skirmishes or wars. Vikings themselves established many trade routes and opened up a passage to the northwest and east to places like Iceland and Greenland.