"'From the fury of the Norsemen, Oh Lord, deliver us!' was a frequent part of the prayers of the monks in England during the Viking era."
"The word Viking is derived from the Norse term for pirate -- vikingr -- a term that appears to mean 'coming from islets and streams', the place where men would have assembled for raiding parties. It ultimately came to be a verb used as in 'to go a 'vik'ing'."
"While Odin was the most powerful Viking god, the most popular was Thor and many Vikings wore lucky charms shaped like Thor's hammer (The source of thunder). Thor was the god of law and justice. In Thor's honor, the Icelandic National Assembly (The 'Althing') always opened on Thursday (which means 'Thor's day')."
"The Viking wife ran the household and supervised the female thralls. At her side always hung many keys to the chests and rooms holding the family wealth -- weapons, jewelry, coins, etc. When her husband left to go 'a Viking' he would publicly hand over his keys to her as a sign that she was now in charge of both farm and household until his return."
"The Vikings were violent even in their recreation. They enjoyed watching stallions fight to the death, for instance. Sometimes in swimming competitions, the swimmers tried to drown one another. Any recreation -- wrestling, a ball game ('knattleikr'), or even a board game like 'Fox and Geese' -- could end in a fight or even death."
"The Vikings always named their ships. Examples include names such as 'Raven of the Wind, or 'Ocean-striding Bison'. King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway's famous 120 foot war ship was called 'Long Serpent', while Harald Hardraade's (which means Harald the Ruthless) feared ship was called 'Great Dragon'."
"The Vikings would often offer to leave an area in peace if given a ransom -- a 'Danegold'. The raiders would divide the treasure up evenly before heading home. During the ninth century, for instance, the French handed over 685 lbs. of gold and 43,000 lbs. of silver. In 1012 the Vikings demanded 48,000 lbs. of silver and ransom for the Archbishop of Canterbury (they did not get the ransom and in retribution stoned the Archbishop to death). Cnut of Denmark conquered much of England and collected 82,500 lbs. of silver. King Charles of France gave part of his kingdom to the Danish Viking Rollo as ransom -- the area became known as Normandy (the land of the 'North Men')."
"Feasting was a favorite Viking activity. Once a Viking filled his drinking cup, he could not put it down again until it was empty. Lots were often cast for seating. If a man repeatedly drew a place next to the same girl, he was expected to marry her. These feasts lasted several days and those in attendance became very drunk. Some drank themselves to death."
"One Viking rune stone reads 'Birging, rest in peace, loved by me, Vag."
"The fare aboard Viking ships consisted of dried fish, salted meat, buttermilk, and hard rye bread. Fresh water was carried in large casks. Each person had a leather 'sleeping bag' to fend off the elements but conditions were wet and cold. Interestingly, the Viking ships were steered by a large oar, called a 'steerboard', on the right side of the ship, from which we get our term 'starboard'."
"Community service was strong in the Vikings. Groups of farmers organized into districts to care for the poor and needy families. The Viking farmers believed that it was a man's duty to plow an old person's field before he plowed his own."
"Viking law assumed a person guilty until proven innocent. 10 adults could accuse another adult of a crime to cause a case to be brought before a 'logman' (lawman) at a 'logretta' (law court). The accused might be required to swear on a priest's ring, or call 12 men to swear to his innocence, or walk over red-hot iron, snatch stones out of boiling water, etc. The role of the court was to decide which law applied and to decide on a punishment."
"Vikings had no prisons. A murderer had to pay 'wergild' (blood money) to his victim's family for instance. Thieves might be made to run a gauntlet between two lines of stone throwing people. For the worst crimes the punishment was 'outlawry', which meant that all property was forfeit and no one was allowed to render assistance to the criminal -- in fact, anyone could kill an 'outlawed' person without punishment."
