Vikings! Raiders, Traders or Invaders?
You’ve probably heard all about Vikings, right? They were those big scary warriors with giant axes and horns on their helmets!
Or were they?
Maybe there’s more to Vikings than you think! Here are some activities you can do to learn more about Vikings.
First, let’s see whether Vikings really did have horns on their helmets!
Did vikings have horns on their helmets?
So now you know!
Vikings did not have horns on their helmets! But can you remember why people thought they did?
Viking Clothes
Now you know what Vikings are supposed to look like, you can colour some in, dress up like one, and make yourself a shield and sword!
Create a Viking
Download these sheets to create a Viking character. Choose your person and then colour them in. You can even give them a name and decide what how they spent their days.
Dress like a Viking
Now you know what Vikings wore, you can make yourself a Viking outfit with things you already have in your house!
Make a Shield
Prepare for battle by making yourself a shield out of everyday items.
Let’s find out a bit more about Vikings
So apart from those horned helmets (wrong!) what else are Vikings famous for?
One thing is their ships. Let’s find out whether those are a myth too!?
Aha! so they did have ships!
Let’s see what you can remember about Viking ships:
Can you remember the parts of a Viking ship?
How big were the Viking ships?
Vikings were rightly famous for their ships. It was the ships that allowed them to raid and trade with half the known world! But just how big were they? And how many people could they carry?
We don’t know exactly how many people were in each kind of ship, because although archaeologists have found the remains of ships, we haven’t found the remains of the people who crewed them. However, if you estimate 1-2 people per oar, you can work out roughly how many people it would have taken to sail one of these.
How many ships made a raid?
Good question! If it was a small raid, say on a single monastery, then perhaps 2 or 3 ships would be enough. However, there is an Anglo Saxon account of a Viking fleet that was headed for Paris and London with up to 300 ships!!
Viking Daily Life
Ships and adventure are all very well, but what was it like day to day in a Viking home?
How much do you know about Viking objects?
Make a Viking comb
Make a Viking brooch
Make some Viking food
And now for the most important question of the day…
Did Vikings have pets?!
The Nine Realms
Or, how Vikings saw the universe!