The Viking Age 793-1066The Viking Age 793-1066

Timeline of the Viking AgeTimeline of the Viking Age Socio-Economic structure Socio-Economic structure Political StructurePolitical Structure Religious dynamicsReligious dynamics MythologyMythology

Timeline of the Viking AgeTimeline of the Viking Age 793: Lindisfarne Raid793: Lindisfarne Raid 845: Viking Raids on 845: Viking Raids on

Moorish SpainMoorish Spain 852: Swedish Rus traders 852: Swedish Rus traders

become dominant along become dominant along VolgaVolga

870: Settlement of Iceland 870: Settlement of Iceland beginsbegins

886: Danelaw treaty 886: Danelaw treaty between Alfred and between Alfred and GuthrumGuthrum

912: Gongu-Hrolf and his 912: Gongu-Hrolf and his men take parts of men take parts of NormandyNormandy

930: First Althing930: First Althing 1000: Icelandic conversion1000: Icelandic conversion 1066: Norman conquest1066: Norman conquest

Lindisfarne, UK

Viking targets, North Sea

Socio-Economic StructureSocio-Economic Structure Social positionsSocial positions

– FreemanFreeman– Foster relationsFoster relations– Hired handHired hand– SlaveSlave– Relatively simple and non-Relatively simple and non-

hierarchical system in hierarchical system in comparison to feudal comparison to feudal system’s more intricate system’s more intricate ranks and ordersranks and orders

Household as domestic unitHousehold as domestic unit Sources of wealthSources of wealth

– Production of trade goodsProduction of trade goods– Relationships, rather than Relationships, rather than

liquidityliquidityPortrait of Egil, as known through Egils saga Skallagrímsson

Political StructurePolitical Structure Political rolesPolitical roles

– LawspeakerLawspeaker– GodiGodi– ThingmenThingmen

Political institutionsPolitical institutions– Local thingsLocal things

Governing assembly of pagan Governing assembly of pagan Norse societyNorse society

Consensus among peersConsensus among peers Dispute settlementDispute settlement No absolutismNo absolutism

– CompensationCompensation LivesLives ProperyPropery

DynamicsDynamics– Knowledge of lawsKnowledge of laws– Alliance building and maintenanceAlliance building and maintenance– Honor and reputationHonor and reputation

From local allegiance to From local allegiance to centralized structurecentralized structure

Imagined Althing

Thingvellir

Religious DynamicsReligious Dynamics

A note on sourcesA note on sources Why is Norse paganism Why is Norse paganism

of interest? of interest? – Latest surviving heathen Latest surviving heathen

religious forms in Europereligious forms in Europe– Role of Vikings and their Role of Vikings and their

legal systemlegal system Cult Worship Cult Worship

– ““Blót”Blót” activity activity– SacrificeSacrifice

AltarsAltars Temple at UppsalaTemple at Uppsala

– ShamanismShamanism Open-air places of Open-air places of

worshipworship Odin “the shapeshifter”Odin “the shapeshifter”

Midwinter blót (at the Temple at Uppsala), by Carl Larsson (1915)

Norse MythologyNorse Mythology ““Euhemerization”Euhemerization” RagnarrokRagnarrok

– Destruction of the GodsDestruction of the Gods– End of mythical presentEnd of mythical present

YggdrasilYggdrasil– World treeWorld tree– Victims hung from trees in Victims hung from trees in

sacrificesacrifice OdinOdin

– King of GodsKing of Gods– One-eyeOne-eye

HávamálHávamál– ““Saying of the High One” Saying of the High One” – MaximsMaxims– ExamplesExamples– Odin’s sacficeOdin’s sacfice

ThorThor– HammerHammer– God of WarGod of War

Wilden Jäger as Wotan,

Berlin 1876

Bronze Thor, circa 1000 Iceland (7 CM)

ConclusionConclusion Viking Age is limited period of huge Viking Age is limited period of huge

Scandinavian impact on EuropeScandinavian impact on Europe Socio-economic and political structureSocio-economic and political structure

– Honor societyHonor society– Quasi-democraticQuasi-democratic– Sufficiently flexible to allow emergence of Sufficiently flexible to allow emergence of

“independent” dynamics of Viking age“independent” dynamics of Viking age Religious dynamicsReligious dynamics

– ““Last heathens in Europe”Last heathens in Europe”– Source of information about pre-Christian Source of information about pre-Christian

EuropeEurope– Literary wellspringLiterary wellspring