Vikings

Vikings

Author: Philip Steele
Consultant: Dr. Ragnhild Ljosland

Project editors Satu Hämeenaho-Fox, Roohi Sehgal Contents
Editor Radhika Haswani
4 Who were the Vikings?
Project art editor Emma Hobson, Radhika Banerjee 6 Viking voyages
Art editor Mohd Zishan 8 Longship
10 Raids
US editors Allison Singer, Jenny Wilson 12 Warriors and weapons
DTP designers Dheeraj Singh, 14 Traders
Mohd Rizwan, Vijay Kandwal 16 Myth busters
18 Famous Vikings
Picture researcher Sumita Khatwani 20 Walls and forts
Jacket co-ordinator Francesca Young 22 Viking society
24 At home
Jacket designer Suzena Sengupta 26 Jobs and skills
Educational consultant Jacqueline Harris 28 Viking feast
Managing editors Laura Gilbert, Monica Saigal
Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones Viking child practising
Deputy managing art editor Ivy Sengupta fighting skills
Senior Pre-production Producer Luca Frassinetti

Senior producer Isabell Schart
Creative director Helen Senior
Publishing director Sarah Larter

DIGITAL OPERATIONS, DELHI
Editor Suruchi Bhatia

Production co-ordinator Manish Bhatt

DK CREATIVE, DELHI
Assistant editor Prerna Grewal

Art editor Mohd Zishan
Managing editor Monica Saigal
Deputy managing art editor Ivy Sengupta

eISBN: 9781465483379
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First American Edition, 2018
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Thor’s hammer Drinking horn
charm

2

30 Viking animals 54 After the Vikings
32 Viking women 56 A Viking adventure
34 Growing up 58 Viking facts and figures
36 Games and sports 60 Timeline of key events
38 Words and music 62 Viking runes
40 Writing in runes 64 Glossary
42 Art styles 66 Index
44 Dress like a Viking 68 Acknowledgments
46 Gods and goddesses 69 Quiz
48 A Norse tale 70 Quiz answers
50 Afterlife
52 Meet the expert

Knife

Loom
The Oseberg ship

Stave church in Norway 3

Who were Warriors
the Vikings? Viking fighters were
mostly part-time
In the Middle Ages, the people of warriors who left their
Europe’s far north were farmers and farms to go raiding.
sailors. From the 790s they began to Children
attack neighboring lands, killing Kids didn’t go to
people and stealing their treasure. school, but they had
The Vikings are remembered as to learn skills such as
fierce warriors, but they made farming or weaving.
history in other ways, too, as
traders, explorers, craft
workers, and storytellers.

How did the Vikings Traders
get their name? Viking merchants
traded far from home,
Viking meant “raiding” or “raider.”They were including in Greenland,
also known as “Northmen.”Today we use the Russia, and Baghdad.
word Viking to describe Scandinavian people
in the time between about 790 and 1050.

The Vikings attacking Paris

4

Farmers Settlers Viking community
The Vikings were You needed to be
skilled farmers, even tough and brave to Many Vikings lived in remote
in lands with harsh leave home and move farms, linked only by muddy
weather. to an unknown land. tracks or by boat. Where the

farmland was good, there
were more people, and
trading towns grew up
around ports.

Rulers
Power was held by
leaders called jarls,
local assemblies called
Things, and by chiefs
and kings.

Parents and babies
Strong family bonds
helped Vikings
survive cold winters
in Scandinavia and
Greenland.

FACT FILE

» Who: The Vikings
» When: The Middle

Ages, between about
790 and 1050

» Where: Originally

in Denmark, Sweden,
and Norway

» What: Raided overseas,

in Great Britain, Ireland,
France, Iceland, and
Greenland

» Language: Old Norse

5

TIMELINE Greenland
In about 982, Erik the Red explored
» 780–90 The first raids this bleak and icy land. He named it
Greenland to persuade other Vikings
are carried out to move there. The first permanent
settlement was made in 985.
» 800s New settlements
Iceland
are founded Viking seafarers, fishermen,
and farmers made their
» 900s Kings begin to homes in Iceland between
about 870 and 930.
rule over the Vikings
NORTH
» 1000s Vikings reach ATLANTIC OCEAN

mainland North America Ireland
Vikings raided Ireland
Canada from the 790s, and by
Erik’s son, Leif the 845 had founded a
Lucky, sailed to what town at Dublin. They
is now Canada. He also settled around
probably explored Wexford, Waterford,
Baffin Bay, Labrador, and Cork, and Limerick.
Newfoundland in 1001.

Viking homelands

Viking voyages ! WOW!

The Viking homelands were surrounded by seas It took about
and had deep, narrow inland waters called seven days to sail
fjords. This meant the Vikings had to learn to from Scandinavia
be sailors and shipbuilders. Their warriors and
traders sailed long distances to discover new to Iceland.
lands. In some places they built settlements,
which were places for Viking people to live.

