The Vikings ways of life is considered by many people in the modern world to be one of a people who were nothing more than robbers, kidnappers and ruthless murderers. However Vikings were also explorers, tradesman, and much more. They enjoyed such things as swimming, wrestling, skiing and ice-skating. They even enjoyed the sounds of good music, tunes played out on a harp.
The Vikings Age
In Europe Vikings ruled and caused havoc across the land. Ruthlessness and cruel dealings are the markings of the Vikings. However, the tyrants were also civil at times when it came to the business of trading and becoming colonized. Although the Vikings set up rule all over Ireland and Scotland, Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan set up a Viking kingdom in England during the mid 800’s.
Who Were the Vikings?
The Vikings originated out of such Scandinavian countries as Sweden, Norway and Denmark. They were "the masters of the sea", for they loved sailing and they constructed their own ships. These bands of sailors consisted of men who were merely farmers, trappers, anglers and traders. They invaded towns and villages, took them over and renamed them. The new name reflected that the captured town and villages were now Viking territory. Some of these name changes are still present today in Britain, bearing the Viking language. The first Viking invasion took place off the coast of North Umbria, back in the year of 793 AD.
Viking Runes
The Vikings had their own unique way of doing things. One unique factor that stands out is the way they wrote down information. They did not use a pen; pencil and paper, what they had at their disposal were chisels. They used this item to carve out symbols. The symbols used, represented their alphabet system. These scrawling words etched out on stone, metal and wood are the Viking runes. For the Vikings, this method preserved important information such as items bought and sold. Runes are an important part of the Vikings beliefs, for they believed that runes had magical and spiritual powers. Runestones can still be found today. Many runestones were erected in order to preserve the memory of a fallen comrade.
Viking Warriors/Berserkers
The Viking warriors were some of the most vicious men in battle. One particular group of savage raiders was the Berserkers. Their beastly style of fighting and their attitude while in battle set these men apart from the other fighting warriors. They approached battle as if they were possessed and not in control of their senses and faculties. In battle, they acted like wild beasts, thinking that their only purpose is to kill. However, to have this title of a Berserker, young boys would have to go through an initiation process where they would dance and fight an imaginary bear. When under the trance, the whole idea is for the young men to take on the spirit of the werewolf and put terror in the eyes of enemies. They had to prove that they were ruthless without feelings and capable of being inhuman.
Viking Weapons
During battle, Viking warriors would attack and raid villages. They used weapons such as spears, battle-axes, swords and bow and arrows. The kind of weapon a Viking carried showed his status in the community. It reflected just how wealthy the individual was. Most weapons of those with money and status had their arms such as spears and swords decorated with elaborate decorations.
Viking Ships
Just as the Vikings enjoyed menacing take-overs, they also enjoyed building ships, which were their mode of transportation when they invaded villages located off the shorelines. Being the masters of the sea, they had to have something big and strong to carry supplies, treasures and stolen possessions. They were the master ship builders, building boats of all sizes. However, the water vessel that they are most famous for are the war ships, better known as the long ships. These ships were made of wooden planks, carved from oak. The ships were narrow and long, and they skimmed the top surface of waterways when they sailed; propelled by oars or the sails that caught the wind. They used the long ships in making raids; while the cargo ships which they made hauled goods and supplies.
Viking Mythology
During the time of the Vikings, their religious beliefs consisted of idols, performing sacrifices and worshipping many gods. They participated in pagan rituals. In Viking mythology, there was a sacred tree called the Yggdrasil, which gave protection and bought luck to those who assembled there for worship and giving a sacrifice. Yggdrasil was nick named the world tree and it was the main attraction in Viking mythology. It stood beside a temple in Uppsula and regardless of the season, the leaves always remained green. This mysterious tree had several inhabitants, a squirrel, a snake, a golden cock and some other mystifying creatures. The Vikings believed that at the end of the cosmos, a fire giant would emerge and set the world tree on fire.
Famous Vikings
One of the famous named Vikings is that of Leif Ericsson. He was a Viking turned Christian. Young Leif also known as Ivan the Red was a Viking explorer. He was always looking for new land that was unoccupied. After his exile from Iceland, he and his crew of men set out to find a new area of land. What he found was Greenland, which he named himself. Leif and his brother Thorvald enjoyed travelling, sailing the seas in search of new areas to populate. Thorvald is the first European Viking buried in America.
Everyday Life of Vikings
The Viking society consisted of several classes of people. The wealthy and elite were the upper class known as Jarls. The next class to follow was the Karls, or the middle class who were farmers and artisans, people with a trade or a skill that they used to make a living. The people of low class were slaves, also known as the Thralls. Women and children made up the slave population, especially when captured during battles. The Vikings dined on bread, pudding cabbage and ate a lot of cod and herring. They were meat eaters, making dishes with pork, beef, geese and chicken. Their humble abodes were one-room houses made of wood. They had no luxuries, just plain wooden chairs for eating and relaxing. Beds were for the wealthy, everyone else slept on mattresses and benches. Their homes were cold, dark, smoking and very uninviting. Compared to what we have today, their living arrangement was uncomfortable and crude.
The Vikings worked to survive and raised families. They lived in societies and like people of today, the Viking amused themselves playing board games and chess. They also loved storytelling.