Vikings

[Roland]

Many modern researchers are interested in ordinary daily life of the Viking age people. The Vikings themselves did not leave written material for the after world, only some short inscriptions on the run stones. Archaeological remains are the best source for them, who are interesting in Vikings` every day life. Excavations in old viking villages, towns or trading places have revealed some information about their ordinary life.

 

During the Viking period the majority of the Scandinavian population were peasants. Farming and cattle breeding were supplemented by hunting, fishing and trading. The Vikings were very skilled in shipbuilding technology and they were able to sail further and faster than their contemporaries. However, only a part of the Vikings left their homes and sailed to distant countries. These travellers were not only warriors but also settlers, skilled tradesmen and craftsmen. The Viking traders often bought spices, silk, jewellery, silver, potter and glass. They also bought and sold slaves.

 

Customs and clothing..... http://www.finland.com/viking_myth.htm

A large museum exhibit in St. Paul, Minnesota (settled by many Norwegians, descendants of the Vikings), which displayed examples of Viking life and Viking history.

 

While the Vikings have a reputation as seafarers and plunderers, that was only a small portion of their lives and population. Most Vikings lived in mud-and-wattle houses or stone houses, raised animals, farmed, fished, and engaged in a variety of crafts. Interestingly, Vikings were extremely skilled goldsmiths, and made many necklaces, bangles, bracelets, and other ornamentation and devices. More broadly, there were skilled in all forms of metalsmithing, and made fine tools as well as weapons.

 

Not well known is that Vikings also traveled extensively over land, trekking all over Europe and well into western Asia. They were traders, not looters; and their home lives were greatly enhanced by a huge variety of trade goods they brought back from their wanderings.

 

Vikings were not all ruthless barbarians. They had a well-developed religion, laws, governments, social codes, and community lives. If fact, much of their raiding was against people whom they considered barbarians or at least inferiors, who had less need than they for the goods they stole. But keep in mind, raiding and plundering were only a very small part of the Viking life. Mainly they were farmers, craftsmen, fishermen, and traders.

Interestingly enough, in British history, there is only one recorded killing by a Viking. His name was Stephen who caught his wife in bed with another man and in the ensuring fight the man lost hi life. Stephen was executed.

Most Vikings actually died from a ‘Head Swelling’ disease they caught over here that caused their head to grow vastly and stifled their brain etc.

Indeed the Vikings were encouraged to come over here for the tradesmen skills.

Interestingly also given their’ terrain they lived in it was remarkable that they actually built such great ships and Sailed!

In fact they never wore Horns etc. nor were they the murdering marauding, raping invaders. This was the more the product of a great writer Sir Walter Scot, actually a Scotsman, that wrote under 5 psuedo names.

Just thought you might be interested….