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

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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

EconomyEconomy– Barter and MoneyBarter and Money

Foreign tradeForeign trade Domestic agricultureDomestic agriculture

– 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

Sagas)Sagas)– Njal’s SagaNjal’s Saga– Egil’s SagaEgil’s Saga

Edda Edda PoemsPoems– Poetic EddaPoetic Edda (Old) (Old)– Prose EddaProse Edda (Young) (Young)– Skaldic verseSkaldic verse

Learned SagasLearned Sagas– Icelanders’ BookIcelanders’ Book– HeimskringlaHeimskringla

Other formsOther forms– Legendary sagas (Volsung’s Saga) Legendary sagas (Volsung’s Saga) – Saints livesSaints livesVellum manuscript

page of saga

System of JusticeSystem of Justice Social HierarchySocial Hierarchy

– GoGoðði (Cheiftain)i (Cheiftain)– Thingman (Backer)Thingman (Backer)– BondBondðrðr (Farmer) (Farmer)– SlaveSlave

The stakesThe stakes– Personal fortunePersonal fortune– HonorHonor– Relative flexibilityRelative flexibility

AssembliesAssemblies– Althing (930-1271)Althing (930-1271)

National summer assemblyNational summer assembly LawspeakerLawspeaker LögréttaLögrétta

– VarthingVarthing Local assemblies of spring and Local assemblies of spring and

fallfall– ProsecutionProsecution– DebtDebt

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Historical Icelandic Farm Site

Wergild SystemWergild System Amoral but pragmatic Amoral but pragmatic

system based on system based on compensationcompensation

Price of a lifePrice of a life Legal recourseLegal recourse

– Oral lawOral law– DeclarationDeclaration– WitnessesWitnesses– ProsecutionProsecution

AdvocacyAdvocacy– Devolved social systemDevolved social system– RespectRespect– StatusStatus

Outlaw statusOutlaw status

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19th-century version of Njal from Njal’s Saga

Blood FeudBlood Feud Causes of Blood FeudCauses of Blood Feud

– Territorial disputeTerritorial dispute– Murder and blood Murder and blood

moneymoney– Dowries and Dowries and

inheritancesinheritances– SatisfactionSatisfaction– MobilizationMobilization

Godi and thingmenGodi and thingmen– Rising and falling Rising and falling

fortunesfortunes– Restraint in violenceRestraint in violence– Long-term Long-term

consequencesconsequences

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Outlaw Grettir Asmundarson from Grettir’s Saga illuistration

The Family SagasThe Family Sagas Njal’s SagaNjal’s Saga most famous of family most famous of family

sagassagas ThemesThemes

– Honor, fortitude, heroismHonor, fortitude, heroism– Farmers and slaves, not kings and Farmers and slaves, not kings and

princesprinces– Contrast to Epic and RomanceContrast to Epic and Romance

StyleStyle– TerseTerse– Focus on actual social types (genealogy) Focus on actual social types (genealogy)

rather than psychological experiencerather than psychological experience Typical plotTypical plot

– Introduction of daily life in contextIntroduction of daily life in context– Conflict emerges out of daily lifeConflict emerges out of daily life

MarriageMarriage PropertyProperty JealousyJealousy

– 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