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It wasn’t because they were against Christianity, it was simply because they were the easiest targets with the most resources. Being pagans, one can understand why they raided the church monasteries. They also believed in things like human sacrifice among others. Aside from their faith, they also had certain practices like burying the dead with goods they would need in the afterlife. Odin seemed to be the ultimate god for them, being that he was the Allfather and the most powerful of all Norse deities. They also believed that there were different realms in the universe where mystical creatures like giants, elves, and dwarves existed. That was because the Vikings did not believe in a monotheistic God, rather in a Norse pantheon of gods and goddesses. Vikings were also not Christians but what Christians referred to as a pagan religion. Vikings were also traders who traveled to distant lands to exchange their goods for spices, silver, silk, pottery, glass, wine, and jewelry among others. Aside from aggressive warriors, the Vikings also had farmers who kept livestock and grew crops, as well as skillful crafters of wood carvings and metal works among others. While almost all Vikings were seafarers, some went to foreign lands to fight and raid, others were peaceful travelers looking to settle or trade. But not all Scandinavians were as bloodthirsty, most, may not have described themselves as Vikings. Hence people who left Scandinavia and went off raiding in ships were called Vikings. To begin with, the term Viking came from their language, the Old Norse, and it meant ‘pirate raid’. But is this all there is to know about Vikings? They were known as invaders who used axes and long swords in battle. These accounts were written years after the end of the period and described Vikings as pirates and raiders who came on their longboats to different parts of Europe and the world, looting monasteries and settlements. The little that is written and known about the Vikings begins from the Viking Age that lasted between 700-1100AD.