Book excerpt: Though most often remembered as marauding barbarians, the Vikings were also traders, farmers, and skilled craftsmen. Their exploration beyond the shores of Europe began in the late 900s with the founding of settlements in Greenland and Newfoundland. Notable Viking adventurers such as Erik the Red, Leif the Lucky, and Thorfinn Karlsefni are profiled. Readers will also learn about the Vikings’ weapons and armor, ships, religious beliefs, lifestyle, and the vast legacy they left behind in mythology, language, and shipbuilding.