Viking Facts

Did You Know:
- Often, Vikings are depicted as sea-faring pirates and barbarians, but in actual fact, a víkingr is “an adventurer” and to go a vyking means “to go exploring”. In Old Norse, a man from vik is one who came from the fjörds.
- Vikings were farmers, sailors, and explorers.
- Vikings discovered North America around A.D. 980 well before Christopher Columbus.
- Vikings first arrived on the tip of Labrador in Newfoundland, Canada. Leif the Lucky established a colony there that he called `Leifsbidur’. Today, the site is a Canadian national historic park known as `L’Anse aux Meadows’.

On Viking Societal Structure:

- In Iceland, there were no kings. The Goði was the local chieftain who was the legal and administrative overseer. Allegiance to the Goði was voluntary and had to be earned.
- Land-owning farmers were next in social prominence. They had a voice in public affairs and could bear arms. Merchants were of the same class as land-owning farmers.
- The “freemen” who did not own land were farmhands, servant-women, and fishermen. Some were tenants who paid an annual rent to the land-owning farmer.
- Thralls or slaves did not have rights. They belonged to their master, the landowner.
- The Greenland Vikings met at a yearly gathering called the `Althing’ where perpetrators of crimes were tried, where marriage contracts were announced, and where the business of running a Viking settlement was determined.

The Role of Women and Female Rights:

-Viking women had some rights and freedoms. Typically, they managed family finances and ran the family farm.
- Viking women married as young as 12 years old. Marriages were arranged by the father of the household for political, social, and financial advantage. Once married, the woman was under the authority of her husband.
-Marriage ceremonies were steeped in ritual. The groom was expected to pay a “bride price” on the morning after the wedding, paying for the bride’s virginity.
-Women could inherit property, request a divorce, and could reclaim their dowries if their marriage failed. As widows, they could be rich and important landowners.

Religion:

-The Vikings were polytheistic. Norse mythology formed the basis of the Vikings’ belief systems. It was common for them to worship pagan gods through sacrificial offerings.
-The greatest god was Óðin. He was the god of wisdom, poetry, war and magic. Two ravens – Huginn and Muninn – symbolically represent Óðin. Óðin was one-eyed, having sacrificed his other eye for wisdom.
- Valkyries were Óðin’s handmaidens. There were twelve of them. They escorted slain warriors from the battlefield to the afterlife.
-Another powerful god, Thór, drove about the heavens in a chariot harnessed with two goats. He brought with him thunder and bolts of lightning. His symbol was the hammer.
-Frigga was the goddess of marriage, love, and destiny. Freyja was the goddess of sensual love and fertility. Often, she was invoked during child birth.
-Loki, the Trickster god, played many nasty tricks on the gods. In one Norse myth, he is blamed for the death of Baldur, son of Frigga and Odin.
-There were many other male and female gods. The Vikings also believed in giants, monsters, and river fairies.

Death:

-After death, the Vikings believed that the souls of the dead traveled to different places depending on how the person died.
-The most honourable way to die was in battle. Valhalla (Old Norse Valhöll) was reserved for warriors and it was “the hall of the fallen”. Valhalla was believed to be a beautiful banquet hall in Asgard, the home of the gods. To gain entrance, Óðin’s handmaidens, the Valkyries, came to collect the souls of the fallen warriors.
-Helgafjell was known as the ‘holy mountain’. It was an afterlife reserved for Viking men and women who did not die in battle. For example, those who died of sickness or those who died of old age were eligible to enter Helgafjell.
-Helheim was ruled by the goddess Hel. Viking souls would spend an eternity in Helheim if they died dishonourably.
-After death, Viking bodies were either cremated or sent out to sea on a barge that was set on fire.
-The corpse would be buried with clothes and jewellery, favorite possessions and sometimes even animals and living thralls.

Tamara Goranson – World of the Vikings

Did You Know:

- Often, Vikings are depicted as sea-faring pirates and barbarians, but in actual fact, a víkingr is “an adventurer” and to go a vyking means “to go exploring”. In Old Norse, a man from vik is one who came from the fjörds.

- Vikings were farmers, sailors, and explorers.

- Vikings discovered North America around A.D. 980 well before Christopher Columbus.

- Vikings first arrived on the tip of Labrador in Newfoundland, Canada. Leif the Lucky established a colony there that he called `Leifsbidur’. Today, the site is a Canadian national historic park known as `L’Anse aux Meadows’.

On Viking Societal Structure:

- In Iceland, there were no kings. The Goði was the local chieftain who was the legal and administrative overseer. Allegiance to the Goði was voluntary and had to be earned.

- Land-owning farmers were next in social prominence. They had a voice in public affairs and could bear arms. Merchants were of the same class as land-owning farmers.

- The “freemen” who did not own land were farmhands, servant-women, and fishermen. Some were tenants who paid an annual rent to the land-owning farmer.

- Thralls or slaves did not have rights. They belonged to their master, the landowner.

- The Greenland Vikings met at a yearly gathering called the `Althing’ where perpetrators of crimes were tried, where marriage contracts were announced, and where the business of running a Viking settlement was determined.

On Viking Lifestyle:

- Vikings were known for their excellent hygiene. They even used ear spoons to remove wax build-up!

- Average life expectancy was about 40 years.

- Vikings enjoyed playing board games and listening to stories and songs in their free time.

- A favorite game was Hnefatafl, a game of strategy similar to chess.

The Role of Women and Female Rights:

-Viking women had some rights and freedoms. Typically, they managed family finances and ran the family farm.

- Viking women married as young as 12 years old. Marriages were arranged by the father of the household for political, social, and financial advantage. Once married, the woman was under the authority of her husband.

-Marriage ceremonies were steeped in ritual. The groom was expected to pay a “bride price” on the morning after the wedding, paying for the bride’s virginity.

-Women could inherit property, request a divorce, and could reclaim their dowries if their marriage failed. As widows, they could be rich and important landowners.

Religion:

-The Vikings were polytheistic. Norse mythology formed the basis of the Vikings’ belief systems. It was common for them to worship pagan gods through sacrificial offerings.

-The greatest god was Óðin. He was the god of wisdom, poetry, war and magic. Two ravens – Huginn and Muninn – symbolically represent Óðin. Óðin was one-eyed, having sacrificed his other eye for wisdom.

- Valkyries were Óðin’s handmaidens. There were twelve of them. They escorted slain warriors from the battlefield to the afterlife.

-Another powerful god, Thór, drove about the heavens in a chariot harnessed with two goats. He brought with him thunder and bolts of lightning. His symbol was the hammer.

-Frigga was the goddess of marriage, love, and destiny. Freyja was the goddess of sensual love and fertility. Often, she was invoked during child birth.

-Loki, the Trickster god, played many nasty tricks on the gods. In one Norse myth, he is blamed for the death of Baldur, son of Frigga and Odin.

-There were many other male and female gods. The Vikings also believed in giants, monsters, and river fairies.

Death:

-After death, the Vikings believed that the souls of the dead traveled to different places depending on how the person died.

-Helgafjell was known as the ‘holy mountain’. It was an afterlife reserved for Viking men and women who did not die in battle. For example, those who died of sickness or those who died of old age were eligible to enter Helgafjell.

-Helheim was ruled by the goddess Hel. Viking souls would spend an eternity in Helheim if they died dishonourably.

-After death, Viking bodies were either cremated or sent out to sea on a barge that was set on fire.

-The corpse would be buried with clothes and jewellery, favorite possessions and sometimes even animals and living thralls.