EBarnacle wrote: an archeologist in Denmark who had worked on the Hydeby(sp) site. He told us that the root word for Viking is the same root as vacation.

Look where the guy comes from. I have detected over the last few years an attempt to mellow out the Vikings reputation. But think about it. A group of people who over a 300 year period, raided and murdered religious establishments for money, enslaved populations for money and invaded and occupied considerable areas of Europe might also have the kind of sense of humour that would call these ventures 'holidays'.