Book Report: The Vikings

The book “The Vikings” is about the lifestyle of a Viking. The Vikings came from countries that are now known as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The land the Vikings came from are cold with deep, rocky coasts, and mountains. Many Vikings wanted to have a better life and using their skills as seamen and warriors. The richest and most powerful men became the leaders. They were called kings and dukes. There were many wars between the different kingdoms, mostly over pieces of good land. The Vikings attacked the land around them, that was usually Britian and France. They stole food, treasures, and took people to become slaves. In some places, the Vikings got food and tools by trading. The Vikings learned to trade rather than to attack, so the people wouldn’t …show more content…
Viking traders traveled to the Black Sea, and traded their furs, jewelry, and slaves for spice and wine. They used longships to travel. The ships were measured by the number of oars they had. The Vikings used oars if the sail was not up, or there was no wind or inland waters. A keel was also used. A keel was a tool that helped the boats cut through the water and make them stable even in rough weather. The longships had a prow on the front of it. That is a carving, usually of a dragon, or another animal. The ships also had names that resembled to their prows. The ship used a square sail. In bad weather the Vikings would lower the sail to cover the ship, and cover them to keep them safe from the weather. The Vikings weren’t just soldiers, but they had families of their own. The Viking children did not go to school to learn, but instead they heard long stories, or sagas. The stories were told by traveling storytellers. Sagas told adventures of the gods or of special vikings. Children would also help their parents around the farm. Their jobs included feeding the animals, gathering firewood, or helping out around the house. The children had their own time