Vikings lived in Scandinavia, which is present day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The Vikings were the best shipbuilders and sailors of their time. If the direction of land was unknown, Viking sailors would release a raven into the air and follow its course. Viking warriors were buried with their weapons, but not their armor. Viking women could get divorced, own property, control their wealth, and join or lead raiding parties. Vikings used runes, a complicated system of symbols, to write their language. Each rune represented a different goddess or god. Vikings believed Valkyries, female warriors, watched over battles and decided who would die. Vikings believed their dead went to Valhalla, the banquet hall of the god Odin in Asgard. Leif Ericsson was the first European discoverer of North America, c. 1000. The last attempt by the Vikings to establish a colony in North America occurred around 1013 A.D.
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