1.2. Who ruled the Vikings? Flashcards
In their homelands, where did the vikings live?
In their homelands of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, the Vikings lived in small towns and villages.
What did the vikings do in their homelands?
They farmed, fished, and hunted.
What is the leader of a town of a village called?
In early Viking times, each town or village had its own leader, called a chief.
What did the chief control?
The chief controlled a large area of land.
How many kings ruled Scandinavia by 1000 CE?
By 1000 CE, each of the Viking countries, Sweden, Norway and Denmark had just one king who ruled the whole country.
What right did the sons have when a Viking king died?
When a Viking king died, all his sons had an equal right to inherit his land.
How did fierce fighting between royal families happen?
In 930 CE, King Eric of Norway killed two of his brothers so he could rule. A few years later, Eric’s younger brother, Haakon, fought against Eric. Eric escaped from Norway and settled in Britain. Haakon then became King of Norway and ruled from 934 to 961 CE.
How many social classes did the viking society have?
Under the king, Viking society had three social classes; the jarls, the karls, and the thralls.
Who were the Jarls?
Jarls were the richest and most powerful local chiefs.
What social class did the Karls belong to?
Karls belonged to the middle class.
What jobs did the Karls mostly do?
They were farmers, merchants and craftspeople. They also traded with other countries and went to war and on raids.
Who were the Thralls?
Thralls were the slaves.
How were the Thralls sold?
They were captured in war or purchased by traders and sold in the market.
What did female Thralls do?
Female thralls cooked, wove cloth, and sometimes helped on the farms.
What and how did the male Thralls work?
Male thralls worked hard doing any work that their owner wanted them to do. They worked in the fields, mended houses, and blacksmith.
