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Apr 21, 650
Longships (Snekke)
These were spectacular warships developed by the Vikings over thousands of years. Two of the main developments were the keel and the sail. The keel provided stability and the sail allowed the ships to travel faster and further.
The number of oars varied from 26 to 70. A large oar on the right hand side at the stern of the ship was used for steering. The Vikings built ships for a variety of purposes- cargo ships for transport, merchant ships called 'Knorr', and boats for fishing and local travel -
Apr 21, 700
Settlements
The style of Viking house depended on the climate and the materials available. In areas of Scandinavia where wood was plentiful houses were constructed from wood frames covered with planks.
Poorer people made the walls of their houses with wattle and daub. Most settlements in Viking times were small farming communities which developed in areas of fertile land. There few large towns which grew into important trade posts like Dublin -
Apr 21, 750
Clothes and Jewellery
Most people wore clothes of wool and linen, woven at home and dyed with vegetables and minerals. The quality and design of a persons clothing and jewellery depended on their wealth and status. Rich people wore fine cloth dyed in rich shades, decorated with silk from China and gold and silver threads. Poor people wore plain garments and were made of coarse, undyed cloth.
The Vikings wore a lot of exquisitely decorated jewellery. The most popular ornaments worn by women were tunic broaches. -
Apr 21, 1000
Beliefs
In 1000AD the Vikings adopted Christianity although they often continued worshiping their old gods as well.
Before this adoption they worshiped Norse gods and goddesses. Some of these included: Odin- the chief of the gods, Thor- the god of thunder, and Frey- the god of fertility.
They made sacrifices to their gods and in return they hoped for good harvests and successful battles
They also believed that the souls of the less worthy were taken to the land of the dead ruled by the goddess 'Hel' -
Apr 21, 1004
Brian Boru
Brian Boru was a High King of Ireland from 1004 and dedicated his life to ridding Ireland of Vikings.
He helped his brother Mahoun to become king of Munster. Together they beat the Danes at the Battle of Solloghead.
The Irish tried many times to fight out the Viking invaders. High King Brian Boru encouraged the Irish to fight the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf.
Rebellion broke out and Brian was killed while killed while he was praying before the battle. -
Eric Bloodaxe
He had a reputation as a fierce warrior as his name implies. He was the king of Norway from 930 to 936.
The king was the most important ruler but there was others in the country who also held power. This meant his younger brother was able to drive him off the throne and force him into exile.
His coin reads ERIC REX- REX is Latin for king -
Words and Pictures
The Vikings had their own form of alphabet called 'The Futhark' after the first 6 letters of their alphabet. The characters or letters are called runes.
The runes are carved with a sharp point, (a knife or sword), onto wood, stone, bone or metal.
The futhark has 16 characters.
Adventures of warriors and the gods might be carved as picture stories onto stones. -
Invasion of Ireland
In the 8th century Ireland was a very prosperous country. Irish monasteries had become the focus of learning and of great wealth and were a good target for the Vikings. Raiders first appeared in 790's and carried out swift, vicious raids on the isolated coastal villages and monasteries.
When the Norwegian fleets first arrived they builds fortified camps called 'long-phorts' which grew into cities such as Dublin, Wexford, Waterford and Cork. -
Viking Deaths and Burials
The Vikings believed in a life after death. They thought that anything buried with a dead person would accompany him or her into the next life. The size of a Viking grave and the quality of its grave goods reflected the wealth and status of its occupant. The greatest honour for a Viking warrior was to die in battle. Some rich men and women were burned in boats with their processions.
People were buried with their clothes and weapons -
Weapons
All free Viking men had the right to carry weapons, even at home. The main weapons were a sword, a spear, a dagger and an axe. All men were trained from boyhood to use weapons and were expected to defend their country and fight for their chieftain or king when ordered to.
Most warriors wore helmets made of leather or metal. Some helmets had a rounded top and eye and nose guard. Others had conical (slightly pointed) top and a straight nose piece.
