How did the vikings contribute to civilization?

Answer 1

The Vikings have had a huge impact on the Western World. Obviously their culture and language is stamped indelibly into their native Scandinavia, but also somewhat in places that they colonised. The United Kingdom has many words and place-names of Viking origin, and they ruled large parts of it at various times, including the Scottish Isles, England and Normandy (at the time part of the Kingdom). They were great seafarers, and are purported to have journeyed to North America long before Christopher Columbus, being possibly the first westerners there. They colonised Greenland and Iceland, burned Paris and founded the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and worked as mercenaries in the employ of the Byzantine Empire in Africa and the Middle East. They were a trading civilization too, with links as far as Baghdad. A map can be seen in the links section. Their mythology lives on in the days of our week, with Odin/Woden giving 'Woden'sday', Thor giving 'Thor'sday', Frigg giving 'Frigg'sday' etc.

Answer 2

Their Myths gave the English language two words Wednesday and Thursday, which used to be Wodensday and Thor. The Vikings were also some of the first people to ever settle in Iceland, Greenland and North America which is probably one of the biggest contributions to history.

Answer 3

In different times and places, the Vikings had very different importance.

In the 7th through 10th centuries in Western Europe, Vikings raided the coasts and created quite a lot of havoc. They were also traders, who transported goods from one country to another. They settled in some places, notably Normandy where they held the county in exchange for protecting France from other Vikings, and Northern England, where they had a kingdom called the Danelaw. Their trading went far into the Mediterranean.

At one point, they raided Constantinople. Later, some of them were recruited to be the bodyguards of the Emperor, serving in a unit called the Varangian Guard.

They settled Iceland, where they had their own country, with its own, unique, government. Since they originated in Norway and Sweden, they also had countries there.

They took their longboats up rivers in Russia and other parts of the North East, and were important traders there. In some places, they were invited to settle down and became the rulers of the lands. The name Russia comes from the term Rus, which was used in the area to refer to them.

Answer 4

They were great explorers and warriors.

They might not have built giant castles lasting a thousand years, but they were never conquered from without. And when they converted to Christianity it was by their own free will.

Answer 5

they brought viking children herer. every 9months, to give joy to the jews.. giggdy........

Answer 6

They showed people how to farm properly.

Answer 7

by the slaves traveling to Europe