The most visible and obvious characteristics of the Viking Age are the expeditions that the Vikings undertook in their ships, across seas and along rivers. The Viking Age is when Scandinavia really made its entrance on to the stage of European, indeed world, history. However, at home in Scandinavia, the Viking Age also saw important changes and developments, many of which were partly the result of increased contact with Europe: Scandinavian kings sought to establish themselves as the rulers of more clearly demarcated and unified kingdoms, modeling themselves on European rulers such as Charlemagne, emperor of the Franks; Christianity and the institutions, liturgy, and learning of the Catholic Church were introduced to Scandinavia, replacing pagan beliefs and rituals; and the growth of trade with Europe and beyond led to a degree of urbanization in Scandinavia, as well as an increased awareness of European politics, society, and culture.
At the start of the Viking Age, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden did not exist as three separate kingdoms; instead there appear to have been a number of regional chieftains in each “country” who ruled over the inhabitants of smaller districts. Politically, the Viking Age is characterized by the gradual centralization of power into the hands of a much smaller number of kings and the emergence of political units known as Denmark, Norway, and, somewhat later, Sweden. This development was uneven across Scandinavia: already, at the beginning of the Viking Age, there is evidence that there were some people claiming to be kings of “Denmark,” but in Sweden, no king had effective power throughout the whole country until well after the end of the Viking Age. A final and further point here is that the borders of the modern Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden differed from those in the Viking Age. Most importantly, the part of southwestern Sweden that is today the province of Skane was, in fact, part of the kingdom of Denmark throughout the Viking Age.
World History