6

The Faroe Islands ARCTIC OCEAN
The remote Faroe islands Sweden
were settled by Viking sheep Norway Swedish Vikings farmed
farmers in about 800. Norwegian in the southeast and on
Vikings lived islands in the Baltic Sea.
by the fjords of
Scotland and the west coast.
the Isle of Man
Vikings from Norway
took over Scotland’s far
north, the Shetland and
Orkney Islands, and the
Isle of Man.

England BALTIC SEA Russia
By 876 a large area of Vikings from Sweden,
England, known as known as Varangians,
the Danelaw, was traded with the Slavs of
under Viking rule. Russia and eastern Europe.
Constantinople
Denmark This city (modern Istanbul)
Danish Vikings lived was capital of the Byzantine
in the far south of the Empire. The Vikings called it
Viking homelands. Miklagard, the Great City.
France
Wales Viking armies put Paris under
Wales was siege in 845 and 885–886. In 910
raided by the they were given a large area of
Vikings from 850. France called Normandy.

Southern Europe
Viking raiders and
traders sailed into the
Mediterranean Sea.

Medieval neighbors Charlemagne King Alfred

The Vikings lived alongside many
other medieval powers. In the 800s,
the Frankish emperor Charlemagne
ruled a huge area of France,
Germany, and Italy. Most of Spain
was ruled by Muslims called the
Moors. In the 800s the Anglo-Saxon
King Alfred of Wessex fought
against large armies of Viking
invaders in Britain.

7

Longship 6
5
The longship was a narrow boat
designed for speed. The underside
was flat enough to sail up a river
without hitting the riverbed, and
could be dragged up onto a beach.
The longship was ideal for raiding,
but a wider, sturdier ship called a
knarr was used for carrying cargo.

! WOW! 3

A longship
could move at
up to 17 miles

(28 km/h)
an hour.

1

4

Overlapping planks 2
Each plank, or strake,
overlapped the next,
and was fixed with
nails and rivets.

8

Birds
Seabirds might mean
there was an island or a
fishing ground nearby.

Key features

1 Prow A carved wooden dragon’s
head might be put on the front
of the ship to strike fear into

7 the enemy.
Steering oar 2 Keel A strong beam of oak ran
The ship was along the base of the ship,
steered by a supporting the hull.
special oar fixed
to the side. 3 Rigging Ropes were made from
twisted hemp fiber, sealskin,
or horsehair.

9 4 Crew About 20–40 warriors made
up the crew of a ship. They rowed,
carried out repairs, and fought.

5 Oarsmen The oarsmen sat on
their sea chests, boxes where they
kept their things. Each oar was
about 16–26 ft (5–8 m) long.

6 Mast The tall mast was made
of pine wood. It could be lowered
when necessary, for example
in rough weather.

8 7 Sail The rectangular sail was
woven from wool or linen, and
waterproofed with animal grease.

8 Shields Shields could be hung
along the sides of the ship.

9 Stern The stern is the back of a
ship. This would also have carved
decorations attached.

9

Raids

Around 1,200 years ago, the sight of longships caused panic
along the coasts of Britain and Ireland. In a raid, Viking
warriors quickly landed and stormed ashore with swords and
axes in their hands. The villagers had no time to escape. The
Vikings murdered people, or kidnapped them to be slaves,
looted (stole) valuable objects, and set buildings on fire.

3 STAGES OF RAIDING

1 790s Small groups of Vikings leave their homelands in
the summer months to raid islands, coastal villages, and
monasteries in Britain.

2 840s Larger bands of Vikings build camps overseas. They
can now raid and trade all year round. They have a base at
Dublin, Ireland, from 841.

3 840s–880s Raiders join together to form armies. They
even attack big cities, including Paris and London.

10

Surprise attack Ill-gotten gains

On June 8, 793, Vikings from Viking raiders made their
Norway launched an attack fortunes by stealing valuable gold
on Lindisfarne, an island off and silver, as well as food and
the coast of Scotland. The cattle. Longships were designed
raiders burned the Christian for a quick getaway after a raid.

monastery there. This Viking treasure chest
carving shows the raid. This small casket once held the holy relics
of a Christian saint. A relic was a body part of a
saint or something that belonged to them. The
casket was seized in Ireland or Scotland, and
carried back to Denmark. Other precious items
stolen from churches included crosses, silver
dishes, and bells.

A hugely valuable hoard of gold jewelry

Norway’s biggest Viking treasure hoard was
found in 1834. A hoard is a collection of
treasure. Gold and silver were highly valuable,
and easy to melt down to make into new
things. Whoever owned this hoard buried
it and then never came back for it.

11

12 Helmet gian face guard Warriors
and weapons
Iron helmets could be round Norwe
or cone-shaped. Some had a Most Viking men were not full-time
bar to protect the nose, or a fighters, but they all knew how to use a
full face guard. weapon when needed. They could be
called up for a raiding voyage as early as
Ax the age of 15. Vikings mostly fought on
foot, using swords, axes, or spears.
Battle axes had long
or short hafts
(wooden handles)
and iron heads
with sharp
blades.

