Introduction to Vikings: When it comes to Vikings, many people’s first reaction is pirates. And this is exactly the case. In ancient times, Vikings meant pirates; until the 20th century, "Vikings" not only referred to pirates, but also expanded to Scandinavians, and many other names such as "Viking Age" appeared. New vocabulary. But there is no doubt about their identity as explorers, warriors, traders and pirates who invaded and colonized the European coast and British islands from the 8th to the 11th century AD.