Althing The governing assembly of Iceland. The Althing met every summer in Þingvellir and lasted for two weeks. It first met in 930.

Berserkr A famously fierce Viking warrior. Berserkrs prepared for battle by wearing bearskin shirts and working themselves up into a rage. This is where we get the phrase “going berserk”.

Chieftain The leader of a village or of a group of Vikings.

Danegeld A tax paid to Viking raiders. Areas threatened by the Vikings could pay this to stop the Vikings from robbing them, abducting people or destroying their land.

Erik the Red (950–c.1003) Viking chieftain who founded the first settlement in Greenland. He was exiled from Iceland in 982 and sailed in search of new lands. He returned to Iceland three years later with tales of a new “green land” and encouraged others to follow him there.

Leif Ericsson (c.970–1020) A Viking explorer who landed on the coast of North America in 1000. He was the first European to set foot on North American soil. Ericsson established a settlement, but it was abandoned after a few years.

Freyr The Viking god of fertility and birth. He helped the crops to grow and blessed newly wed couples.

Futhark The Viking alphabet, named after its first six letters: f, u, th, a, r and k.

Greenland A large, ice-covered island in the North Atlantic. Vikings discovered it 982. Settlements formed inland in the east and west, the only areas that could be farmed.

Iceland A large, volcanic island in the North Atlantic. Vikings discovered Iceland in the 860s. It is said the first settlers travelled there in 874 to escape the rule of King Harald of Norway.

Jarl A nobleman. Jarls were the highest of the three classes of Viking society.

Karl A free man. Karls were the middle of the three classes of Viking society, and the largest. They worked as farmers, traders, craftsmen and warriors.

Knarr A wide ship used to carry goods for trading. Knarrs were mostly powered by their sails but could be rowed if the wind dropped. They were slower than longships.

Longship A fast wooden ship used to carry warriors into battle. It was powered by a square sail or by oarsmen. The front of a ship was often carved into the shape of a dragon’s head. For this reason the boats were sometimes called “dragon ships”.

Odin Chief of the Viking gods. Odin was god of wisdom, war, death and magic. The Vikings believed he was a sorcerer who could change his shape at will.

Rune A Viking letter. Runes were formed of straight and diagonal lines, which were easy to carve into wood or stone.

Runestone A stone carved with runes, used to mark boundaries or to proclaim the deeds of a dead family member. Some runestones were highly decorated.

Rus A group of Vikings who travelled to Russia in the 9th century, either as invaders or as peacekeepers, to sort out quarrels between the Slav people. They settled in the area around Kiev, which became known as the “land of the Rus”. This is where the names Russia and Belarus come from.

Saga A story about Viking history or mythology. Some sagas were about gods and monsters. Others were about family history and Viking victories. For hundreds of years the Vikings' sagas were not written down, but passed down the generations by word of mouth.

Thing A meeting held in a community to discuss the law. All free men were allowed to express their opinions at the thing.

Thor The Viking god of law and order. He was thought to ride through the sky on a chariot pulled by goats.

Thrall A Viking slave. Slaves were often captured during the Vikings' raids. They were the lowest of the three classes of Viking society.

Valhalla The Viking heaven for the souls of men that were killed in battle. Valhalla was believed to be a huge feast hall. In Viking mythology, the souls of those who died of illness or old age went to a shadowy realm called Hel.

Valkyrie Mythological female warriors. They were believed to choose who would die in battle and who would fight on.

Varangian The Viking merchants who travelled south and east from Scandinavia in the 9th and 10th centuries. They traded wheat, wool and slaves for silver and furs.

Consultant: Philip Parker