Bifrost was a rainbow bridge which connected Asgard to Midgard (Earth) and can still been seen on rainy days when sunshine follows!

Harald Hardrada (c.1015-1066) – Harald Hardrada was the king of Norway. He led Viking armies into England, but was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in York by King Harold II. The halls built by the Vikings were the largest structures built in northern Europe during the Middle Ages. [1][7]Wrestling was popular, for recreation, for more serious sport (which could turn nasty!) and sometimes to settle disputes. Were they dirty or well kept? Did they actually wear those crazy horned helmets? So much of what we know about their culture was either written by the people they were conquering, or simply fabricated by people hundreds of years after the Viking Age had ended, so it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. But, underneath all the misconceptions, the Vikings were nonetheless an extremely fascinating people—and yes, they were still some of the most fearsome warriors in Europe's history. Read on to learn to discover 42 brutal facts about the Vikings, the Scourge of the North. The irony is that William was of Viking descent: his great-great-great-grandfather Rollo was a Viking who in 911 had invaded Normandy in northern France. His people had become French over time, but in one sense this final successful invasion of England was another Viking one. Vikings: key concepts

No one is sure what ended the Viking culture, but it is believed that they were eventually converted to Christianity which eventually led to the end of the Viking way of life.

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Most of the people who we call "Vikings" wouldn't have called themselves that. The term Viking is derived from the Norse word vikingar, which means "raider" or "pirate" and only refers to those Scandinavians who took part in pillaging voyages during the 8th-11th centuries.

Vikings did not have fridges, so instead meat and fish could be kept for longer by smoking or salting them. Smoking was when meat or fish was hung above a fire. The smoke from the fire drew the moisture out from the meat, which made it last longer. Salt rubbed into food also acted as a preservative, which meant it was edible for longer. Most Viking houses were made of wood, stone, or turf, with thatched roofs. They all had a hole in the roof to let out smoke from the fire.

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The Vikings' homeland was Scandinavia: modern Norway, Sweden and Denmark. From here they travelled great distances, mainly by sea and river – as far as North America to the west, Russia to the east, Lapland to the north and the Mediterranean World (Constantinople) and Iraq (Baghdad) to the south. The typical Viking beverage was mead. They enjoyed wine as well, when they could plunder it from other Europeans. [10] They were clean, not dirty. The thought of men aboard a boat for weeks on end might conjure up images of filth, but archaeological finds suggest otherwise. Tweezers, razors and combs are among the items to have been found. Anglo-Saxons made their own clothes out of natural materials. The men wore long-sleeved tunics made of wool or linen, often decorated with a pattern. Their trousers were woollen and held up by a leather belt from which they could hang their tools such as knives and pouches. Shoes were usually made out of leather and fastened with laces or toggles.

While most of us imagine that Vikings made their living raiding and plundering coastal villages, in reality, most of them were farmers. True, some were raiders, but they were just one small part of Norse society. The vast majority of Norse men and women peacefully grew things like barley, rye, or oats and some raised animals. Make your own Viking shield, Viking longboat and Viking helmet with step-by-step instructions and videos from Hobbycraft Viking warriors were very good fighters. They’d wear helmets and carry shields to defend themselves, and they’d also have one of these weapons:At mealtimes, tables and stools were setup. Many would eat on their laps though. Knives and natural forks were used – fingers!