A consequence of the available written sources, which may have coloured how the Viking age is perceived as a historical period, is that much more is known of the Vikings' activities in western Europe than in the East.
En konsekvens af det tilgængelige kildemateriale, som muligvis har farvet opfattelsen af vikingetiden som en historisk periode, er, at der vides langt mindre om vikingernes aktiviteter i Østeuropa end i Vesteuropa.