Mail Shield

Only the wealthiest warriors The round shield
could afford a byrnie, or mail was made of wooden
shirt. Mail was made up of planks, edged with
interlinking iron rings. leather. It had an iron
boss (central knob). The
Weapons front was often painted
with colorful patterns
An iron sword was chosen by the warrior.
28–31 in (70–80 cm)
long, with a grooved Protective wall
blade. Spears were
thrown or used to stab. Shields were used for smashing into
the enemy or for defending against
13 blows. Shields could be overlapped
to form a wall of defense against
an enemy charge.

Shield wall

Traders Greenland
In Greenland, the
Vikings traveled across Europe Vikings braved
and beyond to buy and sell ice and freezing
goods. They sailed on the sea, temperatures to
along rivers, and carried their hunt walruses.
boats overland. Merchants sold Walrus tusks were
goods to other Vikings in their very valuable. They
homelands in Scandinavia, and could be carved into
some traders went as far away delicate figures, such
as Russia and Arabia. as this chess piece.

Walrus ivory chess piece

England Woolen clothing
The Vikings bought wool Germany
from the British for their Drinking glasses for the
weaving, as well as using rich were brought back
wool from their own sheep. to Scandinavia from the
Wool was needed to make Rhineland area of
all sorts of important Germany, along with
things, from warm winter barrels of wine to drink.
cloaks to sails for ships. Craft workers also used
glass to make beads.
! WOW!

If Vikings found
rivers were blocked,
they carried their

ships over the
land instead.

Glass

14

Eastern Europe
In the Viking age,
honey was widely
traded. It was the
only way to sweeten
food and was used
to make a favorite
drink of the Vikings
called mead.

Honey

Russia
Fur from animals that lived in Russian
forests, such as wolves, was worth a lot
of money. The fur was made into warm
clothes for the winter months.

Arabia Silk and spices Silver coins
Long-distance trade Damascus and
brought rare spices and Baghdad
fine silks to northern The Viking homelands
Europe from the Middle had no silver mines.
East and Constantinople. Much of the silver they
Silk and spices were very used was recycled from
expensive, so only rich coins originally traded
people could afford them. in the Middle East.

15

Myth busters Vikings spent
all of their
Ideas about how the Vikings looked and time raiding
behaved are not always right. A lot of myths
have been invented by modern movies and and fighting.
computer games. These myths usually have
very little to do with the everyday lives
of real Vikings.

Vikings loved feasting
and fighting, and were
not very skilled in art

and making things.

Viking warriors went into Viking warriors were
battle wearing helmets scruffy, with shaggy hair,
with horns, to make
themselves look fierce. tangled beards, and
ragged clothes.

The Vikings were This was a man’s
the most bloodthirsty world. Viking women
and aggressive people
in medieval Europe. had no rights.

16

The Vikings were probably no They may have looked a Viking comb
worse than other medieval bit scruffy after a long
people. Christian writers sea voyage, but generally
may have thought the first
raiders were evil because Viking men and women were
they worshipped many clean, groomed, and
gods. The Vikings later well-dressed.
became Christians.
Gold necklace
Figurine of the
god Freyr The Vikings were excellent
poets, storytellers, weavers,
Most Vikings spent their
lives working hard on the jewelers, woodcarvers,
shipbuilders, metalworkers,
farm, fishing, trading,
and raising children. and blacksmiths.

Silver coin for trading

Warriors in history did Men held power, but women Viking woman
sometimes wear horned had rights within marriage and
helmets—but not the were respected. They ran the
Vikings. The horns household when the men
were an invention of were away fighting, and
19th-century artists. traveled to new lands to

Helmet with create settlements.
face guard
17

Famous RAGNAR LOTHBROK
Vikings
FIsRfFoaFnWarhcraaagethmaknsnoewk:leaesLpwa:rgoaNsiweattnrohnsbaedbdsyhoaSr.lkneKo,Hai?ehilkxnleKeeokmgwdinndneAosaibge.aewsy,Tdnlrklshbsaaineniei“fodohitRanfweaabaNgrilnregooytsnufhrobsattrrharor8eyauww6etmt5tnacha.hsbacinerrtkeistiaon”a.!lga
Some Vikings were more brave,
wise, or just more dangerous than
the rest. These famous Vikings
were talked about in ancient tales
called the sagas. Vikings who
attacked other countries were
talked about in history books
written by those who survived.

ROLLO UNN KETILSDOTTIR

Who was he? First Duke of Normandy WFascFDanerhamecedcoraeteektwp::etiSl-AalaMahesnfdetnidsen,ewhrUdswehaaen?siedVnlerIk”inkhdfnbtaianoeeimtdlgwcltiaiaoglnsyueesIaswcthnesteitlap“elsapsUhmbnianeoudetnntwinlatetttoache.isknerewdise.
Fame: Rollo (c.870–930) was the leader
of the Danish Vikings who settled in
France. He was given the title of Duke of
Normandy to stop him from attacking
the Franks. His people went on to be
called the Normans.
Fact: Rollo was too big to ride on a horse,
so he walked everywhere.

