1. A journey through time

2. Vikings - The Beginning The word Viking means one who lurks in a Vik or bay, in effect, a pirate. They originally lived in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. They were a great seafaring people, warriors, traders and colonists. Between about the mid 700 to 1150CEThe Vikings, or Norse, were a phenomenal race of Scandinavian warriors who raided Northern Europe, Eastern Asia, and Eastern North America. The exploits of the Norwegian Vikings lead them west to settle into Iceland in 860 and later to colonize Greenland about a hundred years later. The Swedish Vikings set out across the Baltic Sea into Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia. By the end of the first millennium the Vikings reached North America five hundred years before Columbus. They settled in England, Scotland and Iceland.They continued to explore and trade with the peoples of Europe 3. Vikings - Exploration The Vikings travelled to many countries in Europe and Asia They explored and traded with the peoples of these countries They settled in England, Scotland and Ireland 4. How do we know about the Vikings? Vikings left many traces of their settlements that are still visible today. Archaeology provides physical evidence of their conquests, settlements, and daily life. Not a lot of evidence survives, and much of what we have is either uninformative or unreliable. Many popular ideas of Vikings are 19th century inventions, such as horns on helmets. Few historical records and contemporary written sources exist anymore. Surviving accounts of Viking activity was almost exclusively written by churchmen. These included monastic chronicles such as the Anglo Saxon chronicle, Frankish, and Irish Annals. The chronicles reflect the fact that Vikings attacked these monasteries for their wealth and the accounts had a hostile tone to give a popular image of Viking atrocities. The Vikings were considered heathens for their invasions in monasteries and as a result were portrayed in the worst possible way. 5. One of the earliest Icelandic Manuscripts in Old Norse, the Viking language. 6. Write your name and a message using Norse language. 7. The Sagas Saga is a Norse word meaning tales. These writings provide almost all of the knowledge we have of the Vikings. There are about forty sagas that include descriptions of historical events in Iceland and voyages across the North Atlantic from Norway, Greenland and Vinland (Newfoundland). The sagas also have records of family history such as Erik the Red who founded Greenland, and his son Leif Erickson who discovered North America. The Sagas were compiled in the 13th and 14th century, and later based on stories that originated as early as 400 and 500 years before that. Archaeology is providing that a lot of these stories have a good basis of fact; in fact the Icelandic sagas were used to help find what might be the site of Vinland. 8. The Eddas There are also Norse oral religious traditions written as poems that are collectively named as Eddas. They are folktales. Eddas and Sagas werent written on paper. Instead on vellum-sheepskin or calf skin. Vellum is more resistant to rot and preserves much better than paper does. 9. What were their goals? Raids and loot were not the whole story of the Vikings. Land to farm was also a commodity. There were limited sources of food. They received influences from Europe that they saw as technologically and politically superior to their culture. Unlike many other invaders in history, the Vikings werent trying to spread their religion that was paganism, rather gain new resources and new connections. They wanted political and economical advantage. They had to find food, live off the land, and set up shop. They drove people out and took their money and other valuables they had. Vikings targeted the church and monasteries, which were the major sources of wealth at the time. 10. An accurate depiction of what a Viking looked like. 11. Ships and Navigation We know what their ships looked like because many Vikings were buried with their goods that sometimes included their boats. They had swift wooden long ships, equipped with sails and oars. Shallow drought of these ships meant they were able to reach far inland by river or stream to strike and move before local forces could assemble. Ships had overlapping planks, and measured between 17.5m and 36m in length. They were steered by a single oar mounted on the starboard side. Reached an average speed of 10 to 11 knots Crews of 25 to 60 men would be common, but larger ships could carry over a hundred people. Sea battles were rare. They fought close to shore. Ships were roped together in lines to face an enemy fleet. 