Vikings 930 CE

The map shows the viking world in 930 CE, when Iceland had filled with settlers and the Northmen in general were starting to transition from small chiefdoms to christian states. Towns, a few cities, trade emporia and forts where vikings ruled or had a significant presence are marked. Major þhing sites are included too. Scandinavia and viking colonies are quite detailed, including small trade centers but not royal estates, farms or cemeteries, large or small. In the wider reaches of the vikings only major population centers are shown. Sea routes have been omitted; rivers have to be looked up on the background layers. Names are a mix of Middle Age, regional and modern names. The latter are surrounded by parentheses. As data on viking trade centers, either permanent or seasonal, is very limited, the map is just an approximation of the real situation. There probably were many more trade centers that have been lost in time.

The map has been made with the help of OpenLayers. You can zoom out and in, pan the view and enlarge the map to occupy the full screen. Four different layers are available. None of them is transparent, so it does not make sense to switch on multiple ones at the same time. Zoom out for less detail, or back in for more. Hover over a landmark to see a short description (displayed below the map like the coordinates of the mouse position).
Note that the modern terrain, though largely similar, differs in some respects. The coastlines were different in some places, like Saarema, where viking age ports are now located inland; many low-lying areas wee much wetter and swampier. Settlements were orders of magnitude smaller and of course the bridge between Denmark and Sweden did not exist.

The viking explorers have not yet reached their furthest targets, as Greenland is still undiscovered. In England, the Danes have lost most of their forts in the Danelaw, though they will briefly bounce back in the 11th century CE. In france, Normandy has become a viking fief. Some early trade centers like Dorestad and Derekow / Dierkow have dwindled away; some like Riga are growing; others like Bergen, Sigtuna and Trondheim have not yet been founded. The modern Scandinavian capitals of Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm are still unfounded too. Many settlements are small, simply villages with seasonal markets. Only a handful earn the title of town or city. In many areas, for example in Iceland, there weren't even villages; the people lived at individual farms. Next to settlements, locations of major Þhings and some forts are also included.