As an American of Norwegian ancestory, I used to devour Norse mythology and history when I was young. I would think these people were fierce warriors, they mastered the oceans and the rivers and explored far away places. The world was terrified of them.
Norway is not that nation today, nor is Denmark or Sweden.
So what? I was always prouder to be an American. But having Viking blood in my veins was also something I was happy to have.
Reality intrudes on dreams and myths every time I guess.
My impression was that Vikings eventually settled in the lands that they conquered. Their descendants would be in those places, leaving their less adventurous cousins to run things back in Scandinavia.