12. The long ships or warships often had a dragons head carved on the prow to scare the enemy. Each boat could hold 50-60 warriors and were so fast and quiet in the water, their enemies were often taken by surprise 13. Battles and Tactics Vikings had no professional standing army and tactics and discipline seemed at little development. They didnt fight in regular formations Weapons training began at youth in hunting, sports, and raiding. Aspiring warriors wanted armed service so they clanged to famous fighters in order to be rewarded with weapons and fame of their own. A leader needed to wage war frequently in order to keep his followers and maintain power against rivals. In preparation for battle younger warriors would draw up a line with their shields to create a shield wall for better protection. Chiefs were well protected by a body guard. They would either capture and kill their enemies Many capturers would become slaves. The famous Berserker warriors fought in groups, and believed that Odin, their god of war, gave them both protection and superhuman powers so they had no need for armor. Berserker battles were intense and its said they bit on their shields and could ignore the pain of wounds. 14. Many experienced Vikings formed a wedge of 20 to 30 men and would then charge at the enemy. They fought mainly on foot. The largest armies may have been 4,000 to 7,000 men. After war Vikings would return to lives as farmers, merchants, craftsmen, or join other war-bands. 15. Offensive Weapons The main offensive weapons were the spear, sword, and battle-axe. They carried weapons not just for battle but also as a symbol of their owners class and wealth. Weapons were decorated with inlays, twisted wire and other accessories in silver, copper, and bronze. The spear was the common weapon with an iron blade 2m to 3m in length. Swords were a sign of high status because they were costly to make. The blades were usually double edged and up to 90cm. Many swords were given names. 16. Defensive Weapons There were circular shields up to one meter across that were carried. The shield may have been leather covered. Around 1000, the kite shaped shield was introduced to the Vikings to provide more protection for the legs. It was essential to wear thick padding underneath to absorb the force of blows or arrow strikes. Reindeer hide was used as armor. They used long tunics of mail armor reaching below the waist. They were not very protective. It took many hours to produce a shirt, making it very expensive. Its likely they were worn more by leaders. Helmets were probably worn by leaders as well. Horned helmets also took great skill to produce. 17. Conquests The first Viking raids were hit- and -run affairs. There was no coordination and long term plan behind them. The Vikings would later have more powerful forays and would have base camps where they would spend the winter. Vikings raided the British Isles and the Western portions of the Carolingian Empire in France. They conquered much of Northern England in the 9th century, and they established a kingdom in Ireland. In return for cash Vikings negotiated peaceful coexistence and conversion to whomever they attacked. Some leaders paid ransom to Viking armies. In 911 AD Charles III of France gave Normandy (French for territory of Norsemen) to the Viking leader Rollos who became a Christian. Vikings helped adopt the French language and organized a strong state in Normandy. During the same century a Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard created the Norman kingdom of Sicily. Maximum extent of the Islamic conquests, 7th - 11th centuries (Green). Areas ruled by the Vikings or Normans, 9th - 12th centuries (Brown). Carolingian Empire at the death of Charlemagne in 814 (Grey) 18. Other Acquired Territory The Vikings reached Iceland and it had become a settlement for Norwegians and Danes. 982 Erik the Red founded Greenland. Leif Erikson later landed on North America. The Vikings who went to the British Isles and continental Europe, were mostly from Denmark and Norway. The Swedes went beyond the Baltic away from Christian Europe into Russia, Constantinople, an Baghdad. The Swedish Vikings influenced the growth of the early Russian state around Kiev. The Slavic people called them Rus. They were ruled by Vikings for a long time that the land was named Russia. In Constantinople they helped form and were recruited as Varangian guards of the Byzantine emperors. Swedes were similar to all the other Vikings as they were soldiers, settlers, traders, and voyagers. 19. Timeline 789 -Vikings begin their attacks on England.800 800 -The Oseberg Viking longship is buried about this time 840 -Viking settlers found the city of Dublin in Ireland. 844 -A Viking raid on Seville is repulsed. 860 -Rus Vikings attack Constantinople (Istanbul). 862 -Novgorod in Russia is founded by the Rus Viking, Ulrich. 866 -Danish Vikings establish a kingdom in York, England. 871 -Alfred the Great becomes king of Wessex; the Danish advance is halted in England. 872 -Harald I gains control of Norway. 879 -Rurik establishes Kiev as the center of the Kievan Rus' domains. 886 -Alfred divides England with the Danes under the Danelaw pact. 900 -The Vikings raid along the Mediterranean coast. 911 -The Viking chief Rollo is granted land by the Franks and founds Normandy in France. 941 -Rus Vikings attack Constantinople (Istanbul). 981 -Viking leader Erik the Red discovers Greenland. 986 -Viking ships sail in Newfoundland waters. 991 -thelred II pays the first Danegeld ransom to stop Danish attacks on England. 995 -Olav I conquers Norway and proclaims it a Christian kingdom. 1000 -Christianity reaches Greenland and Iceland. 