The Swedish Viking Age lasted roughly from the 8th century to the 11th century.

It is believed that
Swedish Vikings and Gutar mainly travelled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries,
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Black Sea and even as far as Baghdad. Their routes passed through
the Dnieper south to Constantinople, on which they carried out numerous raids. The Byzantine
EmperorTheophilos noticed their great skills in war, and invited them to serve as his personal
bodyguard, known as the Varangian Guard. The Swedish Vikings, called Rus are believed to be the
founding fathers of Kievan Rus'. The Arab traveller Ibn Fadlan described these Vikings as follows:
I have seen the Rus as they came on their merchant journeys and encamped by the Itil. I have never
seen more perfect physical specimens, tall as date palms, blond and ruddy; they wear neither tunics
nor caftans, but the men wear a garment which covers one side of the body and leaves a hand free.
Each man has an axe, a sword, and a knife, and keeps each by him at all times. The swords are
broad and grooved, of Frankish sort.[19]
The adventures of these Swedish Vikings are commemorated on many runestones in Sweden, such
as the Greece Runestones and the Varangian Runestones. There was also considerable
participation in expeditions westwards, which are commemorated on stones such as the England
Runestones. The last major Swedish Viking expedition appears to have been the ill-fated expedition
of Ingvar the Far-Travelled to Serkland, the region south-east of the Caspian Sea. Its members are
commemorated on the Ingvar Runestones, none of which mentions any survivor. What happened to
the crew is unknown, but it is believed that they died of sickness.