Still lovin' the Viking series on the History Channel, and am coming to appreciate how well thought out the series is and how accurate it attempts to project the Viking lifestyle of that time period.
The History Channel provides some interesting facts on the the Viking way of life, and would like to pass on some of the info the History Channel has graciously provided...in a paraphrase format....
First, the Vikings were for the most part...farmers. Although we often see Vikings depicted with a horned helmet, sword, and shield...the truth is...they were given to farming. Vikings or Norsemen as they are commonly called, would plant oats, rye, and barley as their choice of vital crops for survival during the harsh winter months, and had learned skills such as the domestication of livestock for food rather than just going on hunts continually. The livestock included cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats and would give much needed food supplies to their families.
In the T.V. series, there is a scene where "Ragnar Lothbrok" gives emphasis to the value of...English soil.
2. Viking women seemed to have more rights or equality than other cultures of that time period. It was not uncommon for a girl of the Norse tribes to be married at the early age of 12, and yet with her marital responsibilities came the running of the household....while the husband was away during "Raiding Season". It has now been discovered the wife was able to inherit property, request a divorce, and even reclaim their dowries if their marriage came to an end.
3. The Vikings really did bury their dead...in their beloved boats...the infamous longboats in certain situations. Because of the Viking love and enjoyment of this style of boat making, it was considered honorable to be buried in one. Some of this thought was derived from the Norse religion, who considered the boat a means of transportation...their final voyage...to "Valhalla".
The Vikings would place their dead comrade in a boat, along side weapons, valuables, supplies, and sometimes their slaves...that had been sacrificed in honor of their owner's death. The boats would often be set on fire as it headed out to the open sea.
4. Who needs charcoal to start a fire? To start fires the Vikings would collect a fungus grown on the bark of trees called "Touchwood". After collected, they would boil this fungus...in urine...for several days. Afterwards, this fungus soaked urine would be pounded out into a rather thin and flat surface, and with a high saturation of sodium nitrate from urine, would provide a great source for a "fire starter" for any fires needed.
5. Vikings..."clean freaks"? Recent archaeological finds reveal the Vikings put some real emphasis on cleanliness. There have been found combs, razors,tweezers, and even ear cleaners made from animal bones or antlers of deer. Vikings were also found to bathe...at least once a week...which was far more than some other European cultures of their day, and "Hot Springs" seemed a particular enjoyment to these Norsemen.
6. The Vikings were quite active...in slave trade.... in fact, human trafficking was a great source of income for the various Viking tribes.
During the "Raiding Season", pillaging areas like England, Ireland, and Spain, the Vikings would capture and sell as slaves young women and men from where they had been raiding. The Vikings referred to these captives as "Thralls", and would sell these captives throughout numerous and sometimes quite large slave markets, extending across the European continent as well as into the Middle East.
7. Vikings preferred...blondes! Brunette Viking women have been discovered to have bleached their hair with a lye-based strong soap to enable their hair to be blonde... even the men would use this soap to lighten their beards. The "bleaching of hair" actually had a two-fold purpose...it not only made their hair blonde, but would kill of head lice, a common problem during this time in history.
8. Vikings probably did not call themselves..."Vikings". Like numerous cultures of that time period, entire regions of the Scandinavian countries we know today were comprised of tribal communities with a chieftain type leadership. There really wasn't a national unity of Norse tribes, and in fact Norse tribes were known to attack one another. This was similar to the Spartans of Greece...who were led by their tribal chief.
9. Vikings liked to...ski? Vikings enjoyed the ability to get around their snowy landscape..by aid of skiing. Although Russia is given credit to this "sport", the Vikings were active in skiing perhaps as far back as possibly 6000 years. The Norse religion even had one of their many gods devoted to skiing, his name being ULLR.
10. Finally, the Viking head gear or helmets were..."horn-free". Ancient Viking helmets that have been discovered reveal no signs of horns being attached.
It appears artists of the 1800's began to depict the ancient Vikings with this attire...both by Greek and Roman historians as well. The thought behind this was to put emphasis on how ruthless and savage these ancient Vikings were...at least in the minds of later artists and various historians.