1000 -Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, explores the coast of North America. 1000 -Olav I dies; Norway is ruled by the Danes 1002 -Brian Boru defeats the Norse and becomes the king of Ireland. 1010 -Viking explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni attempts to found a settlement in North America. 1013 -The Danes conquer England; thelred flees to Normandy. 1015 -Vikings abandon the Vinland settlement on the coast of North America. 1016 -Olav II regains Norway from the Danes. 1016 -The Danes under Knut (Canute) rule England. 1028 -Knut (Canute), king of England and Denmark, conquers Norway. 1042- Edward the Confessor rules England with the support of the Danes. 1050 -The city of Oslo is founded in Norway. 1066 -Harold Godwinson king of England defeats Harald Hardrada king of Norway at the Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066 -William duke of Normandy defeats the Saxon king Harold at the Battle of Hastings. 20. Daily Life 21. Viking Men Boys were allowed to go into battle with their fathers when they were 16 years old. Men had to protect hisking or local chieftain in order for him to 'deserve' his lands. 22. Viking Women THE VIKING WOMAN The duty of the wife was to run the house in such a way that the family had enough food during the long and dark winter. She made butter, cheese, dried fish and meat and smoked fish and meat as well. She would also have knowledge about herbs in order to make medicine for ill or wounded family members. She was also the leader when the family held private religious rites inside the house. She had the duty to run the farm when her husband was out on trading tours, raids or went out to fish or hunt. If she was of a rich family she had slaves and servants to help her . As a visible sign of her power, she received the keys to the houses supply chests during her wedding. She carried the keys in a belt around her waist. The division between a womans and man's domain was established at the door step. The outside work belonged to the man and the inside work belonged to the woman. However, especially fit women could take on the cloth of armaments and be a warrior in the same way as the (Viking) men. These women were called skjoldm, which means "shieldgirl" - female warrior. 23. THE VIKING GIRLS Viking girls were married away when they where 12 to 15 years old. It was then expected that she would be able to run the housekeeping and do the work belonging to women at/on the farm. The arrangement of the wedding (to find who their son or daughter should marry) was the duty of the family chief. The Vikings looked at the marriage as an assurance of common help and protection between them. Normally the girl had no right to choose her husband according to her own desire. MARRIAGE DOWRY The girl brought with her bedclothes made of wool and linen, a loom and a bed as her contribution to the marriage agreement. Women from richer families could also bring with them jewelry of silver and gold, domestic animals and sometimes even a farm or a part of a farm. All the goods the woman brought with her into the marriage continued to be her personal belongings. The womans marriage dowry later became her childrens inheritance after her death. DIVORCE The Vikings considered the married woman as belonging to her childhood family. In this way she never became a complete member of her husbands family. If her husband treated her or the children badly or was too lazy to run the farm well, she could divorce from her husband. To get a divorce she would have to call a couple of witnesses and proclaim to them that she was divorced from her husband. First outside the threshold of the home and later beside the couples bed. After this the divorce was a fact. If the woman left her husband without good reason, the husband kept her property and her belongings. However, with the right to property, inheritance and divorce, the Viking woman had more rights than most women in the remainder of Europe during this period. THE CHILDREN Babies and small children automatically became the custody of the mother following a divorce. Older children were usually divided between their parents families - all according to the status of the respective families and how rich they were. The children were looked upon as legal members of the family and were protected by the law. In this way they had rights to their part of the inheritance after a divorce. THE POOR PEOPLE On small farms there was less of a division between a mans and a womans work. Without the ability to pay workers, buy slaves or pay servants, all the members of the family had to contribute as needed. This approach was necessary in order for the family to survive in the harsh Scandinavian climate. 