"In a 'holmganga' duel a referee watched carefully as two men fought on a 10 square-foot cloak. If a man stepped off the cloak he was branded a coward ('nithing'). Each man was allowed three shields during the fight and if either man's blood should fall on the cloak he could withdraw from the fight. The man with the most wounds had to pay the other an agreed upon sum of silver. If a man died, however, all his property went to the winner and so these types of duels were usually fought to the death."
"Viking laws did protect women and women could hold property. In fact, property a women held before marriage remained hers and hers alone after marriage. A wife could demand divorce at any time and for almost any reason."
"The sagas record that Freydis, pregnant and unable to keep up the fleeing men, saved the Vinland colony by baring her breasts and slapping them with the flat side of a sword taken from a fallen Viking. The Indians became so terrified at this that they ran back to their boats and rowed away."
"Harald Hardraada (1015 - 1066 AD.) was one of the last true Vikings. A fierce member of the Varangian guard, he decided to leave to become King of Norway but legend records the emperor's daughter, in love with him, tried to keep him from going by throwing him in prison. He escaped, however, and sailed for Norway. The empress had huge iron chain stretched across the harbor mouth to stop him but Harald ordered his men to stand at the back of the ship while it sailed up on the chain. Then he and his men ran forward, tipping the boat and sliding it over the chain for his escape."
"Ibrahim al-Tartushi (950 AD.) commented on the Vikings at Hedeby's singing abilities: 'I have never heard such horrible singing. It is like a growl coming out of their throats, like the barking of dogs only still more brutish.'"
"A 'horde' is a collection of objects, usually of gold and silver, hidden in the ground. Only the person hiding the 'treasure' knew of its location and since the life of a raiding Viking was perilous, many never returned to claim the hidden hordes. There have been over 1000 of these lost Viking hordes found in modern times -- a testament to the danger of being a Viking."
"The Arab Ibn Rustah wrote in the tenth century of the 'Rus': 'They fight with the Slavs and use ships to attack them. They have no villages, no estates, or fields. When a son is born the father will go up to the newborn baby, sword in hand; throwing it down, he says 'I shall not leave you any property: you have only what you can provide with this weapon!''"
"A Rune stone in Norway reads: 'Engle raised this stone after Torald his son who found death in Vitaholm between Ustahom and Gardar.' Vitholm is now known as Vytechev, found just below Keiv, and was an important Viking fort and a gathering place for the final push into Constantinople (some six weeks away by ship)."
"Of the Berserkers a 13th century historian wrote: 'frenzied as dogs or wolves; they bit their shields; they were strong as bears or boars; they struck down men, but neither fire nor steel could mark them.' A passage from the Grettirs saga: 'King Harald made for Thorir's ship, knowing him to be a terrible berserk, and very brave. The fighting was desperate on either side. Then the king ordered his berserks, the men called Wolfskins, forward. No iron could hurt them, and when they charged nothing could withstand them.'"
"From the 'Havamal' (The speech of the high one) a Norse poem that lays out the Viking code of ethics: 'Sensible men must question and answer if they want to be thought wise. Let one know your thoughts; not two. If three, the whole world will know.'"
"A runestone reads: 'Asvaldi set up this stone in memory of Alvar his brother, a noble warrior, shamefully killed. Skogi betrayed an innocent man.'"
"From the 'Havamal' (The speech of the high one) a Norse poem that lays out the Viking code of ethics: 'Better living than not living. Only the living hold wealth. I saw a fire blaze up in a rich man's house, but death stood outside the door.'"
"Verse from the poet Sigvat Thordarson, court poet to King Olag Haraldsson, the Stout: 'Glad I was often when out On the fjords the harsh storm Drove the wind-filled sail of the king Of the Strinda-men across the water. The sea-stallion made a fine gallop The keels made Lista's neck-ring shudder As we sailed our pinnace, fiercely rushing Out across the ocean.'"
