Viking Society Viking Society How Do We Know About Viking Society? How Do We Know About Viking Society? Settlement of Iceland Settlement of Iceland – Living Conditions Living Conditions – Economy Economy The Sagas and Viking Age Iceland The Sagas and Viking Age Iceland Social Structure in Iceland Social Structure in Iceland System of Justice System of Justice Blood Feud Blood Feud Family Sagas Family Sagas
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Viking Society How Do We Know About Viking Society? Settlement of Iceland –Living Conditions –Economy The Sagas and Viking Age Iceland Social Structure.
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Viking SocietyViking Society
How Do We Know About Viking Society?How Do We Know About Viking Society? Settlement of IcelandSettlement of Iceland
– Living ConditionsLiving Conditions– EconomyEconomy
The Sagas and Viking Age IcelandThe Sagas and Viking Age Iceland Social Structure in IcelandSocial Structure in Iceland System of JusticeSystem of Justice Blood FeudBlood Feud Family SagasFamily Sagas
How do We Know About How do We Know About Viking Society?Viking Society?
Archaeological RecordArchaeological Record– Burial sitesBurial sites– Imports and exportsImports and exports
Place NamesPlace Names– ““-by”-by”– ““Pedersturp”Pedersturp”– ““-Thorp-Thorp
Oral and Print CultureOral and Print Culture– Fluidity of oral cultureFluidity of oral culture– Greater fixity of print Greater fixity of print
cultureculture– Christianity as religion of Christianity as religion of
the bookthe book SagasSagas
– Wealth of informationWealth of information– ““Textual” characterTextual” character
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Iceland is major source of information about the Viking Age
Settlement of IcelandSettlement of Iceland Isolated settlements of Irish Isolated settlements of Irish
monks in islands of North monks in islands of North Atlantic 700-800Atlantic 700-800
Settlement of Iceland 870-930Settlement of Iceland 870-930– Flleing Harald the Fairhaired’s Flleing Harald the Fairhaired’s
Unification of NorwayUnification of Norway– 10-20,000 settlers10-20,000 settlers– Taking of fertile landTaking of fertile land
Who came to Iceland?Who came to Iceland?– Scandianavians and CeltsScandianavians and Celts– Chieftains Chieftains – Genetic studiesGenetic studies
Establishment of Establishment of AlthingAlthing 930 930– Annual meetingAnnual meeting– Recitation of lawsRecitation of laws– Settlement of disputesSettlement of disputes– Least hierarchy in IcelandLeast hierarchy in Iceland
Thingvöllr: Site of original Althing
Living Conditions in IcelandLiving Conditions in Iceland Living Conditions in IcelandLiving Conditions in Iceland
– Poor ResourcesPoor Resources Volcanic RockVolcanic Rock Lack of woodLack of wood Severity of ClimateSeverity of Climate
– FoodFood Dairy farmingDairy farming Problem of preservationProblem of preservation
– ClothingClothing IsolationIsolation Relative lack of resourcesRelative lack of resources
– Sources of wealthSources of wealth WoolWool Dairy productsDairy products WoodWood Luxury itemsLuxury items
Typical Viking-age long house
Wool: Source of wealth
Sagas as Historical SourcesSagas as Historical Sources Saga are the narratives about Saga are the narratives about
Icelandic society and its Icelandic society and its mythology written down in mythology written down in Christian Iceland during the 12Christian Iceland during the 12thth and 13and 13thth centuries centuries
Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241)Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) Sagas of the Icelanders(Family Sagas of the Icelanders(Family
– Tragic consequencesTragic consequences– Potential for FeudPotential for Feud
Brattahlíð, site of Eirik the Red’s colony in southwestern Greenland
ConclusionConclusion
Maintenance of “Viking” society in Maintenance of “Viking” society in settlement society, Icelandsettlement society, Iceland
So What? Relatively undisturbed So What? Relatively undisturbed preservation of unique Viking heritage, preservation of unique Viking heritage, which provides knowledge of Viking periodwhich provides knowledge of Viking period
Sagas as historical record and compelling Sagas as historical record and compelling medieval literature, from which we can medieval literature, from which we can learn about Viking societylearn about Viking society
Insight into Viking-age, pagan societyInsight into Viking-age, pagan society