24. Clothing Wool and linen Like most people in Europe at the time, the Vikings used wool more than anything else for making clothes. The Vikings brought sheep with them to the islands they settled in the North Atlantic for wool and meat. "The Faeroe Islands" even means "the Sheep islands". Clothes were spun and woven by the women. They also dyed the cloth with mineral and vegetable dyes of red, green, brown, yellow or blue. Linen was also used for clothes. How they dressed Viking Men Viking men first put on a long woolen shirt and long cloth trousers which were held up by a sash or a drawstring. On top of this was worn a sleeved jerkin or a three-quarter coat with a belt. On his feet he would wear socks and soft leather shoes or long leather boots. In battle he would wear an iron helmet and a mail-chain to protect himself. Viking Women Viking women wore a long linen dress. It could be either plain or pleated. Over the dress they wore a long woolen tunic, a little like an apron. It was held up by a pair of brooches, sometimes joined by a chain or string of beads. Over the tunic she might wear a shawl. Her legs and feet were covered with thick woolly socks and soft leather shoes. Both men and women wore fur or woolen hats and cloaks in cold weather. The cloaks were fastened at the shoulder with a brooch or a pin. 25. Clothing 26. Viking Houses 27. Viking Houses Only a few Vikings lived in towns. Most Vikings were farmers and lived in hall-like houses in small countryside villages near fjords or in valleys further inland. The Viking farm was very often placed on a hilltop with a very good view of the surrounding area. In this way they were able to quickly see friends or enemies who had arrived. The hall-like houses could be 10 to 100 feet long. (3 to 30 meters). The largest were sometimes up to 250 feet long. (83 meters). Often, the Viking house had only one room, but it could also be divided into a living quarters and a stable for the animals. In Norway, the Viking houses often were built of wood. When they used stave-construction technology, the walls would consist of upright planks, timber or staves standing side by side, with their ends sunk into the ground. However, in areas where little wood was available they also would use stone, earth and turf as buildings materials. Along the walls inside the house there were sitting and sleeping benches covered with fur or cloth. Beds were only used in rich families. A fireplace located in the middle of the room was the main source of light and heat. The smoke was vented through a hole in the roof. If they needed extra light they might use a lamp such as that shown to the right. These types of lamps were fueled with wax or blubber. Some Viking houses also had running water in them. They directed water from a river or a pond into a small channel which ran underneath the house. Inside the house the channel was covered by slabs of rock. When they needed water they just lifted up one of the rocks. Most Viking farms had a separate bath house which they used every Saturday - the Vikings bath day. If they lived near the sea they also had a ship-house, called "naust" in Norwegian, for their ships and small boats. 28. Viking Food 29. Viking Food The Vikings were able to have a varied diet, but they would periodically have problems meeting their needs. (There is good reason for the Vikings referring to February as the hunger month.) Their diet might consist of bread, porridge, fish, shellfish, seals and whales. Also, they might have meat from cows, sheep, goats, horses, chickens, pigs and wild animals in the area. Further, they would have access to milk, cheese, butter, apples, mushrooms, onions , berries, nuts, leek, seaweed and other sea herbs. The diet also included wild herbs . The Viking brewed beer and mead, and some of the rich Vikings could also have access to wine, which they procured while on trading tours or raids in Europe. The Vikings also used mushrooms, as intoxicants. 30. Viking Society Both men and women belonged to a social group that they were either married into or born into. Jarls were the chiefs and military leaders. Karls were the ordinary people. Thralls were the slaves. 31. Meeting Place 32. Viking Society Viking Society - A Self-Regulated Society Viking society was self-regulated. Law and order was based upon the Thing system, which had already been established via common-meetings dating to least 600 AD. The Thing had legislative and judiciary powers. Every free man had a duty to meet at the Things common-meetings, except men who farmed alone and were unable to leave their farm unattended. Also, women and handicapped people could attend the Thing. Among other items, the Vikings elected their King at the Thing. These common-meetings might last several days, therefore the Thing was also an occasion for a large marketplace and festival. The Vikings had no written laws. However, a man referred to as a "lovsigemann" - in English this means "law reader man" - opened the Thing by reading the laws, which he had memorized by heart. This was done to ensure that no one changed the laws. Every free man had to respect the law , including chieftains and the king. The Thing was a democratic constitution. Compared with the democracy of ancient Athens, which included only 10% of the inhabitants as citizens, the Viking system was more democratic. It included everybody as citizens, except the slaves and those exiled from society - the outlaws. Viking society was permeated by their religion, although the Vikings had no word for "religion". Instead they used the word "sir", which means custom or practice. However, the moral code in Viking society was not directly tied to having a