The Nordic people had a very interesting religion that was comparable to the Greeks'.  Their religion also was made up of a series of gods and goddesses who symbolized different things that were important to them.  Odin, Thor, and Tyr were among the most important to them.

           Odin was the most powerful of all Viking (Nordic) gods.  Odin was the god of wisdom and of war.  Odin also owned an eight-legged horse he rode named Sleipnir.  Odin had power over many things including influencing battles by sending potent warriors (Valkyries) to decide a battle.

           The Norse god of thunder, Thor, was the most popular and most worshipped Nordic god.  Thor is very popular because he is most like the common man.  Thor wields a giant hammer with which he kills his enemies.  In the end, Thor kills and is killed by his arch enemy, Jormungandr.  Thor manages to slay the beast, but its poison kills him.

            Tyr was the Nordic god of warfare.  In most paintings, he is portrayed with one hand.  This is because one of the gods had to sacrifice one hand to a giant wolf called Fenisulfr.  No one but Tyr was brave enough to sacrifice one arm, so Tyr is also the deity of bravery.

           There are many, many more gods and goddesses of the Nordic religion, but those are the main three.

           Long ships were effectively used by the Scandinavian Vikings.  They were highly valued and were a symbol of military power.  The Viking long ship was a long, light, narrow boat.  These boats were lined with fitted oars where rowers would sit.  The long ship also had a rectangular mast which could be unfurled and furled as needed.  These ships were specially waterproofed with tar-soaked moss.  The ship's depth itself was very shallow which was effective.  This let the Vikings row in shallow waters and to land on beaches.  Long ships and their design played a very important role in Viking victories.

           Leif Ericson was believed to be the first person to discover North America.  Leif was the son of the famous Erik the Red and was born around 980 A.D.  Leif and a few other Vikings set out around 1000 A.D. and arrived some years later in present day Labrador, Canada.  Leif and the other Vikings stayed here for a while enjoying the climate and salmon before returning home.  No one knows who the first person to discover North America was, but many believe it was Leif.

           There were four main offensive weapons that the Vikings used - the spear, sword, battle-axe, and the bow and arrow.  The spear was the most used weapon.  The spears were usually two to three meters long and were basically just a wooden shaft with a pointed metal head on the end.  Spears were used to thrust at enemies or to throw at them.  One other weapon used was a sword.  Having a sword in those days meant high prestige and one was equal in value to 16 cows.  A regular Viking sword was around 80-90 cm.  The third weapon was the battle-axe.  It was based on a normal axe used for cutting wood.  Battle-axes weren't used as much as the spear, but the battle-axe had a special purpose.  Battle axes could easily split chain mail, while spears and swords couldn't.  The last weapon used was the bow.  Viking bows were made out of yew, ash, or elm wood.  These bows were very effective in battle as they could shoot to distances up to 200 meters. 

           When you think of a Viking, you probably think of a warrior with armor and a horned helmet.  However, there is almost no evidence to support that Vikings actually wore helmets with horns on them.  Two or three cave paintings have been found showing Vikings wearing these helmets, though it was probably for ceremonial uses.  Wearing horned helmets would badly hamper soldiers in battle because they might accidentally stab their own kind with the horns.  Also, enemies could easily grab on to the Viking's horns and kill them more easily.  It is obvious now that Vikings didn't wear horned helmets into battle.  We got the idea that they wore such things because of "Hagar the Horrible" and "Vicky the Viking".

            Berserkers were an effective part of the Viking armies.  The word "berserker" itself comes from the Norse word "berserkr" which means "bear shirt".  This is because berserkers often wore bear skins into battle.  Berserkers would charge into battle flailing their weapons in the air.  Surprisingly, they were very effective.  Besides slaughtering many, they would cause their enemies to be very afraid - sometimes even causing them to run.  What made them be so wild and aggressive?  Some believe that berserkers sunk into spirit possession before battle and actually became possessed by a bear.  A more plausible theory states that berserkers were fed bog myrtle - the main ingredient in Nordic alcoholic beverages at the time.  This might have caused the berserkers to be very aggressive.  Also, some experts think that berserkers ingest hallucinogenic mushrooms before battle which, obviously, made them hallucinate and go into a crazed state.