"Iceland lies about 800 miles from Norway. It is estimated that it would have take at least a week at best or at worst a month to reach it even if travelers stopped in the Shetland or Faeroe Islands along the way. It would have been a very dangerous journey, but starting around 860 AD., settlers began the trip, some simply seeking new opportunity, but the greater part fleeing from Norway's King Finehair ruthless rule."
"The first assembly of the Icelandic 'Althing' took place in 930 AD. This date is considered the birth of Iceland as an independent nation, free from any royal rule -- completely self-governing. The 'Althing' was a general judicial assembly that met every year for two weeks, in the open air, to make major decision for Iceland as a whole. In the assembly of 980 AD., Eric the Red was outlawed from Iceland for murder. Eric subsequently sailed for Greenland, a land accidentally discovered 60 years earlier by Gunnbjorn Ulj-Krakuson who had been blown off course on a trip from Iceland to Norway.'"
"Eric the Red sailed to Greenland with an expedition of 25 ships -- only 14 made it. Some may have turned back, but many of those that did not make it must have sunk in the Atlantic. The 14 ships reached the fjords of Julianehab bay and founded the Eastern Greenland settlement. Some people subsequently sailed up along the coast 650 kilometers to Godthabsfjord to found the Western Greenland settlement. The Eastern settlement was made up of 190 farms, the Western of some 90 farms. Between the two settlements lay 20 farms that were referred to as the 'Middle' settlement.'"
"Eric the Red's wife, Thjodhild, converted to Christianity after their son Leif returned to Greenland having been charged with the task of converting the colony to the new faith by King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway. She built a small sod church for herself and the other Christians. Eric refused to join the new faith and Thjodhild refused to live with him after that, which, according to the sagas, 'annoyed him greatly'."
"Leif the Lucky, Eric the Red's son, set sail, 10 to 15 years after Bjarni had discovered Baffin Island and Labrador, to retrace Bjarni's steps but sailed two more days south to discover a land he called 'Vinland' (Vineland) because of the many wild grapes he found growing there. He and his companions spent the winter at Vinland before returning to Greenland."
"A Viking settlement has now been found and excavated at L'Anse-aux-Meadows on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. But many believe that his cannot be 'Vinland', a land of wild grapes, because it is far to the North of the grape growing region. The most likely explanation is the L'Anse-aux-Meadows served as a gateway to Vinland, which lies much further to the South but is as yet undiscovered.'"
"There have been Viking artifacts found at North American sites other than L'Anse-aux-Meadows. For instance a Norse penny, minted between 1067 and 1093 AD. was found in Maine Indian camp. Archaeologists have also found cloth, chain mail, and fragments of Viking iron and copper at Inuit villages. A Inuit wooden figure of a Viking was found at Baffin Island -- probably the result of a face to face encounter. Interestingly, in 1922 New England steam-clam shells were found on a Danish beach and radio-carbon dated to the 13th century. Possibly they had been brought there by the Vikings or even come attached to their ship hulls."
"Sometime before 1350 AD. the smaller Western Settlement of Greenland disappeared. In 1540 an Icelander named John Greenlander sailed into the Eastern Colony only to find it totally deserted. He found booths, stone houses, and the body of a hooded man lying face down on the ground. Expeditions were periodically sent out from Iceland well into the 18th century searching for survivors but none were ever found."
"Greenlander Niels Egede, in the 18th century, recorded a conversation with an old Inuit shaman that tells of a great pirate fleet attack on Greenland and the possible reason for its demise. He told of a pirate fleet with buccaneers 'who fought with the settlers, plundering and killing.' When the pirates came back the next year the Inuit took some of the Norse women and children into protection while the men fought. When the Inuit returned 'everything had been carried away, the houses and farms were burned down.' The women and children continued to live with the Inuit.'"
"John of Wallingford, an Englishman, accused the Danish Vikings of things such as : 'frequent bathing, hair combing, and wearing of clean undergarments in order to overcome the chastity of the English women and procure the daughters of nobleman as their mistresses.'"
