A GUIDE TO WINTERING LIKE A VIKING
Winter camps were bustling hubs of activity , where clans of Vikings could rest after a summer of raiding new-found lands ( oh poor dears ; tired after all that pillaging eh ? Ed ). They were highly organised communities , where people could repair ships , sell plundered goods , craft new objects and , most importantly , plan their next raid ! Let ’ s take a walk through a winter camp and learn a bit more about the surprising Vikings !
Camps could house thousands of warriors , craftsmen and traders .
Camps were usually located near rivers or coasts for easy access to trading … and raiding .
Although many camps would have consisted of tented communities , some larger encampments did have more permanent wooden buildings .
The Vikings originated from the area that became modern-day Denmark , Sweden , and Norway . They settled in England , Ireland , Scotland , Wales , Iceland , Greenland , North America , and parts of the European mainland , among other places .
viking routes
8th century 9th century 10th century 11th century Frequent raids
Viking helmets didn ’ t have horns ! Horned helmets found in Scandinavia were actually much older , probably from the Bronze Age . Vikings wore much simpler helmets , if any at all .
FUN FACT HORN We ’ re not talking about one unified group here . The Vikings did share language and culture , but they were divided into different social / family groups . Each one was led by a local chieftain .
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Evidence of winter camps have been found in England , Ireland , France , Netherlands , Germany , Russia , Ukraine and Latvia . These Nordic travellers didn ’ t lose touch with their native lands .
Although there is evidence of some camps only being used for one day , others saw either continuous or repetitive use over many years , eventually turning into bustling urban centres . A great example of this is Dublin , Ireland which became a centre for western Viking expansion !