Vikings: Raiders or traders?

Topic 10 - Raiders or traders? the Vikings: The last great wave of invasions for western Europe came with the Vikings. Who were they, where did they go and what did they want? The term 'Viking' is as complex and ambiguous as trying to characterise 'the Vikings' themselves. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology this ambiguity is found in the origin of the term viking itself. Its general meaning is 'Scandinavian searover', but on …

…The Vikings/Scandinavian conquests left lasting imprints on the areas affected - their social structure, dialects, place names as well as personal names. The Vikings, in turn, were exposed to different cultures and lifestyles, which they took back to their own homeland. These new ideas and encounters reshaped parts of their own society. So, in a way, the exchange of goods (ideas, customs, beliefs etc) continued throughout the course of history. Written by Christina Gerber.