Vikings Flashcards
Viking Culture
Vikings spent a lot of time collecting wood for fires, materials for weaving and making clothes. Houses were made out of wood and had thatched roofs made out of hay or straw. Vikings had their own pagan religion and believed in a number of Norse myths and Gods. They ate meat and fish. They drank milk and ale. There were only big feasts at funerals or season celebrations.
Vikings in York
The Vikings moved to York, because in Scandinavia it was very cold and they had already hunted down most of the animals there. In York there were way more resources and they were a lot closer and easier to get. The town was on a river that led to the North Sea, and this gave them links to the Black Sea in the east, Europe, Russia, ect. This meant a range of exotic goods arrived: Ivory, silk, Amber, ect.
Viking law and order
The way in which courts operated in the Viking times were very very different to the court today. If you were found guilty or not, you had to go through one of the three ordeals (punishments). First one was by fire, and you were made to hold a hot bar from a fire and walk three steps. Your hands would then be bandaged and if they started to heal in three days you were innocent if not, you were guilty.
Another was by cold water. This is where you were tied up and thrown into water. If you sank you were innocent if you floated you were guilty.
The final one was for the rich and important people and this was called trial by combat. This was where you would fight and the winner was right and the person who died was wrong or whoever’s blood hit the floor first.
