The Viking Age ended as violently as it began, at the Battle of Hastings, between the King of Norway, Harald III Sigurdsson (Haraldr harðráði), and Harold Godwinson King of the Anglo-Saxons.
The true Vikings were those who traveled on their dreaded long ships and fought in wars, raids, or just for survival.
But the main source for their culture, beyond what is written by the peoples they encountered, is the sagas, which were written in 13th-century Iceland. These are the stories of their history – a romanticised mix of truth and legend.