Excellent Navigators
Vikings were a force to be reckoned with both in and out of the water. Their ships were impeccably crafted and were some of the best ships in the world at the time. Not only that, but they were also excellent ocean navigators. No matter the conditions, they were able to navigate. If they didn’t have the sun or stars to guide them, they are believed to have used what is called a sun-shadow which helped them get to where they wanted to. Thanks to their amazing navigating skills, they were able to reach the rivers of Russia, Germany, and they even traded with Arab and Eastern countries.
Excellent Navigators
Warrior Women
Turns out women were warriors as well. They may have been rare, but the Byzantine-era historian Johannes Skylitzes wrote on History.com that women did in fact fight alongside a group of Vikings in 971 AD in the battle against the Bulgarians. A 12th-century Danish historian spoke of female Vikings, describing them as “communities of warrior women as shieldmaidens who dressed like men and devoted themselves to learning swordplay and other warlike skills.” Almost all the information that we have about female Vikings comes from literature or nearby communities. There were multiple accounts of female warriors in the Viking raids who were known as Valkyries. In Norse mythology, they are warriors who raise the souls of the fallen warriors to Valhalla.
Warrior Women