The real Vikings
Chapter 1
The horned helmet myth and daily life
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Chapter 2
Master shipbuilders and global explorers
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Chapter 3
The power of Norse women
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Chapter 4
Gods, runes, and the written word
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The real Vikings
Ch 2 · Master shipbuilders and global explorers
misslily We sail up the river with a shallow draft, Mastering the oceans in a lightweight craft.
Fun Fact
Sunstone navigation: Calcite crystals can reveal the sun's position through thick clouds by polarizing light, a trick Norse sailors mastered.
Glossary
longship (noun)
A long, narrow, shallow-draft vessel propelled by oars and sails, historically used by the Norse. These flexible vessels enabled Scandinavian mariners to reach the shores of North America around 1000 CE.
A long, narrow, shallow-draft vessel propelled by oars and sails, historically used by the Norse. These flexible vessels enabled Scandinavian mariners to reach the shores of North America around 1000 CE.
Quiz
What did Norse merchants from Sweden trade to obtain thousands of silver coins from Baghdad?
Quiz
What rivers did the eastern Norse traders, known as the Rus, navigate to reach Constantinople?
Quiz
What unique structural design made Viking longships incredibly flexible in rough seas?
Quiz
Where in North America did Norse explorers establish a settlement around 1000 CE?