Vikings 101

Vikings founded earldoms and kingdoms from the Thames to the Volga.  
They dominated Russia and gave it its name.  
They crossed the Atlantic Ocean 500 years before Columbus.
Several days of the week are named after their gods: 
Wednesday = Woden's Day, Thursday = Thor's Day, Friday = Frigg's Day
Many great noble houses and rulers were of Viking origin. e.g. William the Conquerer

The Vikings were greatly feared.  They slew unarmed monks, looted sanctuaries, plundered
libraries.  What they could not carry off, they wantonly burned.  People throughout Europe
prayed this popular prayer, "From the fury of the Northmen deliver us, O Lord!"

The term "Viking" is actually a verb meaning to "go viking", meaning to embark on an
expedition of piracy and plunder.

The Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes spoke a common language, shared a common culture and knew
little of the world outside Scandinavia.  There was a marked population explosion and an
increase in place names, but the land couldn't support any more people, thus they took to
their ships, Southward.

"The good farmer Gulle had five sons;
 At Fyrus fell Asmund, the unfrightened warrior,
 Assur died out east of Greece,
 Halvdan was in duel slain,
 Kare died at Dundee, dead is Boe too."

Originally Northmen had gone viking only in summer, but in mid-9th century many wintered
at river mouths and went inland the following summer.

Adam of Bremen's account. p.223 The Vikings, by Johannes Brondsted

DANES:
They amass much gold by piracy, often treacherous to their own countrymen.  
"As soon as one has caught his neighbor, he sells him ruthlessly as a slave."
Danish laws and customs contain much which conflicts with justice and reason.
e.g. If women have been unchaste they are sold off at once, but if men are found guilty
     of a crime, they prefer to be beheaded rather than flogged.
They detest tears and lamentations and all other expression of grief.

SWEDES:
gold, silver, furs - all riches mean nothing to them.  
Only for women that they show no moderation; every man has 2, 3 or more wives at a time.  
The wealthy and noble have many.  
Sons of all these wives are considered legitimate.  
The death penalty is invoked if: one has intercourse with a neighbor's wife, or rapes a 
virgin, or plunders a neighbor's property, or does him an injury.  
Exceptionally noted for their hospitality.
Swedes are made up of several tribes, ruled by kings of ancient lineage, 
but unity is in the people's decisions.

NORWEGIANS:
They manage to live off their livestock.
They attack more often than they are attacked, for they have rougher harvests and weather.  
They greatly appreciate simplicity and moderation in food as well as habits.
Their good habits are marred only by the greed of their priests.  
Herdsmen are highly esteemed, living as patriarchs.

Main activities included agriculture, cattle-breeding, hunting, and fishing.  These
predominated most activities because of the harsh climate.  They also did iron working.

Principal activities of hunting and fishing.  
More recently agriculture, cattle-breeding, and finally, trading.  
The most important agricultural implement was the plough, which they had several varieties.  

The practice of agriculture was closely connected with fertility beliefs and rites.
e.g. Ploughmen and oxen are given strong "phallic" emphasis as the ploughshare drives
     into the fertile womb of mother earth.
e.g. Swedish farmers, at beginning of spring, along with their wives, eat and drink in the
     company of their plough horses and the plough, out in the fields.

Other implements include the sickle, scythe, knife, spade, and hoe.

Domestic animals include horse, ox, sheep, goat, pig, dog, and cat.

Principal forms of commerce involve furs and slaves.

from the Rigspula (The Song of Rig)

THRALL (hard worker)
"the skin on his hands was wrinkled, his knuckles swollen, his nails short, his face ugly, 
 his fingers coarse, his back bent, and his heels long."

PEASANT (free-man, skilled worker)
"red and fresh and bright eyed.  He loves his work: breaking-in oxen, making ploughs and 
timber houses, raising barns, building carts, and following the plough.  
Along comes a bride for him with the keys of the house, wearing a goat-skin jacket."

JARL (Earl, noble)
"wrapped in silks.  Blonde was his hair, his cheeks bright, his eyes piercing as a young serpent's.  
He make bows, rides horses, hunts with the hounds, is a fine swordsman and swimmer.
Learns runes and owns estates."

Peasant class was the solid backbone of the Viking people.
In the earl and peasant classes, women enjoyed high esteem and full freedom.
Killing a thrall was not a major crime.

In primary sources, it is almost entirely missing.

Viking law was based upon the proceedings of the institution called the Thing.
The Thing was a gathering of free men of age and quality to bear arms who met to put the
law into effect, pronounce judgements, and discuss community matters.

The law was handed down orally from generation to next, and was the responsibility of the 
older members of the Thing to remember and uphold it.

Punishment based on a scale of compensatory payments:
full penalty - killing a man or chopping off his nose.
1/2 - for poking out an eye.
1/4 - for an ear.

Judgement delivered by the members of the Thing, but enforcement was sometimes a
difficult matter.

Complicated disputes were often decided by duels.

Outlaws were isolated, shunned, and deprived of rights.  
They had two choices: flee the country or death.

Furnished with tables and chairs, tablecloths and plates, spoons and knives, but NOT forks.

They had two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.

Board games were very popular.
Chess is documented; story of chess game between Cnut the Great and Earl Ulf.
Other games include 'draughts' and 'fox-and-geese'.

During peacetime, a Viking had a strong liking for family.
Marriages were arranged by agreement between families.
Family was a powerful unit within a community.
A man stuck to his family in all circumstances.
Friendship between others was also encouraged.

The hazardous conditions of Viking life also brought about great caution:
"Praise not the day until evening has come, a woman until she is burnt, a sword until it
is tried, a maiden until she is married, ice until it has been crossed, 
beer until it has been drunk."

Vikings had a fondness for descriptive nicknames:  
Harold Bluetooth, Harald Finehair, Magnus the Good, Thorkel the Tall, 
Ragnar Lodbrok ('with hairy trousers')