Who (a)   they? Where did they come from? What's the truth about their raids?

(a)   thing is sure, the history of the Vikings is not characterized only by raiding and plundering.

The Vikings developed a (a)   and often sophisticated Scandinavian culture.

Who are the Vikings and what's (a)   origin?

The Vikings (a)   from Scandinavia - Danemark, Norway

and (a)   . These lands were mainly rural.

The only sources of living were agriculture and (a)   .

The Viking society was divided into three socio-economic classes, namely, the Thralls, Karls and Jarls. The Thralls were the lowest ranking class and were slaves. Slaves comprised as much as a quarter of the (a)   .

The Karls, however, were free peasants. They owned farms, land, and (a)   and engaged in daily chores like plowing the fields, milking the cattle, building houses and wagons, but used thralls to make ends meet.

Other names for Karls were 'bonde' or simply free men. The Jarls were the aristocracy of the Viking (a)   .

The thralls did most of the daily chores, while the Jarls did (a)   , politics, hunting, sports,

visited other Jarls or were (a)   on expeditions

Where does the word Viking come (a)   ?

What is certain is that people at that time did not (a)   them Vikings. They were called instead Danes, heathens, or Norsemen.