Vikings

Who were the Vikings?

Most of them came from the areas now know as Denmark, Norway and
Sweden.
They came from a foreign land, and they were not civilized.

Navigation

Vikings were really good in the sea.

They were known for having the

fastest ships

They were really good at

interpreting the suns position for
guidance.

Economy

Their strongest income was from

commerce. They transported large
quantities of certain materials and
sold them in Europe and Oriental
ports.

The materials they sold were:

Viking cities were a great place for

blacksmiths and craftsmen since selling
products was their main income
economically.

Linen

Ivory

Silk

Metals

Wool

Gold

Camel Wool

Silver

Society

Although Vikings were considered barbarians, their society was well

established, and advanced.

They had a kind of political hierarchy.

Many historians believe that Viking society was one of the first ancestors of
todays democracy.

Society

They had 3 Social classes:

Jarl
They were the Noble class

Karl
They were the Middle class
Thrall
They were slaves.

Jarl

They were the Noble Class

They were in charge of the land

They were distinguished for their wealth & their

followers.

They were expected to lead their people to annual

raids, and to share the loot in a fair, and honest way.

If a Jarl couldnt fulfill these requirements, people had

the right to substitute him with another one.

Karl

They were the middle class.

Most of the Vikings were Karls

They were free men, farmers, cattle raisers, craftsmen,

blacksmiths, etc.

They accompanied Jarls into raids

They usually worked in the land owned by Jarls

Thrall

They were slaves

Vikings didnt use their own people as slaves

They used prisoners from previous raids.

Problem solving

When there was a legal issue (stealing, homicide,

betrayal) Karls were called into a meeting called a
Thing so they could give their opinion and solve the
problem.

Since honor was a very important value for Norse men,

if they considered you have dishonored them, they
have the right to dare you to a Holmgang.

Women

Believe it or not, Viking women had rights that protected them from
abuse.

If they were mistreated, or kissed without consent, they had the right to
accuse the culprit, and he was taken to a Thing, were he had to pay a
large amount of money as forgiveness.

They had the right to divorce and get married again.

They went to raids with men. But mainly, they stayed in their
home, taking care of their children, and the familiar economy.

War

They went to war with other countries and civilizations to conquer

land and to loot the enemies.

They went to war with other Viking clans to gain power, respect
and to expand their territory.

Their favorite way of fighting was on water. They used their fast
ships and tried no to harm the enemy ships so they could keep
them.

End Of The Viking Edge

The events of 1066 in England effectively marked the end of the Viking
Age.

Today, signs of the Viking legacy can be found mostly in the

Scandinavian origins of some vocabulary.

In Iceland, the Vikings left an extensive body of literature.