What Happened to the Vikings?

You're talking about Vikings as if they were one organised/united unite/people/culture. Which is mostly incorrect. While the etymology of the word Viking is disputed it's quite widely accepted that it was something you did. This is supported by at least one Viking Age runestone. [1] [2]

As for what happened to the Viking raids was that they became less and less frequent after that the Danelaw was established. While there still were many conflicts between the populations of the Anglo-Saxon, Scottish and Irish kingdoms the Norsemen who came over the sea after this point were much more likely to be settlers with the intention to immediately settle and begin a new life within the borders controlled by the Norse. [3]

The latter part of the Viking Age is also the beginning of a political change in Scandinavia. Christianity has entered the societies and the link between Church and state is being made. But more than so, now the actual kingdoms of Sweden, Norway and Denmark are getting founded. Previously the lands were ruled much more locally by stormän, jarls and petty kings. But things were now about to change. Norway was traditionally unified by Harald Fairhair year 872. 970 Eric the Victorious was crowned king over Svealand, Ostrogothia and Westrogothia which is about the same as what the later Kingdom of Sweden would be for a long time. Denmark may have been consolidated as early as 804 under the reign of Gudfred. [4][5][6]

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

/r/AskHistorians Thread