The vikings were seafaring people in the 8th-11th centuries who established a name for themselves as warriors, traders, and explorers. They discovered the Americas long before Columbus and could be found as Far East as the unapporachable reaches of Russia. While these people are often attributed as savages raiding the more civilized nations for treasture and women, the motives and culture of the Viking people are much more diverse.  These raiders also facilitated many changes throughout the lands from economics to warfare.