Everyday Viking Life

For as violent as the Vikings are remembered being, they for the most part were homebodies and farmers. Their society had three social groups:

• Jarls: They were the lords. They owned land which made them rich; they were war leaders, the bravest fighters, and were to be generous to the common people. They were the nobles and Kings.

• Bondi: They were the farmers. They worked hard on the land. Besides being farmers, they were the blacksmiths, settlers, weavers, your middle and lower classes.

• Thralls: The servants, but above slaves. Slaves were not even considered part of the social ladder. Thrall life was miserable. They worked hard, ate poor food, and wore rags.

Outside of the Thralls, Viking men and women both were jewelry. The Vikings were expert metal workers, they made rings, bracelets, charms (Thor's hammer was the most popular), and brooches.

Vikings believed their name was the most important thing to protect in their society. They had a motto, "Wealth dies, kinsmen die, a man dies himself; but fame never dies for anyone who wins a good name."

Burial Practices

Vikings felt a connection to the seas that surround their homes. They believed that the afterlife was found over the horizon. There were various ways to be buried.

When a chief died it was a time of joy. Vikings did not fear death being cruel and terrible like the Romans, Greeks, and Christian Hell. A chief would have a ship built to be burned into the horizon. Animals, food, clothes, armor, weapons, slaves, pets, and one woman servant could be found on the boat. Once the boat was ready to be cast, it would be set on fire and the community would have a party honoring the fallen leader.

If a person was able to have a boat, a smaller party was held and they were cast off to meet the gods on the other side. If a person was unable to afford a boat of any kind, they were buried in the ground. To ensure that they could "sail" to the other side, their crave was outlined with rocks in the form of a boat. The headstone would be the front of the boat and decorated with the stories honoring the dead man.

Living Quarters

Vikings were people that lived together. They would live in nuclear and extended families. It was good to live in groups for various reasons. For one the Vikings were mostly farmers so the more hands, the easier the work load. Second, the Scandinavian winters were very harsh. Body heat and conserving burnable resources made it easier to survive these winters. Another way Vikings would conserve energy was by building their nuclear family houses with dirt all around the house. That means the walls and the roof. The reason was that the ground holds heat in the winter and keeps cool in the summer.