The Vikings called themselves Ostmen and were also known as Norsemen, Norse and Danes.
Vikings didn't call themselves “Vikings,” as this term doesn't apply to any specific group or tribe of people. During the Viking Age (c. 790–1066 CE), the countries of Scandinavia as we know them today didn't exist, and people settled mostly in scattered clans and tribes throughout the region.
The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language.
Why did Vikings call themselves Ostmen? Viking settlers called themselves Ostmen because they came from the east. The term originated from the Old Norse word austr or east, and was used to describe Vikings who settled in Europe and North America during the early Middle Ages.
The homelands of the Vikings were in Scandinavia, but the countries of Scandinavia as we know them today did not exist until the end of the Viking Age. Wherever they lived, the Viking-age Scandinavians shared common features such as house forms, jewellery, tools and other everyday equipment.
Other names
The Vikings were known as Ascomanni ("ashmen") by the Germans for the ash wood of their boats, Dubgail and Finngail ( "dark and fair foreigners") by the Irish, Lochlannaich ("people from the land of lakes") by the Gaels, Dene (Dane) by the Anglo-Saxons and Northmonn by the Frisians.
In battle, Vikings would urge each other forward by yelling "SKOLL" to one another.
The Vikings came from what is now known as Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. However, they were not one “race” as such, rather small groups from all over the region. Also, Vikings weren't just limited to Scandinavia. Historical records indicate Finnish, Estonian and Saami Vikings as well.
The Old Norse word víkingr usually meant “pirate” or “raider.” It was in use from the 12th to the 14th century, and it was likely derived from an earlier Old Scandinavian word contemporary to the Vikings themselves.
'Viking' is a catch-all term for the people who came from Scandinavia, what is now Norway, Denmark and Sweden, between the eighth and 11th centuries, more properly known as the Norse, or Norsemen.
Who was a Viking? If we are speaking ethnically, the closest people to a Viking in modern-day terms would be the Danish, Norwegians, Swedish, and Icelandic people. Interestingly though, it was common for their male Viking ancestors to intermarry with other nationalities, and so there is a lot of mixed heritage.
Norwegians (Norwegian: Nordmenn) are an ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population.
The term Norwegian Realm (Old Norse: *Noregsveldi, Bokmål: Norgesveldet, Nynorsk: Noregsveldet) and Old Kingdom of Norway refer to the Kingdom of Norway's peak of power at the 13th century after a long period of civil war before 1240.
Skol (written "skål" in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish and "skál" in Faroese and Icelandic or "skaal" in archaic spellings or transliteration of any of those languages) is the Danish-Norwegian-Swedish-Icelandic-Faroese word for "cheers", or "good health", a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group.
The phrase “Til Valhal” in Old Norse translates to “Until Valhalla”. However, in modern English, “Till” and “Until” have nearly synonymous definitions, so either one can be used to convey the same concept.
A drengr, in its original, most literal meaning, is a rock that stands alone out at sea. From this image of a rock fortress standing alone against the buffeting waves stems the meaning of drengr for human beings in Old Norse—a person with reckless courage in the face of whatever comes along.
1. Norway. As one of the countries where Vikings originated, there's tons of Viking heritage in Norway.
Most Norwegians (and other Scandinavians) are proud of their fierce Viking ancestors although, for some reason, they tend to focus more on the Vikings' vast trading networks and skills as explorers and settlers than on the pillaging and looting.
The faces of men and women in the Viking Age were more alike than they are today. The women's faces were more masculine than women's today, with prominent brow ridges. On the other hand, the Viking man's appearance was more feminine than that of men today, with a less prominent jaw and brow ridges.
Hello – Hej! Good morning/day/evening/night – God morgon! / Goddag! / God kväll! / God natt! Goodbye – Hej då! Thank you (very much) – Tack (så mycket)!
Kærasti, -nn = Darling, loved one, male form. Is usually translated simply as boyfriend. Kærasta, -n = Darling, loved one, female form.
From Old Norse ást (“love”), from Proto-Germanic *anstiz (“favour, affection”), from both *unnaną (“to grant, bestow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃n̥-né-h₂-ti, from the root *h₃neh₂- (“to enjoy”) + and from *stiz.
The legendary Viking warriors known as berserkers were renowned for their ferocity in battle, purportedly fighting in a trance-like state of blind rage (berserkergang), howling like wild animals, biting their shields, and often unable to distinguish between friend and foe in the heat of battle.
“nåe” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.