Vikings were seafaring warriors who traveled the world in their longships and were known for their skills as sailors and boat builders. They raided, traded, and pirated in areas as far as England, Greenland, Iceland, Russia, Constantinople, Iran, Scotland, France, Ireland, and Canada. (©TRS0724CAI)

The Vikings were ruled by powerful magnates and kings. However, the term king was not used in the same way as it is today, because in the Viking period, several kings could exist at the same time. A king was simply a leading magnate, whom the other magnates regarded as “first among equals”. In addition, the status of king was not automatically inherited, but had to be fought for.

James fought hard, and through blood and sweat, he earned the title of King. Now, he was making the journey from Aggersborg (In Denmark) to your village, Birka (In Sweden), the most significant trading site in Viking society. Every father hoped the king would see their daughter and decide to take her across the seas to his castle when he left.

All the girls in your village were aflutter, and the excitement over the king's arrival was palpable. You, however, cared more about assisting your father at his swordsmith forge than competing with every girl of marrying age in your village, and several from other villages who had arrived with hopes of catching the king's eye.