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Category: History of Vikings

  • Viking Homes


    The Vikings lived in simple homes. One main, low room. The animals were kept
    close by. They even had outdoor bathrooms! Some of the wealthy ones had huge
    wooden beds. They had chairs for their babies. They hung things on pegs and put
    them in trunks. They had long tables. Rich homes even had fancy glassware from
    trading. Important possessions were kept locked in huge wooden trunks.
    Clothes were hung on pegs and fireplaces kept the house warm. 

    The Vikings
    were farmers when the climate allowed. Some raised cattle, sheep, chickens and
    ducks. They would use these for food and bartering. They made butter and
    cheese. Others who could not raise animals for food hunted deer, seals and
    fished. 

    They must have known something about beekeeping as they traded honey
    for things they needed or wanted. The house graphic will show you a
    picture of a Viking farm you can print out and color.


  • Vikings and Religion


    Two of the most famous Vikings are Eric the Red and Leif Ericson.
    In the late 900’s Eric the Red was exiled from his homeland in Scandinavia to Iceland for 3
    years. While living in Iceland he decided to do some exploring and discovered
    Greenland! Although it had a rather harsh climate he wanted to attract
    settlers so that’s why he named it Greenland. He and his family built a home
    there. There were 2 main settlements on Greenland. It was on their farm that Eric
    the Red’s wife built the first Christian church in Greenland.

    There
    were Eskimos on the other side of Greenland and they never discovered each
    other!

    Leif Ericson was responsible for the spread of Christianity in Greenland.
    His mother started many churches.

    Vikings called Jesus the White
    Christ.

    Most Vikings worshipped several gods such as Thor and Odin
    and believed when they died the would go to a place called Valhalla if they died
    in battle.

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  • Viking Recipes – A Viking Feast


    Now we need to round out our Viking unit. It is always fun to end a themed
    study with something special and a good way to do this is have a
    feast!

    The Vikings were farmers and raised cattle and other domestic
    animals. They grew grains and vegetables although they would have had a short
    growing season depending on the weather!

    Serve your meal on wooden plates
    or bowls. You can also use hard crusted bread hollowed out as plates. These were
    used also but they did have wooden dishes. Only use knives and spoons though no
    forks!

    So here are some ideas for your feast and some recipes!

    VIKING FEAST

    • Deer or Beef Roast (cooked in a pit or oven if
      you don’t have a pit)
    • Carrots, cabbage, onions (roasted with the meat)
    • Cottage cheese
    • Peas
    • Parsley Butter (mix soft butter & fresh
      chopped
      parsley)

    Flatbread/Shardbread

    • 7
      Cups of gruttet flour or thick wheat flour.
    • 3 cups of liquid. Use whey or
      butter milk
    • 1 Egg
    • A dash of salt (if desired)
    1. Flour,
      liquid, egg and salt must be kneaded long and thoroughly. If needed add more
      flour or liquid so the dough is just right.
    2. The dough should be shaped
      into small balls and then pressed flat and thin.
    3. The bread is baked over a
      glowing fire on shards of pottery or pans, about 2-3 minutes on each side. The
      bread should be light brown and sound hollow when you knock on it lightly with a
      fingernail. For the pottery you can use the shards from an average red burned
      herbal pot…

    * Sweeter bread/cakes can be obtained by sweetening the
    dough with honey.* Toasted stinging nettles give a good spicy taste.

    *
    Chopped nuts and cooked acorns in the dough are also good.
     

  • Viking Dress


    Vikings dressed according to their wealth. The
    richer ones often wearing clothes that showed the styles in the countries they
    had visited.

    The children wore simple smocks and tunics.

    The women wore a simple undershift with long
    sleeves and an “apron” that was made of two rectangular pieces of
    cloth. The back piece had strings that attached to the front with brooches.
    Often the brooches were connected with beads. The women also carried a chain or
    belt with important things attached to it, like their eating knife, an ear
    scoop, keys, etc.

    The men wore long tunic type shirts with leggings of wool and boots sometimes
    made from seal hides or shoes of leather. They wrapped they leggings around
    their legs with cloth or leather. They wore cloaks pinned with huge brooches
    always thrown back away from the sword arm.

    Viking men loved jewelry as well as the women. Both men and women would have
    worn brooches, armbands, etc .

  • Viking History


    The Vikings were a fascinating people.
    Although they are well known for their bloodthirsty raiding and killing, there
    was so much more to their culture. They contributed many, many things to the
    world. They were also the BEST sailors of their time. No one could out sail them!

    As you study the Vikings you will learn they were much more than barbarians and
    eventually did much to spread the gospel. So get out your notebooks and get
    ready to have some fun and learn some new things too!

    The Viking era lasted from about the early 700’s A.D. to 1000 A.D. They ruled
    the seas for about 250 years.

    During the early time frame they were like many
    other countries, unlearned and barbaric in their actions. But a lot of this
    changed with time and as they explored and learnt new things through other
    cultures. But in many ways they were ahead of the times also. They traveled to
    places others had never heard about or could never hope to see.

  • Viking Facts

    Fierce Vikings

    Viking warriors were very fierce and were often in
    battles. The term “viking” basically came from the term to “go a-viking”
    or raiding. There are different ideas on what the word actually meant. The
    warriors had to be prepared at all times for battle. The sight of a Viking ship pulling onto the shore was
    enough to strike terror into the most stout hearted person!