18

ERIK THE RED

ÅSA HARALDSDOTTIR

WFnrtFaeoihacmdckGobtner:wee:aHEeamairnrssideklhsad. oTneH“hn?dEeorOwawirknuvaaadttsshllatdstehwthsaeRse,roesetfendixsrap”es(f9tbtlaot5perlre0eceerm–arr,s1upLeo0seinnoe0itfn3toso)eftwehhsraeaisirsle. bFmhhGFWauoaauacrhdmmyditeo:rhehedIøtwi:aomd’isPvnaferposmAitnofhdsguBcsehideseroeidOedsbr?srersliesQenrteeoÅbtutadohsreebuaaarbeogltnweneuÅdsafthohsosw8ifaisrpk3Aei2wi4sgnbd0.itdtunfhyeberaee.irpaaBa,wclpNru.kseoto.tdmSsrowhhbaheeayneyr
the Lucky.

HARALD HARDRADA

Who was he? King of Norway Scary nicknames
Fame: Harald (born in 1015) spent years
ainnedxiinlethfreomByNzaonrtwinaey.EHmepfioreu,gwhht einreRhuessia The Vikings got nicknames based
had many adventures. Harald became on the way they looked or behaved.
King of Norway in 1046, and was killed Ragnar Lothbrok’s son Bjorn Ironside
while trying to invade England in 1066. was known for being a warrior, so his
Fact: Hardrada means “stern ruler.” nickname described his armor. The
violent Erik Bloodaxe murdered his
seven brothers. Sigrid the Ambitious
wanted to be a powerful queen. Can

you think up some nicknames
for you and your friends?
19

Walls Trelleborg, Denmark
and forts The remains of the Trelleborg ring
fort can still be seen near Slagelse
The Vikings built long walls to defend in West Zealand. This fort was built
Denmark from invaders, and dug by order of the king in the spring of
ditches around their settlements. 981. It included places to live, barns,
At least seven ring forts have been and workshops. Forts may have been
discovered in Denmark, Norway, used by royal troops in times of war,
and southern Sweden. They date or as centers for collecting taxes.
from about 958 to 986, when
Harald Bluetooth ruled these lands. 1
The forts may have been built to
control his people as well as protect
them from others.

Fort from the past

Sweden‘s Trelleborgen ring fort was discovered in 1988.
When archaeologists had finished examining the fort,
experts decided to rebuild a section of the walls using
only basic tools. The fort was built on a mound 20 ft (6 m)
high and covered with timbers.

7

The rebuilt
Trelleborgen gatehouse

20

! WOW!

6 Researchers
have found 19
arrowheads stuck
in the walls at the
Trelleborg fortress.

4 2
5

3

1 Ditch This was 13 ft (4 m) deep and 56 ft FORT FEATURES
(17 m) wide. It was not filled with water, but
did have a wooden fence for protection. 4 Roads The ring was cut into quarters by two
straight roads paved with wood. Another road
2 Ramparts These protective walls were may have run around the edge.
circular and measured 449 ft (137 m) from side
to side. They were 16 ft (5 m) high and covered 5 Buildings These included houses,
with wooden logs. workshops, and stables. Some of the
buildings housed warriors.
3 Gates Each ring fort had a north, south, east,
and west gate. They were designed with 6 River Low, marshy ground lay on either side
narrow bridges to make them easy to defend of the fort, which made it difficult to approach.
against attackers.
7 Surroundings The original fort had 15
buildings outside its walls, and a cemetery.

Viking society

Early Viking kings ruled fairly small regions.
For many years there was no powerful
central government. For most communities,
it was the local chieftain, or jarl, who was
in charge. Free citizens were called karls.
Slaves were called thralls.

Royal power

In the 900s and 1000s, the Viking
homelands were ruled by powerful
Christian kings. King Knut the Great
(c.995–1035) ruled Denmark,
Norway, and England. Under the
king were three tiers of society.

Karls
The karls were the
largest social class. They were
ordinary people and could be rich
or poor. They worked as farmers,
merchants, shipbuilders, smiths,
or woodcarvers. They also joined
longship crews and went raiding.

Thralls
Thralls were slaves bought by
traders or captured in raids. It
was possible for someone to

move up or down through
Viking society. Some thralls
were karls who had gotten
into debt. Sometimes a thrall

could save up money to
buy his freedom.

22

Jarls The law of the landAwloecpanneaomsucexdelunrywbshaxoelioedlmmriemniltlcleracetadpieisalwnygtgeln,iltaeahsdlnteoet,lwhtnashrdbiesetnhdeatmy.ytomodr.cAhaiahhTnlwrejradeuahgmgrdeaLeddueeevrcaeggtmseTeawdtheitlhohjedotelsacenhinimlporenced.etlevmrnsgsIoaaiect.mobkcposuTIhoraeauttephautlrsknsoaa.disl.aatynwrdeFrrndagdbslybodesaewrracesikdth
Jarls were the wealthiest class
of people. They owned large
areas of land and many ships.

