Vikings-Terror from the North

"Oh Senior Servo nos ex saevio of Nordic populus" (Oh Lord save us from the rage of the Nordic people). was the prayer uttered by thousands from the 8th to 11th centuries as Viking Raiders slashed their way through Western Europe.

The Viking Longboat was sturdy and shallow draft allowing both long distance ocean sailing and the ability to easily travel the rivers of Europe.
The most fearsome sight in the 8th & 9th centuries-Norsemen raiders swarming ashore bring death and destruction.

By the 1100's the Vikings had conquered and settled much of Europe. Yet as they were never organized under a single ruler their power quickly faded. As with so many other invaders, once the damage was done they settled down and were incorporated into the local cultures adding many of their own ideas and creating a new and in most cases stronger society.