Socials 8 Medieval 5 - Vikings Flashcards
What country did the Vikings come from?
Norway
How were the Vikings able to travel so fast and so far?
Huge fast longships
How did Vikings fight?
Violently and fast, raiding and leaving with their plunder
How did some kings and church leaders deal with the Vikings?
They paid them to leave them alone
Where does most of the information about Vikings come from?
Information comes from stories from those being attacked, so might be on the biased side but they had a fierce reputation
Were all Vikings raiders?
No, most were farmers and fishers who lived in small villages by the sea
Why did the Vikings start to raid other countries?
Because of a population explosion and the farms could no longer support the size of the families
What is a fjord?
a long, narrow, saltwater bay with high cliffs along its sides
Did all Viking women stay home while the men raided?
No, they were as fierce fighters as the men. Some even leading their own raids
What was a visible sign of female power?
The woman in charge in the household had the keys to the food chests
Why is L’Anse aux Medows a Canadian National Historic Site?
It was where the Vikings first settled in North America
Who were the thralls?
They were the Viking slaves who did the heavy work on farms
What happened to the children of thralls?
They automatically became slaves
How did a thrall become a freeman?
They could be granted freedom from their owner or could buy their freedom
Who were Odin, Thor and Freya?
They are Viking Gods
Who were skalds?
The keepers of Viking history and legends. Poets who travelled telling the stories orally because people could not read or write
Who were Law Speakers?
The people who had to memorize the laws and recite as needed
What was the most dreaded punishment for crime in Viking times?
To be declared an outlaw as anyone could kill an outlaw without question and take his/her property
How did the European kings help stop the Viking Age?
They gave areas of England and France to the Viking lords, who then protected the countries from new invaders.
What was Danelaw?
The ½ of England given to the Vikings. In the northern area