They wore fine clothes and
had the best armor.
They could call up karls
to join raiding bands
or armies.

! WOW!

Iceland has
the world’s
oldest parliament,
the Althingi. It
began as a Viking
assembly in 930.

23

At home pottery lamp Imported

Viking towns were home to up to 2,000 Viking oil lamp
people, but most Vikings lived in the There were no windows in a
countryside. Farmers built bigger homes longhouse. Inside, it was dark
than town-dwellers. These homes, called and smoky, but there was
longhouses, were shared by children, flickering light from lamps.
parents, grandparents, farm workers,
and often animals.

The longhouse

A longhouse was built
from local materials,
often with wooden
beams. The walls
were made of planks,
or wattle-and-daub
(sticks plastered
with mud).

Loom
Women of all ages
spun wool and wove
textiles to make
clothes, blankets,
and wall hangings.

Hearth oking.
A firepit was the center of
the home. It was used for
cooking, heating, and light.
Smoke escaped through a

hole in the roof.

24 Iron pots were used for co

Beds Women worked on the le Animals
People slept on In colder weather,
ledges around the cattle stayed in a
inside walls. There shed at the end
was little furniture of the longhouse,
other than benches, called a byre.
stools, and a table. for meat.
dges during the day.
A cow could be milked or eaten

Warm and dry
The longhouse was
made waterproof
with a straw roof. In
cold climates, roofs
were covered in turf
(earth with grass
growing on it).

Extra space
Some longhouses had
extensions built, such
as dairies where butter
and cheese were made,
or washhouses.

25

Jobs and Boat building
skills
It took many men to build a longship. They
Viking men and women were chose the best trees in the forest and cut
amazingly skilled in all kinds of them down. They hauled the logs to the
craft work. They knew how to
handle the tools of their trade, water’s edge. Then they used axes and chisels
whether these were chisels for to cut logs into wedge-shaped planks. They
carving, anvils for hammering carved the prow to go at the front of the ship.
metal, or looms for weaving
cloth. Viking designs were
very artistic and often inspired
by animals. They were hard
workers, too, using only
muscle power as there were
no electric tools.

The blacksmith was one of the most Hammers, files,
important workers in any Viking and tongs
settlement. He heated iron until it
was soft, hammered it into shape on
an anvil, and then let it cool and
harden. He made knives, axes,
nails, pots, and pans. Good
quality iron could be bought
from mines in Sweden.
Impure “bog iron”
was found in many
local wetlands.
26

Women wove tunics, cloaks, and wall- Farming
hangings. These were made on an upright
wooden frame called a loom. The woolen warp Viking farmers and thralls
had up and down threads. The weft threads (slaves) worked hard on the
were woven in between the warp threads, and land. They grew barley, rye,
and oats. They planted seeds
pushed upward to make the cloth. in the spring and harvested
crops in the fall. Viking sheep
shed their wool in the summer
and this was collected to be used
for weaving.

Warp

Weft Scythe

Dyeing MAKING
JEWELRY
The Vikings liked to wear
bright colors. They used Jewelers worked in silver
wild flowers, lichen, and gold, or in pewter, a
roots, and leaves to make cheaper mixture of tin and
dyes. Yellow dye came lead. They could decorate
from the plant weld, one metal with another,
blue from a plant called create swirling
woad, and red from patterns, and polish
the root of the metal to be shiny.
madder plant. They used amber,
jet, gemstones, or
colored glass.

Pouring molten
metal into
a mold.

27

Viking feast ! WOW!

A high-born jarl loved to feast on mutton Icelandic
(sheep), pork, beef, or goat meat. Most Vikings ate
ordinary people lived off porridge, rough whale meat,
bread, cheese, fish, and vegetables. They seals, puffins,
ate from wooden bowls and plates. and ponies.

Fruit Eggs

People collected wild Farmers raised chickens,
berries, such as bilberries ducks, and geese. Wild birds’
and strawberries, from eggs were eaten, too. The
the forests. nests of seabirds were
raided from cliff ledges.

Vegetables

Leeks, peas, onions, and beans
were grown, but were probably a
bit tougher than the ones we eat
today. Many wild plants and
herbs were also gathered.
28

Drink up Drinking horn

The Vikings drank water
and milk from their animals.
At feasts, they were famous for
drinking a lot of ale, wine, or
mead (an alcoholic drink made
from honey). Cups were made
from wood or horn. A whole

hollow horn could be
used as a drinking cup.

Honey

Honey was used to sweeten
food and drinks. Sugar made
from cane was not known in
Europe until the 1400s.

Bread Fish

Flour was ground from barley, Fish were caught with a
oats, rye, and wheat. Sometimes line or in nets. The seas
seeds were added. The bread and lakes were full of
was baked on a hot stone. fish such as herring.
They could be saved
for later by drying,
smoking, or salting.

