Daily Life:

The Viking were, first and foremost, farmers. They were also craftsmen, raiders, pagans and
traders (of timbers, furs walrus ivory, amber and slaves).
Farmers: Viking winters were very cold and long. Most Vikings lived in family
groups on farms. Most Vikings lived in the south as it was warmer and had more
suitable climates for farming there. The Vikings grew spelt wheat, cabbages, peas and
livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs and caribou).
Eating: Vikings ate fish, (as shown by the fish bones found at excavations of Viking
villages), wild game duck, hare and deer (also shown by excavations) wild berries, ,
meat and fish (that was preserved to last though winter via preservation (methods of
such include salting, drying, and salting).
Shelter: The Vikings built longhouses, sheltering both animals and people in the
early period, but later, the animals moved to outhouses. Such shelters were made of
stone walls, but only when wood was not available. Some houses were covered in
turf, but each house had a central fireplace. It was very smoky inside a Viking home.
Society: In Viking society, land, family and farming were very important. Position
was decided by land ownership- positions were Kings, Jarls (the aristocracy), Karls
(freemen) and thralls (unfree men or slaves).
Their political system was called the Thing and was the national assembly of all free
men. The name was derived from the Norse word for round hill and it was run by
law speakers.
Ships:
The knarr, Dreker, Karve and Faering
Knarrs-Viking ships called knarrs where used for trade because of their ability to
hold up to 35 tonnes. They were short, wide and well built. They allowed the Vikings
to travel far and through rough rapids.
Drekers (longships)- Used for battle, trading, commerce and exploration during the
time of the Vikings. Made out of wood and had a cloth flag with many carvings and
symbols on the hull. It was described as a graceful, long, light and narrow boat
designed for speed. These characteristics would have helped the Vikings have an
element of surprise when attacking and made exploration easier.
Karves- Karves were a type of tiny Viking ship similar to the knarr. They were used
for human transport, the movement of livestock and other goods. Because they were
able to navigate in very shallow water, they were also used for coasting. Karves had
broad beams of approximately 17 feet (5.2 m).
Faerings- Open boats with two pairs of oars, commonly found in most boat-building
traditions in Western and Northern Scandinavia and dating back to Viking era
Scandinavia.
Gods and Legends:
Odin was the main Viking god (sometimes called the All-Father because he was the
father of all the gods). He was worshipped by the others, even though there were
powerful themselves. He was the wisest, and, according to a Viking story, he got all
his knowledge as he drank from the fountain of Mimir.
The god Thor was the most powerful god and son of Odin. He used a weapon called
Miolnir, which was a hammer that was the finest weapon among all living things.
Along with wearing a belt that increased his strength, he wore a pair on iron gloves.
Without these gloves, he could not use his hammer. When all used at once, these
pieces of equipment doubled Thors strength.
The god Loki was said to be good looking, but very mischievous and devious. He had
the ability to shape shift.
Loki became Odins blood brother and was accepted into the ranks of the gods. He
sometimes helped them, becoming well trusted (one good example of this is when
Thor lost his hammer to the Giants, and Loki helped him get his it back)- but the gods
couldnt fully trust him, as he was always switching sides.
A Valkyrie, from Norse mythology, was one of the female hosts who decided which
soldiers died in battle and which ones stayed alive. The Valkyries took half of the
soldiers who died in barrle to the hall of the slain, in the afterlife, which was ruled
over by Odin.
The Vikings believed in some mythical things at their time. The major thing they
believed in were the gods. They would sometimes sacrifice animals to them. They
also believed that there were nine worlds inhabited by different creatures. All of these
worlds were connected by a tree called Yggdrasil. The Vikings also belived that the
world would end one day, and called the end Ragnark in old Norse
Ragnarok was the doom of the gods and the humans. It was claimed to be the final
battle between the Aesir and Jotuns. The battle was said take place on the plains
called Vigrid. They also believed in dwarves, giants and elves.
The Vikings in England:
o The Anglo-Saxons suffered numerous Viking raids during the late 8
th
and early 9
th

centuries. The surprise raids (conducted by no more than 3 longships at a time)
focused on coastal monasteries and towns during Spring and Summer. The nature of
Viking attacks changed in the 840s with more and more raids with fleets of up to 300
ships.
o 786AD- In 786AD, the Saxons were spread out all over England, until the Vikings
attacked from the North-East. The Vikings significantly damaged the monasteries and
monks, and then, satisfied, returned to Scandanavia.
The great army:
o lla of Northumbria captured the Viking leader Ragnar Lodrok, and threw him in a
pit of poisonous snakes (according to the famous Viking source, Ragnars Saga.
Ragnars 3 sons landed in Northumbria with thousands of warriors (the Great Army)
and looted from and killed its people in revenge. By 874AD,Northumbria, East
Anglia and Mercia had been conquered by the VIkings, only to be stopped by King
Alfred of Weesex.
The Danelaw:
o King Alfred signed a treaty with the Vikings giving a large portion of England to the
Danes (the area was known as the Danelaw). It was a prosperous and flourishing
kingdom, but its wealth meant it was prone to Viking attacks.The Danelaw ended in
954 when Danelaws King Erik Bloodaxe was driven out.
Viking Kings;
o Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark conquered all of England in 1013.
o Sweyns son Canute reigned from 1016-1035,. and Canutes sons Harald and
Harthacanute (died without heir) reigned from 1040-1042.
o Edward the Confessor (an English Prince) followed, died, and was replaced in 1066
by Harald Hardrada (Norway), Harold Godwinson (earl of Essex) and William (duke
of Normandy in France). The Witna gave the crown to Harold Godwinson.
o Harald Hardrada inaded England with a fleet of 300 ships and took the army North to
meet GOdwinson, who killed Hardrada in battle. Meanwhile, William wanted to take
the crown (as he was related to Edward the confessors mother, was promised to
thake the crown (by Edward) and Godwinson had promised tosupport his claim after
being helped by him when shipwrekcked in 1064. William set up camp in Hastings, a
battle lasting all day was fought, Godwinson was killed and William was king,
crowned on Christmas Day.
o Bayeux Tapestry- a long piece of embroidered cloth made by English embroiderers
on the orders of the Normans. It shows the events leading up to the Norman invasion
of England in 1066, and is a piece of Viking propaganda.