belief in the gods. Social behavior was based upon an unwritten system of honor or code of ethics. Right and wrong, gender roles, sexual morality, daily life, the timing of festivals; in all these circumstances the free man was evaluated by standards of honor. A man of honor was a principled man. He was given to moderation, was hospitable and generous and offered a helping hand to friends in need. (Including aligning himself against his friends enemies). A man of honor also never forgot to be the foe of his enemy. This he did with all his heart. The opposite of honor was disgrace, and because every man lived his life as a member of an extended family-circle, he could easily bring disgrace to his entire family - including his forefathers. Therefore, it was intolerable for a free man to live in such a fallen state. If he was disgraced, he could only restore balance in his social system by confronting the source of his fall from an honorable status. Thus, revenge was an key component of this social system, a system which placed great importance upon maintaining personal honor. 33. The typical view of revenge was present in the old adage: "A slave takes revenge at once, a fool never takes revenge" . A good man, however, simply waited. He left his victim un accosted for a long time, up to several years. Then, just as retaliation seemed to be forgotten, one day he would suddenly attack his enemy with a masterful stroke - hard and inexorable. Through the ordeal of waiting the good man showed his strong character. This long waiting and the coolness of the fulfillment of the revenge may appear to us as cruel and heartless, but we have to remember that the threat of blood vengeance was the Viking society's only effective punishment. It was only through the good man's composed way of enforcing the revenge, that revenge became an genuine judicial authority, and not merely a primitive and vindictive act. There was, in other words, an ethical societal code in the private claim of a delayed and resolute revenge. The explanation for the frequent in-fighting within Viking society lies not with a lack of respect for the law among its members. Rather, the basis was provided by the tension of living in a society which placed a premium upon maintaining personal honor. Men therefore took the requisite action to maintain honor or ward off dishonor. Revenge was a mechanism employed by individuals or families to maintain a positive balance in their own lives. This is the background for the many bloody fights written about in the family-sagas and history books. By virtue of the conservative power of the family-circles who regulated the Thing system, its moral and ethics, Viking society was a self regulated society which was independent of the authority of a state. For example, in 800 AD approximately 30 chieftains (small kingdoms) resided within the boundaries of what is modern day Norway. 34. Trial by Ordeal This was when a person had committed a crime and had to perform a task to prove their innocence. In this scene the person would be required to hold the iron heated in the five for one minute. Three days the later the hand would be examined. If the hand was blistered the person was considered guilty and then it became death by hanging. 35. CLASS DISTINCTIONS IN THE VIKING PERIOD Materials found in tombs have shown us that there were class distinctions in the Viking period. The class your family-circle belonged to dictated the class you belonged to for your entire life. It was very rare that a person could transcend class distinctions. A persons individual life mattered little, as it was the class of the ancient lineage of his family which gave him his position and his rights and duties in society. It was the family who gave him this status. The family-circle was the center of his life. In the Viking society it was very important to ones self-esteem to be a free man. However, this was dependent upon the class you belonged to. In 185 in the Gulating law (which addresses violence) , we find seven classes of free men: Lysing, son of lysing, farmer, hauld, lendmann, earl and king. In Rigstula, a poem in Edda, we can read about how Rig (the god Heimdal ) visits families belonging to three classes during the Viking period. Rig stayed with each of the families for three days, sleeping with all three wives, and in this way became the father to all the classes of man. Rigstula is a poem that can inform us about the Vikings. The slave - or "trell", as the Vikings called him, is not mentioned in the law because they were not protected by the law. The slave was owned by his owner in the same way the owner owned his domestic animals. Slaves were looked upon as the owners property. The owner could buy and sell a slave, and he could treat his slave as he liked. If the owner killed one of his slaves, it was not considered as murder. If a free man killed another mans slave, the murderer only had to pay for a new slave. The price was nearly the same as that of a domestic animal. When a female slave bore a child, her child automatically became the property of her owner. If a pregnant slave was sold, her unborn child became the new owners property as well. Rigstula tells us that