29

Viking animals Brown bear

Both wild and tame animals played a big part These fierce giants
in the lives of the Vikings. Farmers raised were hunted in
sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle, for their meat northern forests
and milk. The Vikings hunted hares, wild for their fur.
birds, elk, and reindeer. They fished the rich
northern seas and hunted walrus in Greenland.

Manx Loaghtan
sheep

Viking settlers made
most of their clothes
from wool, and bred
tough sheep like
this one.

Norwegian
Elkhound

These dogs were used
for hunting elk and
other large animals,
guarding property, and
herding on the farm.
30

Gyrfalcon Wondrous beasts

The Vikings were great falconers, VawgSnoihokddeoidndphegiaacsdmnstudFayrrtesbehtsoyosoajnaarferwct.ehaTaflesluhmelpedluwcoHlhfleieamrlddreiaiobosgvytfitícotneawfniltoaachnnacedraimvtwsea.odlrsie,n
using birds of prey to hunt other a cloak of falcon feathers.
birds and small animals. The
gyrfalcon came from Greenland WHrwauoivsgerelindnrsaaatsvnhetdahnteMsflsuepnwieinasrwoofeuOrneddinth, e
and other Arctic lands. the king of the gods.

Odin’s super-steed
Solfeaipllnhior wrseass,twheithfaestigehstt
strong legs.

Wild boar Serpent of the world
In Viking myth, a huge
Beware the charge snake wrapped around
of this wild pig! Early the whole world, with
Vikings hunted boars its tail in its mouth.
for their meat.
Dragons
Norwegian Snarling dragons
Forest cat were popular in
Viking art. Dragon
Cats were used to heads were carved
catch mice on farms. on the prows of
Scandinavian cats longships, to strike
developed long hair to fear into the enemy.
stay warm in the snow.
31

Viking women Hair and cap

Women did not have equal power in Hair was washed and
Viking society, and could not attend combed. Married free
the Thing. But free women, who women tied back their
were not slaves, had rights and long hair and wore a cap,
were highly respected. They ran the a scarf, or a hood.
house and farm, and were tough
pioneers in new settlements. A gold brooch

Household accounts Brooches

Women were in charge of Beautiful brooches
the money. They could own were used to fasten
property, and divorce their the shoulder straps
husbands if they wanted to. to the front of the
tunic. They also
y pouch showed off the
Mone wearer’s wealth.

In the home Ornate key

Women ruled the home. Key chain
They prepared food,
Keys, often hung from
cooked, cleaned, and did the belt, were symbols of
the spinning and weaving a woman’s authority in
to make clothes. They also the home. Many keys
looked after the children. were beautifully made.

On the farm Clothing

Men did most of the Women wore a long
farming, but women shift made of wool
helped with many or linen, and a shorter
tasks on the farm, woolen over-tunic
such as milking and with shoulder straps.
gathering eggs.

33

Lucky charms Thor’s hammer
Thor used his
From an early age, Vikings wore charms hammer to defeat
around their necks to ward off illness, the giants. Little
injury, or bad luck. When the Vikings hammer pendants
became Christians, they wore both crosses were worn for
and symbols such as Thor’s hammer. good luck.

Growing up Naming
ceremony
Little Viking children played with toys,
woolen balls, wooden animals, or dolls. Babies were
As they grew up, they could swim in the lake welcomed into the
or play board games. They didn’t go to school, family and Viking
but they had to work hard on the farm. society at a special
naming ceremony.
The baby The father of a
was given a newborn baby Water was
name on would wrap it in sprinkled on
around the his cloak to show the new baby.
ninth night he would care The baby
after birth. for it. might also be
given gifts.

34

Crucifix Valkyrie ! REALLY?
When the Vikings This charm shows a Viking children were
became Christian, Valkyrie, a woman dressed as miniature
they began to who takes dead versions of adults.
wear crosses. warriors to Odin’s
hall in Asgard.

Swords and spears Warrior in
were made of training
blunt wood, to
avoid injuries. Boys were taught to fight
Children at an early age, wrestling,
practiced with leaping, and ducking. By
older relatives the age of 15, they were
as well as others
their own age. fit for battle.

Defense was
as important as
attack. Smart
tactics could
save lives and
win battles.

Strength was
built up by
regular training
sessions.

35

Games and sports

The Vikings loved to play all sorts of games. Many
of these required clever tactics, which in real life
were useful battlefield skills. Viking outdoor
sports often attracted crowds at public
festivals and assemblies. Sports helped
train men for combat and seafaring,
but could lead to injuries.

Viking gamers Bishop
piece with
These walrus ivory chess headdress
pieces were found on the Isle and staff
of Lewis, in Scotland. The
Vikings also played a board
game called hnefatafl, in
which the king piece must
be defended from attack.

! WOW!

The Vikings used
skis for travel and
hunting, not just for
fun. In Norway, people
have been skiing for
over 7,000 years.

