Viking women often managed parts of the farms, often tending to the animals. Viking women were strong and wise, they did not fight but often held the keys to the homes, organising and ensuring that daily life ran smoothly. In old Norse times, the women were not only wives, daughters and mothers, they were also responsible for many things in their society.
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They would work together, build political systems and structures for their communities. Those that did meet their end in this fashion would live out the afterlife in Valhalla, or Folkvangr, both desirable realms to end your days in.ĭespite the violence and war in Norse times, the Viking men were also in many ways very civilised. In this way Viking men were rewarded for their bravery, should they die in battle it was considered a honourable way to die. Viking men were concerned with their reputation, they were often travellers, fighters, farmers and tradesmen who took pride in their skills.Ĭonflict, wars, and raids were all a part of life, and for Viking men to fight was to please their gods. To be a Viking man meant you would have to be brave, enjoy fighting, and have a taste for ale. This helped to build the busy trade that the Vikings carried out, their travel and love of metals and far flung goods meant they were some of the busiest and daring traders of the time. Of course the Vikings didn't just travel on raids, they were also prolific traders, travelling across the oceans to find precious metals, fabrics and other worldly items that were not available in their native Scandinavia. This led to the Vikings populating various island and countries, Iceland, Greenland, Scottish Islands and Ireland and England. Other Vikings preferred settling down and living a stationary life. Many Vikings went hunting and searched for treasure in foreign lands. Of course the Vikings went much further afield, into Finland, Russia, Spain and France among other countries, and as they grew more confident their travels led them even further.ĭuring the Viking period many of the Vikings left Scandinavia and travelled to other countries such as Britain and Ireland. At the end of the 8th Century AD was when the Viking first starting their legendary raids, on England, Scotland and Ireland. It was in around 700 AD when the old Norse language became commonplace, replacing the previous more primitive version.
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The Viking age in European history ran from around AD 700 to after AD 1066 at the battle of Hastings.
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The Vikings were just like any other civilisation, multi-faceted and embodied with their own morals and codes, the Vikings also had their own religious beliefs and social structures which defined how they lived. It is quite easy to think of the Vikings in just this way, pirates who raided and pillaged neighbouring island and countries, but this would actually be doing the Viking a disservice. Another definition of a Viking is one who spoke Old Norse the language of the Viking people. The country of origin in Scandanavia mattered not however, whether it was Norway, Denmark or Sweden the term Viking was associated with pirates and raiders, this was a way of life for the adventurous Viking people. Interestingly enough the term Viking itself can be translated to 'man of the bay' of course describing the home of the old Norse. The Vikings hailed from the north of Europe in what is now known as Scandinavia. Legends and Chronicles > Ancient Civilizations > The Vikings The Vikings