Viking Day

What Is Viking Day?

June 8th is "Viking Day" (ヴァイキングの日) in Japan. It is said that on this day in 793, the activities of the Vikings, the seafaring people of the North, first appeared in the historical record. A band armed with swords and axes raided the monastery on Lindisfarne, an island off the northeast coast of England — an event widely regarded as the start of the "Viking Age" in European history.

Who Were the Vikings?

The Vikings were people from Scandinavia — present-day Norway, Denmark, and Sweden — who sailed out to many parts of the world.

• Originally farmers and fishers: Although they are best known as raiders, they were essentially farmers and fishers who were also active in trade and settlement.
• The Viking Age: Generally refers to the period from the late 8th century to the mid-11th century.
• Longships: Long, narrow ships with a shallow draft that could cross open seas and also sail far up rivers into the interior.

Footprints Across the Seas

The Vikings' reach extended well beyond the British Isles and France — east along Russian rivers toward the Black Sea, and west to Iceland and Greenland. Around the year 1000, they are believed to have reached North America; the L'Anse aux Meadows site on Newfoundland, Canada, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name of Normandy in northern France also comes from the Northmen (Normans) who settled there.

Fun Facts About the Vikings

• Horned helmets are a later image: There is no evidence that Vikings actually wore horned helmets. The image is said to have spread through things like 19th-century opera costumes.
• Norse words in English: English words such as "sky," "egg," and "knife" are thought to have come from Old Norse, the language the Vikings spoke.
• The origin of "Bluetooth": The Bluetooth wireless standard was named after the nickname of Harald "Bluetooth," a 10th-century king of Denmark.
• The all-you-can-eat "Viking": In Japan, all-you-can-eat buffets are called "baikingu" (Viking). This began with the "Imperial Viking" restaurant opened by the Imperial Hotel in 1958, named after the hearty feast scene in the film "The Vikings," then playing in theaters. Its opening day, August 1st, is known in Japan as "Viking (Buffet) Day."

How to Spend Viking Day

• Pick up a book, film, or series about the Vikings or Nordic history.
• Open a map and trace the routes the Vikings sailed.
• Look into how the names of Norse gods survive in English words such as the days of the week.
• Share the origin of the Japanese word "baikingu" for buffets as a conversation topic at your next meal.

A Day to Think About People Who Crossed the Seas

Viking Day on June 8th is a chance to look beyond the image of fierce pirates and consider the Nordic people's long history of trade and seafaring. Traces of their journeys remain in surprising places, including everyday words and even the names of modern technology.