The Viking Age was the main shock for Europe at the end of the early Middle Ages. However, the “sudden” start of the Scandinavian campaigns to the West was not really so spontaneous - it was preceded by a long and extremely interesting period in the cultural history of Northern Europe. The so-called Roman Iron Age and the Vendelian period gave rise to a vibrant artistic craft, an original epic, and formed a largely unique Scandinavian mythological system. It was during this era that a cultural phenomenon emerged that became the hallmark of Scandinavia - the Viking sea voyage. The book, which analyzes the phase of the rapid rise of civilization in Northern Europe, is addressed not only to historians, cultural scientists, archaeologists and religious scholars, but also to all readers interested in the problems of the past of the European continent.