the slaves worked all the time. They collected wood, fertilized the fields, made fences, dug turf, bred pigs and made bast ropes. The slave family ate unwholesome and unappetizing food. According to the law, the only thing a slave was allowed to own was a knife. Slaves were often captured during Viking raids upon British islands, but a free Norwegian man could also become a slave, either by free will or by force. He might be forced into slavery if he wasnt able to pay the mulct ordained by the Thing or if he couldnt feed himself and his family. Some Vikings became rich by selling slaves to other tribes in Europe. The lysing , or bondsman, was a slave who had been set free by his owner, but who was still dependent upon and still owed duties to his former owner. A bondsman was allowed to purchase his freedom by hard work. 36. The lysings son represented a separate class, according to the Gulating law. The farmer was a free man with all available rights and duties in the Viking society. Rigstula tells that the farmers made looms, spun thread, plowed the fields, built houses and made fences and carts. Most people in the Viking society belonged to the farmer class. The Leiding, or tenant, was a man who rented or leased a farm. Payment for use of the farm involved giving some of the food to the owner. The tenant could be anyone from a former farm worker to a chieftain. However, as a free man he had all the pertinent societal rights and duties. A hauld was a freeholder. A man could not become a freeholder until his family had owned the farm as freemen for six generations. The Chieftain, Rigstula tells us, lived his life in luxury and owned 18 farms. The father made strings for the bow, while the mother adorned herself with jewels and dresses with blue ornaments. The son used the bow and arrow, sword, spear and shield. He rode horses, swam, trained dogs, learned the art of runes, went out in battles and conquered land. They also learned the songs of birds, played board games, tamed horses and made arrows and shields. The king and his men, the lendmann and earls, were classes which were added later in the Viking period. (The other classes mentioned above existed during the entire Viking period). Rigstula tells us that the king was a clever hunter and clever with weapons as well. But more importantly - he had magical abilities. He could save lives, stop storms, understand the birds, ease sorrows, give peace to the mind, stop fires, and was a rune master. The king could also ride a horse and draw the sword, vanquish enemies and travel out in Viking raids. The Viking raids were only organized by rich people, such as the chieftains family, the kings family or a very rich farming family. However, warriors might be recruited from the entire area. 37. Odin/Thor/Frey 38. Odin was the god of wisdom and law. He floated above the Earth and traveled on an eight legged horse. He only had one eye as the other was lost in the quest to find more knowledge. Thor was the god of thunder and lightening. He rode through the sky on a chariot. People asked Thor to protect them from evil. Frey was the god of harvest and fertility. Vikings believed when they died they would be reborn again and have another life. They were always buried with food and possessions to help them with their next life. Kings and queens were buried in ships and were then covered with dirt. Cremation was a popular form of burial. Some Vikings preferred a grave site marked with stones. 39. Entertainment Music was enjoyed by the Vikings. Flutes, harps and lyres were common. Indoor games were played during the cold winter months. Hnefatafl was similar to chess. Fishing, skating, skiing, wrestling and horse fighting provided outdoor entertainment. Poetry and storytelling were important to each Viking. 40. Leif Eriksson Leif Eriksson was Eric the Reds son. He was an explorer and became known as the first European to set foot in North America. He landed in Vinland that is now known as Newfoundland. The area had many vines and berries. 41. Eric The Red Eric the Red was named so after his red hair. He was accused of murder and banned from living in Iceland. He decided to explore and in doing so he became the founder of Greenland. He established a Viking community under his rule. 42. What happened to the Vikings? Vikings became citizens of many places in Europe. Many had become Christians back in their homelands. This lead to the downfall of the Norse religion and culture. Kings instituted taxes and the economy changed so that you could get along better off as a trader than a raider. The Viking invasions caused European kingdoms to be more centralized and focused. European kingdoms learned how to protect themselves and gain by trading and negotiating with the Vikings instead of battling them. 43. The Vikings Impact Many styles of the Viking ships were adopted by other European powers. The jury of English common law was a an outgrowth of Viking ideas about community obligations and sworn investigations. Signs of Viking influence are found in languages, vocabulary, and place-names of the areas they settled. They had an impact on medieval technology and trade, and was an important part of Europes development.