5 Fast Facts About Vikings
What’s in a Name: Vikings didn’t call themselves “Vikings,” as this term doesn’t apply to any specific group or tribe of people.
History Set in Stone: Much of what we know about Vikings today comes from runestones, giant stones on which Vikings carved stories.
A Fond Farewell: You may have heard of a “Viking funeral,” in which a body is set afloat (and sometimes ablaze) on a boat.
Jarls and Karls: Viking society was stratified into three classes: jarls, karls, and thralls.
I Can’t, I’ve Got a Thing: The Vikings held a type of governing assembly called a “thing” (incidentally, the origin of the English word).