    Viking Ships

    One of the most important things in a Viking’s life was his ship or the ship he
    sailed on. The Vikings were extraordinary sailors. 

    The sailed in open
    boats in all kinds of weather and on seas no one else had or would. They were
    able to raid and plunder like they did because they were able to sail in and out
    of almost anywhere. 

    The flat bottom boat they used allowed them to land on
    any beach and go up small rivers. Of course, this ability developed because of
    all the fjords or bays in their homeland.

    The Vikings invented the true
    keel which made sailing much easier. The keel is the part of the boat that goes
    down into the water. it stops the ship from being blown about, and makes
    steering much easier.

    Viking Technology

    The Vikings had many skilled craftsmen. They had
    blacksmiths who made
    everything from swords to axes.

    There were craftsmen skilled at making
    jewelry, combs and other fine things. The Viking men were very proud of their
    hair and beards!

    The Vikings were probably the first to make and use skis
    and ski poles. They also skated using shin bones!

    Viking Sagas

    The Viking sagas were handed down word of mouth for many, many years.
    Sagas were stories told about their raids, lives and heroes. Their writing was limited even when they developed an alphabet called
    Fulthark for the first 8 letters. They wrote on huge stones which were very
    decorative. This is the Viking alphabet.

    The letters were called runes
    and often written on stones which they also believed could tell the future if
    tossed and read by the right person.

    This was one of the things they gave
    up when they became Christians.

  • Vikings Unit


    The Saga Of The Adventurous Viking

    The Vikings are people who explored, plundered and traded with valor with their legendary ships. The Vikings were of the Norsemen clan who originated in the Scandinavia. They scourged the coast of the British Isles, France and other European coasts from late 8th to 11th century, which is termed as ‘the Viking age’ in the pages of history.

    The Root Of The Word Viking

    The word ‘Viking’ entered the English dictionary in the 18th century with romantic intonations. However, the etymology is traced back to the writings of the Anglo-Frankish writers who used the term ‘Viking’ to denote people who are set to raid and loot. In modern day Scandinavian language the word ‘Viking’ refers to the group of people who went on expeditions to trade and raid.

    The word ‘Viking’ is made up of two parts, ‘vik’ meaning ‘bay’ and ‘ing’ denotes a place of origin. Thus ‘Viking’ literally means “people from the bay”

    The Age Of The Vikings

    The map of the Vikings is not confined to Scandinavia only (modern Denmark, southern Norway and Sweden) but territories under North Germanic control, mainly the Danelaw, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Ireland were also included.

    The Viking explorers also opened new paths leading to the north and the west as they colonized Shetland, Orkney, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland. There was even a short-lived expedition to Newfoundland in circa 1000B.C.

    Generally the period of the North Germanic Expansion from the earliest raids in 790s till the Norman conquest of England in 1066 is considered as the Viking age.

    They Delved Into The Riches

    The Vikings traded and raided various European ports during the three centuries. Birka, Hedeby, Kaupang, Jorvik, Staraya, Ladoga, Novgorod and Kiev were some of the important trading ports of the times.

    The Viking Ships

    There were two types of Viking ships, the ‘long-ship’ or ‘drakkar’ which means dragon in Norse and the Knarr. The longships were built for cruises for exploration and warfare.

    The Knarr was a slower merchant boat with greater cargo transport cruises. However, the term “Viking Ship” entered the common dictionary with a romantic association.

    The First Attack

    According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a group of men sailed from Norway to Portland, in Dorset. A royal official mistook them as merchants and tried to extol trading tax from them. They murdered him; the date assigned to this attack is 787. The second recorded attack is in 793 on the monastery of Lindisfarne. The pages of European history for the next 200 years told the story of the pillage of the Vikings.

    The Raids On Iberia

    By mid 9th century B.C there were Viking attacks on the coastal kingdom of Asturias. During the reign of Alfonso III the Vikings had already plagued the sea route connecting Galicia, a province of the kingdom with the rest of Europe. Historians attest the period from 844 to 858 A.D for the attacks on Galician coast. The Vikings settled in the town of Povoa de Varzim in northern Portugal and their influence was strong still recently.

    Sources Of History

    The Rune Stones

    The Rune stones are valuable sources of history of the early medieval Scandinavia and the Norse society, particularly the Vikings. Many Rune stones recorded the names of the persons who went on Viking expeditions. The name of the martyrs is also engraved in the stones.

    Burials

    Some burial sites like Jelling in Denmark, Gettlinge Gravfalt in Sweden and more sites witnessed the history of the Vikings.

    Myths And Legends

    Norse myths, legends and literature speak the history of the Vikings through the tales of mythical heroes. These literatures were transmitted orally and we have to depend on the writings of the Christian writers.

    The growth of Christianity in Scandinavia and a centralized authority together closed the valorous chapter of the Vikings. Coastal defense became more stringent in the areas the Vikings attacked making the raids less profitable with more risk. Cultural influences from Europe invaded their core. With the rise of the kings, nobles and a quasi-feudal system in Scandinavia the Vikings were lost completely. Thus, ended the mighty chronicle of the brave Viking population.