36

King piece Outdoor sports
with crown
The Vikings loved outdoor sports.
If a sports event turned into a violent
brawl (fight), that was all part of the
fun for a Viking.

Weightlifting and tug-of-war
Storytellers loved to describe
heroic feats of strength.
Heavy boulders were used
for weightlifting. Tug-of-war
built up the strong muscles a
Viking needed to row longships.

Wrestling
This sport could be done
indoors or outdoors. Wrestlers
grappled and tried to throw
their opponents to the ground.
This kind of activity was
extremely dangerous.

Ball games
Vikings played team games with
a bat and ball, such as knattleikr.
We don’t know the rules, but it
was an extreme contact sport.
Games could last all day!

Swimming
From an early age, children
would play and splash in the
lakes and fjords. Swimming
races and water games were
popular with adults, too.

37

Words and music

Being able to entertain people with poetry or music was an
important Viking skill. The Vikings loved to hear exciting
stories and poems about gods, goddesses, and heroes. They also
liked riddles, and playing with words. Vikings described things
in unusual ways, such as calling the sea “the ship’s road.”

Making music Singing along

We don’t know much about A stringed instrument called a
Viking music, as they did not write lyre was popular among the Vikings.
it down using notes. We know that Lyres were frames made from wood,
Vikings danced, sang, and enjoyed with strings that could be plucked. A
musician could sing or speak along
festivals throughout the year.
Traveling musicians would visit with the music.
the halls of the jarls. Some Viking
A copy of a lyre from
musical instruments have the 7th century.
survived for us to study.

Playing a bone flute

38

! WOW! Signaling horn

Skálds A horn without holes drilled
sometimes had in it had a limited range of notes,
to recite poems but could be played very loudly.
in the middle of A blast on a horn could be heard
above the noise of battle or on a
a battle. hunting trip. It was used to sound

the alarm or gather a group of
people in one place.

Skilful poets Horn blowers

From the 800s, poets called Cattle or goat horns could be
skálds performed in the halls drilled with holes and played as
of kings. They often sang the praises musical instruments. They worked
of their host, and if all went well, like modern wind instruments,
they could be richly rewarded. Skálds such as recorders or flutes. Horns
liked to show off their clever use
of language using different were often played at outdoor
festivals, because they
types of poetry. could be heard above the
dancing and singing.

A rsekcáiltdinwgiathpaoehmarp Finger holes made
it possible to play
different notes
on the horn.

39

Writing in runes

Vikings spoke a language called Old Norse.
It could be written down using letters
called runes. The rune alphabet, or
“futhark”, is named after its first six
letters (f-u-th-a-r-k). It varied
over the ages and from one
region to another.

Jelling stone

This is a copy of a stone
carved with runes, with

color painted on. It
was put up in Jelling,

Denmark, by King
Harald “Bluetooth,”

in about 965.

Later writing The Sagas
These are exciting
During the Viking age, poems and stories stories about the
were spoken aloud so they could be passed kings of Norway,
on by word of mouth. Later writers heard families in Iceland,
the stories and wrote them down in books, and ancient legends.
using the modern alphabet. Some of them are
historical accounts.
40 Galdrakver book of
Icelandic sagas, 1670

! WOW! Carving runes

The earliest Runes were made up of straight lines,
Vikings believed designed for carving onto stone, wood, or
bone. They were often used to label wooden
runes had objects with people’s names.
magical powers.

Chiseling runes

FHmdooTahaairDafehidrlmdmldGaayeeon.lrrosdifTeveirelndsDéBhmlyf,elCmeturhahnmh,weseiihmsrtmsrtioiiemhssamtooteirmfoirtnokaahmytgntnhaohohua.sne”fenraamrdrydh.,i”,esNe“iatHs:nwhson“tpaheKrdmarwoJiarinnaeaelwdgyldnlmoietdHannseeniagnsamfdrocfsamtromtrleiodrbheranymeidtmesoheofesrteyhylfe

The Eddas Snorri Sturluson
These include a Snorri (1179–1241)
guide to the verse of was an Icelandic
the skálds (the poets writer who lived
of the Viking world), after the Viking age.
and were the first He wrote the Prose
written versions of Edda, which told
ancient tales about Viking stories.
gods and heroes.
The oldest surviving handwritten 41
text from the Poetic Edda.

Art styles Oseberg

The Vikings showed off their artistic This style of art belongs to
skills through metalwork and jewelry, the 800s. It is named after a
and with objects made from carved fine longship buried in a
stone, walrus ivory, and wood. They mound in Oseberg, Norway.
loved detailed, swirling patterns, and A typical pattern is made up
designs of animals and monsters. The of imaginary animals known
Vikings decorated their weapons, as “gripping beasts.”
ships, cradles, wagons, and treasure
chests. The style of art varied over the
years, and from one region to another.

