viking society how do we know about viking society? settlement of iceland –living conditions...
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Viking SocietyViking Society
How Do We Know About Viking Society?How Do We Know About Viking Society? Settlement of IcelandSettlement of Iceland
– Living ConditionsLiving Conditions– EconomyEconomy
The Sagas and Viking Age IcelandThe Sagas and Viking Age Iceland Social Structure in IcelandSocial Structure in Iceland System of JusticeSystem of Justice Blood FeudBlood Feud Family SagasFamily Sagas
How do We Know About How do We Know About Viking Society?Viking Society?
Archaeological RecordArchaeological Record– Burial sitesBurial sites– Imports and exportsImports and exports
Place NamesPlace Names– ““-by”-by”– ““Pedersturp”Pedersturp”– ““-Thorp-Thorp
Oral and Print CultureOral and Print Culture– Fluidity of oral cultureFluidity of oral culture– Greater fixity of print Greater fixity of print
cultureculture– Christianity as religion of Christianity as religion of
the bookthe book SagasSagas
– Wealth of informationWealth of information– ““Textual” characterTextual” character
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Iceland is major source of information about the Viking Age
Settlement of IcelandSettlement of Iceland Isolated settlements of Irish Isolated settlements of Irish
monks in islands of North monks in islands of North Atlantic 700-800Atlantic 700-800
Settlement of Iceland 870-930Settlement of Iceland 870-930– Flleing Harald the Fairhaired’s Flleing Harald the Fairhaired’s
Unification of NorwayUnification of Norway– 10-20,000 settlers10-20,000 settlers– Taking of fertile landTaking of fertile land
Who came to Iceland?Who came to Iceland?– Scandianavians and CeltsScandianavians and Celts– Chieftains Chieftains – Genetic studiesGenetic studies
Establishment of Establishment of AlthingAlthing 930 930– Annual meetingAnnual meeting– Recitation of lawsRecitation of laws– Settlement of disputesSettlement of disputes– Least hierarchy in IcelandLeast hierarchy in Iceland
Thingvöllr: Site of original Althing
Living Conditions in IcelandLiving Conditions in Iceland Living Conditions in IcelandLiving Conditions in Iceland
– Poor ResourcesPoor Resources Volcanic RockVolcanic Rock Lack of woodLack of wood Severity of ClimateSeverity of Climate
– FoodFood Dairy farmingDairy farming Problem of preservationProblem of preservation
– ClothingClothing IsolationIsolation Relative lack of resourcesRelative lack of resources
EconomyEconomy– Barter and MoneyBarter and Money
Foreign tradeForeign trade Domestic agricultureDomestic agriculture
– Sources of wealthSources of wealth WoolWool Dairy productsDairy products WoodWood Luxury itemsLuxury items
Typical Viking-age long house
Wool: Source of wealth
Sagas as Historical SourcesSagas as Historical Sources Saga are the narratives about Saga are the narratives about
Icelandic society and its Icelandic society and its mythology written down in mythology written down in Christian Iceland during the 12Christian Iceland during the 12thth and 13and 13thth centuries centuries
Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241)Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) Sagas of the Icelanders(Family Sagas of the Icelanders(Family
Sagas)Sagas)– Njal’s SagaNjal’s Saga– Egil’s SagaEgil’s Saga
Edda Edda PoemsPoems– Poetic EddaPoetic Edda (Old) (Old)– Prose EddaProse Edda (Young) (Young)– Skaldic verseSkaldic verse
Learned SagasLearned Sagas– Icelanders’ BookIcelanders’ Book– HeimskringlaHeimskringla
Other formsOther forms– Legendary sagas (Volsung’s Saga) Legendary sagas (Volsung’s Saga) – Saints livesSaints livesVellum manuscript
page of saga
System of JusticeSystem of Justice Social HierarchySocial Hierarchy
– GoGoðði (Cheiftain)i (Cheiftain)– Thingman (Backer)Thingman (Backer)– BondBondðrðr (Farmer) (Farmer)– SlaveSlave
The stakesThe stakes– Personal fortunePersonal fortune– HonorHonor– Relative flexibilityRelative flexibility
AssembliesAssemblies– Althing (930-1271)Althing (930-1271)
National summer assemblyNational summer assembly LawspeakerLawspeaker LögréttaLögrétta
– VarthingVarthing Local assemblies of spring and Local assemblies of spring and
fallfall– ProsecutionProsecution– DebtDebt
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Historical Icelandic Farm Site
Wergild SystemWergild System Amoral but pragmatic Amoral but pragmatic
system based on system based on compensationcompensation
Price of a lifePrice of a life Legal recourseLegal recourse
– Oral lawOral law– DeclarationDeclaration– WitnessesWitnesses– ProsecutionProsecution
AdvocacyAdvocacy– Devolved social systemDevolved social system– RespectRespect– StatusStatus
Outlaw statusOutlaw status
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19th-century version of Njal from Njal’s Saga
Blood FeudBlood Feud Causes of Blood FeudCauses of Blood Feud
– Territorial disputeTerritorial dispute– Murder and blood Murder and blood
moneymoney– Dowries and Dowries and
inheritancesinheritances– SatisfactionSatisfaction– MobilizationMobilization
Godi and thingmenGodi and thingmen– Rising and falling Rising and falling
fortunesfortunes– Restraint in violenceRestraint in violence– Long-term Long-term
consequencesconsequences
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Outlaw Grettir Asmundarson from Grettir’s Saga illuistration
The Family SagasThe Family Sagas Njal’s SagaNjal’s Saga most famous of family most famous of family
sagassagas ThemesThemes
– Honor, fortitude, heroismHonor, fortitude, heroism– Farmers and slaves, not kings and Farmers and slaves, not kings and
princesprinces– Contrast to Epic and RomanceContrast to Epic and Romance
StyleStyle– TerseTerse– Focus on actual social types (genealogy) Focus on actual social types (genealogy)
rather than psychological experiencerather than psychological experience Typical plotTypical plot
– Introduction of daily life in contextIntroduction of daily life in context– Conflict emerges out of daily lifeConflict emerges out of daily life
MarriageMarriage PropertyProperty JealousyJealousy
– Tragic consequencesTragic consequences– Potential for FeudPotential for Feud
Brattahlíð, site of Eirik the Red’s colony in southwestern Greenland
ConclusionConclusion
Maintenance of “Viking” society in Maintenance of “Viking” society in settlement society, Icelandsettlement society, Iceland
So What? Relatively undisturbed So What? Relatively undisturbed preservation of unique Viking heritage, preservation of unique Viking heritage, which provides knowledge of Viking periodwhich provides knowledge of Viking period
Sagas as historical record and compelling Sagas as historical record and compelling medieval literature, from which we can medieval literature, from which we can learn about Viking societylearn about Viking society
Insight into Viking-age, pagan societyInsight into Viking-age, pagan society