The vikings

Who are the vikings ?

11 BCE

Vikings is the modern name given to seafaring people primarily from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and settled throughout parts of Europe

The geography

11 BCE

We can see that it was dark all day and night . There were also a lot of cliffs and mountains and coast lines therefore there where great supplies of food such as the following ‘’ fish, seafood, turtle eggs, and water fowl to eat.’'

Daily life

11 BCE

The Vikings were clean and usually bathed at least once a week, even in the winter. They also believed in a clean house. Homes were simple,with little furniture, so cleaning was a relatively quick job for the women in the summer, done mostly with a broom and a dust rag. In the winter,however,

The geography part 2

11 BCE

the animals were brought inside at night to keep them safe and warm, unless the family had a separate barn. It took longer in the winter to keep their homes clean, not only to clean up after the animals, but also because they brought in dirt and snow from the outside when they shook off their boots or skiies or snowshoes. Still, to a Viking, a clean house was just as essential as a clean body and clean clothes

Laws of society

11 BCE

The Norse people had their own laws and government. The community would gather together at a meeting called a Thing. Here they would settle problems and make decisions.
People could vote on what should happen. For example, the Thing might
decide who owned a piece of land or how to punish a criminal. All this
was overseen by a chieftain or a judge known as a law-speaker.

Second part of laws

11 BCE

Viking laws were not written down, so laws were passed from person to
person by word of mouth. People who broke the law became outlaws.
They were forced to live in the wilderness and anyone was allowed to
hunt them down and kill them.
Vikings could also settle arguments with a fight. They held a type of
duel, known as a Holmgang. Whoever won the duel was seen as being
favoured by the gods.
Women also had an opinion. The men heard the woman's opinion .

Fun things !!!!

11 BCE

Sporting events were major forms of entertainment. Archery, spear
throwing, swordplay, wresting, fist fighting, stone throwing, stone lifting, running and jumping were all very popular. Everyone played including women and kids. Skiing and skating were winter sports. Storytelling, feasting , and poetry were also major forms of entertainment. All Vikings, women, men, and kids loved games of agility, games of balance.

Even more fun

11 BCE

One popular game was oar leaping - leaping from oar to oar,
while men rowed a boat. To leap from oar to oar all the way around a boat without falling in the water was hailed as a great achievement. Those rowing would wiggle their oars and do their best to toss the leaper into the sea, much to the amusement of everyone.

Religion and jobs

11 BCE

Archaeologists and historians do not know very much about how the
Vikings worshiped their gods. There are tales of "magic trees' '.
Perhaps the Vikings built wooden shrines or temples. Once the Vikings
began to migrate to other areas like Britain, France, and Germany, they
were introduced to Christianity. Some Vikings became Christians. They
built churches and hung crosses. Some Vikings continued to worship the
old gods.

religion

11 BCE

Some did both. Old warriors especially believed in the old ways. There was a place in Norse myth called Valhalla, where dead heroes were honored with banquets and feasts. Valhalla was in the palace of the greatest god of all, the mighty Odin. The sure way a warrior could reach Valharra was to die in battle. After a Viking warrior died, he was buried or cremated with some of his belongings.

What they believed

11 BCE

The sure way a warrior could reach Valharra was to
die in battle. After a Viking warrior died, he was buried or cremated with
some of his belongings. The dead body of a Viking chief might be put
aboard his beloved boat. The boat was burned or buried so that the
chief would have his boat with him when he entered Valharra.