The Vikings lived in Northern Europe and settled in lands now called Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The Vikings were raider, hence the name Viking which means to raid in Old Norse. They would sail to the northern Europe coasts and islands including Great Britain and Scotland to raid the villages there. The Vikings were known to attack defenseless monasteries because they were wealthy and undefended. The Vikings conquered lands in Britain, Ireland, France, and Italy. Although they were fierce and ferocious in the sea they were independent farmers on land.
The Viking Long ships were what the Vikings were probably most famous for. The Long ships were long narrow boats designed for speed and generally moved using oars but later had sails added. These ships also had a shallow draft making them good for landing on beaches. The vikings built their ships using a method called clinker building. This means that they used long planks of wood overlapped at the ends.
Erik the Red was a native Norwegian who, in his youth, was nicknamed Erik the Red. Erik was exiled from Iceland in 980 and then decided to explore the region of Greenland. He sailed there in 982 but was unable to land. So he landed near it and returned to Iceland to tell about his adventure.
Leif Erikson was the son of Erik the Red. He was the second of three sons of Erik the Red. He too explored the region of Greenland after his exile. After successfully exploring Greenland Leif also returned to Iceland to tell the people there what he had found.
This map emphasizes how the Vikings were also known as Normans (northmen) in France and as Rus (redheaded people) in Eastern Europe and how these two areas were later known as Normandy and Russia.