Very important Vikings

Vikings were a Scandinavian people who thrived in the Middle Age and were famous for their quick attacks all over Europe's coast in longboats which held up to three hundred men.  They fought counties such as Ireland and France.  Erick the Red was an explorer who discovered Greenland and Iceland in 968 and founded settlements.  He named the land he discovered "Iceland" even though it was beautiful there because he wanted people to not venture there.  Ironically, Greenland was actually an icy land, even though people went there expecting it to be green and lush.  Leif Erickson, son of Erick the Red, reached North American around 1000 AD.  Viking literature included writings such as Eddas meaning long poems, and Sagas meaning long tales.  Vikings spoke Danish, Netherlandic, Swedish and Icelandic among other languages.  The Viking era was barbaric and violent, but after they turned Christian they became more civilized.