Yes, Vikings were real and historically significant people from Scandinavia, primarily from modern-day Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, during the Viking Age (circa 793-1066 AD). They played a notable role in shaping medieval Europe through exploration, trade, conquest, and settlement across regions from the British Isles to Eastern Europe. Vikings are well-documented in archaeological findings, including tools, weapons, burial sites, and remnants of their seafaring vessels known as longships. These artifacts, alongside historical records from cultures they encountered, such as the Anglo-Saxons and Franks, provide detailed evidence of the Vikings' existence. Viking culture was complex, blending Norse religious practices, craftsmanship, and a society that included warriors, farmers, traders, and artisans. While popular culture sometimes exaggerates Viking characteristics, their impact on history is evident in the languages, cultural influences, and genetic traces they left behind across Europe and beyond.