The animal outlines on this silver cup are
in the Jelling style, which is named after
a royal burial site in Denmark. The cup

may have belonged to King Gormr
the Old, Harald Bluetooth’s father.

The art style shown on this
bracelet lasted from about 890
to 950, and is named after a
Norwegian burial site. It often

features gripping beasts in
tight, geometric patterns.
42

This ceremonial iron axhead from
Mammen, in Denmark, is decorated
with silver wire. It dates from about
970 and its interlinked patterns
show a bird—if you can
untangle the design!

Ringerike Urnes or Runestone
The final style of Viking animal art lasted into the
Norway’s Ringerike region gave 1100s. It is named after the wooden church of
its name to a style of gravestone Urnes, in Norway, where this example comes
carving. This stone slab, shown from. The loops of the pattern are carefully
with restored color, dates from cut to look smooth and graceful.

about 1030. It was found in
London, England, and may have

belonged to Viking settlers.

43

Dress like Women’s clothing
a Viking
Women wore a woolen
Vikings wore simple, practical pinafore dress over a
clothes made of wool and linen. long shift, called a serk.
They liked bright colors and Shoulder straps were
jewelry. They wore cloaks of fastened by brooches.
wool or fur, and covered
their shoulders with Pleats
woolen shawls to Pleated linen sleeves
stay warm. were the height of
fashion for women’s
Spindle serks in the 900s.
Drop spindles were used
to twist wool fibers into Layers
yarn for weaving. Undergarments
could be made
Trading silk of linen or wool.

Luxury fabrics, such as shimmering
silks, were brought back by merchants
from the markets of Western Asia
and Constantinople.

44

Beard Men’s clothing Jewelry
Men kept their
hair clean and Men wore a woolen Jewelry could be made from
the beard neatly over-tunic called a kyrtill. cheap metal such as bronze,
trimmed. Pants were usually a or from animal horn. More
straight shape. expensive jewelry was made
from silver or gold. Precious
Tunic jewelery was a way of
The necks and showing and storing wealth.
cuffs of the tunic
were often Brooches
decorated with Two large
braiding. Clothing brooches
was used to show fastened the
how important straps on
people were. women’s dresses.
Smaller ones
fastened shawls.

Belt Cloak pins
Both men and Long metal pins and
women hung useful ring-brooches were used
things from their for fastening heavy cloaks.
belts, such as knives,
pouches, and keys.

Leather boots Beads
Vikings wore boots, Beads made of glass or
shoes, and slippers precious stones were worn
made from leather hung between brooches, or
or goatskin. as part of necklaces.

45

KinOg oDf tIhNe gods Goddess oFf cRhiEldYreJn Aand growth

rOuVndateihlnhseia(sgwlalaoarmi.dotHisnan.egegH-ii)csee,ayhtllhieevsedaeplslseionkiarnygrd,acgoaaognfldlrvdee,idcaadttneGohdauratynkhl,lig.wncHngaisielrdlo.ecofdaamrlrl,ies aFaornhfedetyhajlaoovveisseena.lwhySgahhfolieofedglidddsoie,tewthsosienhoViLbcafahalbdhtewytalaleeolua.lfctT.Fyoh,ómeclkheovistladhhnreaegrlnrf,,

Gods and goddesses

The Vikings believed that a huge tree called Yggdrasil was
the center of the universe. In its branches were nine worlds
filled with different beings. The powerful Viking gods lived
in a world called Asgard, while humans lived in Midgard. In
the 11th century, Vikings began to believe in Christianity.

46

ThLe tOriKckIster GodToHf tOhuRnder

Lwcohkicaiknisegdaeatsrnihcdakpssoteem,oraraenantdisdmcaaaewnsthohaimepelfppa. eHnfua.elr.iaHssseaoinms aaebntliiemmteaosl aTnHhwhdeeaalsVrmigiidfkmihgeitnshengrtai.nisnTcgkghhnroaaaerrgiwgoiseitatdthpnh, atureetwllsdweoi-tdhnhhebeohnayfidstgOhegodduraiennTtasdh.t.eorr

Goddess of chFiRldbIiGrtGh and wisdom ! WOW!

fFurBtiguagrldei.rs,SgthhoeebdluwiovieilfftseliignionhftFthO.eeSdnhmisneaalacrirnsa,hndaestsshep. eeleimnndtooitdhthheeralol f Asgard and
Midgard were

linked by a
rainbow bridge

called the
Bifrost.

47

A Norse tale

The Vikings loved to tell stories about their gods and
goddesses. The gods were powerful, but they also
made mistakes, just like humans do. In this story, the
trickster Loki almost gets into a fight with Thor.

Thor was the god of storms. He lived in Asgard with
his wife, Sif. She was an earth goddess who protected
families, and crops in the fields.

Sif was beautiful, and especially
proud of her long hair. It was
the color of ripened corn.
One day, Loki was
walking in the
woods when he
came across Sif, who
was sleeping in the
warm sun. Loki was
a mischief-maker.
As a prank, he cut
off all her golden
hair and ran away.

48