A Viking was someone who went aviking. That is, a trading/raiding expedition. They were usually led by the second or third sons of a chieftain or wealthy landowner in order to
… make a name for themselves. (Yes, this means that not everyone who lived in the Viking age, was a viking. In fact, a very small number of people were Vikings, they were mostly farmers). They were typically from Norway, Iceland, Denmark, or another North European country, were lightly armored in leathers, fought with a wooden shield and a spear, and were not the blood thirsty savages commonly depicted. They set out each expedition with goods to trade; wine, butter, lumber, wool and textiles, honey, furs, etc. They would trade it for more valuable items. Should they come across a simple village or a Christian monastery, they would raid it. The Christians kept a lot of wealth in the Churches (just like today), that is why they raided monasteries and the like. They would then take these stolen items, and trade with them. Metal was expensive, and only the wealthy could afford a sword, let alone full body armor. A helmet (no horns) was often worn, and only the Danish used axes as a common weapon. Usually it was a spear, since it was mostly wood. (MORE)