Just before the age of the Vikings, a town on an eastern island of present-day Denmark was a regional center of trade. The town of Lejre is centrally located between England and Sweden, each with ...

What began as small raiding parties early in the Viking age grew into armies that conquered large swaths of Europe. Photograph by David Guttenfelder A helmet outfitted with beardlike chain mail ...

These became Viking land. Orkney became an important ... Some chieftains had iron helmets and wore chain mail coats. Poorer Vikings might have a leather helmet and padded leather clothing ...