The Germanic, Celtic, and Norse peoples, sometimes referred to as “barbarians,” were a less complex society than the “civilized” Greco-Roman culture. However, it was the Germanic tribes that absorbed the remnants of the Western Roman Empire. The Norse would also contribute to the development of Western Europe during the Middle Ages. We will take a closer look to see how the “barbarians”, once dominated by the Roman Empire, would eventually emerge as the dominant culture in Western Europe.