Despite popular belief, not all Scandiavians were Vikings.

In Old Norse the term “viking” was a noun that referred to overseas expeditions. The phrase “fara i viking” means “to go on an expedition”, and in later texts implies piracy or raids. Therefore, a Viking (Norse vikingr) was someone who participated in these expeditions; an explorer, warrior, or pirate.

Finns were never Vikings, and in fact had little contact with Scandinavia during the Viking Age.