Infopanel 2

Various Vikings

While the Vikings in Western Europe were mostly referred to as “Norse men” – regardless of which region of Scandinavia they came from – they could still be distinguished:

The Vikings – mostly Swedish – who traveled in the Baltic Sea, the Baltic States, and even as far as the Black Sea via Russian rivers called themselves “Varangians.” The Eastern European Slavic tribes who encountered the Vikings called the Scandinavians “Rus” – possibly because of their mostly red hair. And the marauding band leaders of small Viking fleets grandly called themselves “sea kings.”

In addition, the “berserkers” occupied a special position among the warlike Vikings, as they are said to have thrown themselves into battle half-naked when they fell into a berserk rage. They are said to have howled like wolves and felt no pain from their wounds.