It is recognized that priests of the Norse religion did wear a type of horned helmet...but for ceremonial purposes...not during the aggression of "Raiding Season."
The History Channel provides some interesting facts on the the Viking way of life, and would like to pass on some of the info the History Channel has graciously provided...in a paraphrase format....
First, the Vikings were for the most part...farmers. Although we often see Vikings depicted with a horned helmet, sword, and shield...the truth is...they were given to farming. Vikings or Norsemen as they are commonly called, would plant oats, rye, and barley as their choice of vital crops for survival during the harsh winter months, and had learned skills such as the domestication of livestock for food rather than just going on hunts continually. The livestock included cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats and would give much needed food supplies to their families.
In the T.V. series, there is a scene where "Ragnar Lothbrok" gives emphasis to the value of...English soil.
2. Viking women seemed to have more rights or equality than other cultures of that time period. It was not uncommon for a girl of the Norse tribes to be married at the early age of 12, and yet with her marital responsibilities came the running of the household....while the husband was away during "Raiding Season". It has now been discovered the wife was able to inherit property, request a divorce, and even reclaim their dowries if their marriage came to an end.
3. The Vikings really did bury their dead...in their beloved boats...the infamous longboats in certain situations. Because of the Viking love and enjoyment of this style of boat making, it was considered honorable to be buried in one. Some of this thought was derived from the Norse religion, who considered the boat a means of transportation...their final voyage...to "Valhalla".
The Vikings would place their dead comrade in a boat, along side weapons, valuables, supplies, and sometimes their slaves...that had been sacrificed in honor of their owner's death. The boats would often be set on fire as it headed out to the open sea.
4. Who needs charcoal to start a fire? To start fires the Vikings would collect a fungus grown on the bark of trees called "Touchwood". After collected, they would boil this fungus...in urine...for several days. Afterwards, this fungus soaked urine would be pounded out into a rather thin and flat surface, and with a high saturation of sodium nitrate from urine, would provide a great source for a "fire starter" for any fires needed.
5. Vikings..."clean freaks"? Recent archaeological finds reveal the Vikings put some real emphasis on cleanliness. There have been found combs, razors,tweezers, and even ear cleaners made from animal bones or antlers of deer. Vikings were also found to bathe...at least once a week...which was far more than some other European cultures of their day, and "Hot Springs" seemed a particular enjoyment to these Norsemen.
6. The Vikings were quite active...in slave trade.... in fact, human trafficking was a great source of income for the various Viking tribes.
During the "Raiding Season", pillaging areas like England, Ireland, and Spain, the Vikings would capture and sell as slaves young women and men from where they had been raiding. The Vikings referred to these captives as "Thralls", and would sell these captives throughout numerous and sometimes quite large slave markets, extending across the European continent as well as into the Middle East.
7. Vikings preferred...blondes! Brunette Viking women have been discovered to have bleached their hair with a lye-based strong soap to enable their hair to be blonde... even the men would use this soap to lighten their beards. The "bleaching of hair" actually had a two-fold purpose...it not only made their hair blonde, but would kill of head lice, a common problem during this time in history.
8. Vikings probably did not call themselves..."Vikings". Like numerous cultures of that time period, entire regions of the Scandinavian countries we know today were comprised of tribal communities with a chieftain type leadership. There really wasn't a national unity of Norse tribes, and in fact Norse tribes were known to attack one another. This was similar to the Spartans of Greece...who were led by their tribal chief.
9. Vikings liked to...ski? Vikings enjoyed the ability to get around their snowy landscape..by aid of skiing. Although Russia is given credit to this "sport", the Vikings were active in skiing perhaps as far back as possibly 6000 years. The Norse religion even had one of their many gods devoted to skiing, his name being ULLR.
10. Finally, the Viking head gear or helmets were..."horn-free". Ancient Viking helmets that have been discovered reveal no signs of horns being attached.
It appears artists of the 1800's began to depict the ancient Vikings with this attire...both by Greek and Roman historians as well. The thought behind this was to put emphasis on how ruthless and savage these ancient Vikings were...at least in the minds of later artists and various historians.
It is recognized that priests of the Norse religion did wear a type of horned helmet...but for ceremonial purposes...not during the aggression of "Raiding Season."
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