Vikings: Identity, Society, and Beliefs

• Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 explores the identity, society, beliefs, activities, and travels.

Sources on Vikings

• It can be difficult to trust them because Vikings were mainly an oral society and not everyone could read.

Who were the Vikings?

• The word "Viking" means either pirate or an area around Oslo.
• "Viking" can be used as a verb.
• Vikings were farmers, traders, fishermen, and raiders.
• They lived in Scandinavia between 700 and 1100 AD.
• Vikings were predominantly blond or red-haired.
• Viking men cared about their appearance, bathing at least once a week.
• Scandinavia, a cold part of Europe, was where Vikings lived.

Viking Family

• Life with Viking families had particular characteristics.

Viking Society

• Viking society had a social hierarchy.
• Viking Kings were the most powerful people in all of the land.
• Viking nobles / Jarls were rich landowners or traders, and employed men to work for them.
• Karls were everyday people like farmers and craft workers, that were neither as rich or important as Jarls.
• Thralls (enslaved people) were at the bottom of the hierarchy and did the hardest jobs; they would be killed if they tried to run away.
• Thralls could buy their freedom if they earned enough money.

Viking Laws

• Vikings had their own laws and system of government.
• People would gather to solve problems and make decisions at a meeting called a "Thing".
• People could vote on what should happen, such as determining land ownership or how to punish criminals.
• A judge that was known as a law-speaker oversaw all meetings and rulings.
• Laws were passed from person to person by word of mouth since Viking laws were not written down.
• People who broke the law became outlaws, and had to live in the wilderness, where anyone could hunt them down and kill them.
• Vikings could settle arguments with a fight known as a Holmgang, where whoever won the duel was seen as chosen by the gods.

Viking Religion

• Paganism was their belief system.

Viking Origin

• Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are Viking homelands.

Vikings Longhouses

• Vikings lived in longhouses.
• Viking longhouses were created in response to the harsh Scandinavian weather.
• A consequence of living in a longhouse was that it was smelly.

Vikings as Farmers

• Only a small proportion of the Vikings lived in towns.
• Most were farmers in small villages consisting of 6-7 farms.
• Farmers grew oats, barley, and wheat, used to make flour, porridge, and ale.
• The Vikings kept animals like cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens.
• They also ate fish.
• There were many positive consequences for those that lived on a Viking farm.

Vikings as Seafarers

• Central to their success on water was the longboat.
• Viking longboats had positive effects.

Vikings as Traders

• Vikings traded in Eastern Europe.

Viking Crafts

• Vikings created many amazing crafts.
• Vikings wore wool, silk, and linen.
• Textiles were dyed with plant materials.
• Craft materials included: Wood, bone, horn, leather, glass and pottery.
• Viking craft workers made plates, cups, belts, and shoes.
• Jewellers made rings and brooches from precious metals.
• Blacksmiths hammered red-hot iron into tools, knives, and swords.
• Potters baked clay pots in a wood fire oven.

Viking Navigation

• Vikings navigated by landmarks, the sun, the stars, winds, and sea currents.

Viking Travel

• Vikings were explorers that travelled to many parts of the world.
• They explored Britain, France, Spain, Italy, North Africa, Turkey, Iraq, North America, Greenland, and Newfoundland in Canada.