Viking women

By Molly

Clothes

• Viking women wore a long linen dress. It could be either plain or pleated. Over the dress they wore a long woolen tunic, a little like an apron. It was held up by a pair of brooches, sometimes joined by a chain or string of beads. Over the tunic she might wear a shawl. Her legs and feet were covered with thick woolly socks and soft leather shoes.

Clothes• Like most people in Europe at

the time, the Vikings used wool more than anything else for making clothes. The Vikings brought sheep with them to the islands they settled in the North Atlantic for wool and meat. "The Faeroe Islands" even means "the Sheep islands". Clothes were spun and woven by the women. They also dyed the cloth with mineral and vegetable dyes of red, green, brown, yellow or blue.

Cooking

• The Vikings enjoyed many different foods and drinks, despite the harsh climate in their home in northern Europe. They were also very frugal with their food, since there was not much available. For example, any fish that was not eaten was immediately preserved.

Cooking• Much of a Viking woman's time

was spent cooking. A stove was placed in the middle of the one-room house. Although they had a hole in the roof, Viking houses were always smoky. The actual stove was constructed of metal. Dishes were made of wood, mainly beech wood. Storage jars were made of ceramics. Viking children were kept occupied with a multitude of chores around the farmyard. Such work included feeding the livestock, weeding the garden, and chasing pesky birds away from the crops. After a meal, Viking women would sew.