Trondheim viking

Trondheim viking contains historical overview of everyday life in Trondheim (Nidaros) during viking era such as: everyday life, clothing,food and diet, games, sport,health, trades, classes in the viking society, women in society,honor, viking raids, languages and the end of their era.

Everyday life in Trondheim during the Viking era

The people lived in small farms. However, the nature of these settlements was different from one region to another. The farms tended to be categorized into small villages. In less wealthy areas, individual farms were well separated.

A well prosperous farm enclosed by fences. Outside the fenced areas were the fields used for cultivation. Each home consisted of a longhouse and multiple out-buildings.

People grow hays in order to maintain the farm animals over the winter. Hay was required for the animals that were sheltered under cover over the winter.It was necessary to put up sufficient hay each autumn to maintain the livestock until spring.Sheep and goats could survive the winter. During Viking era, farmers needed to be self-sufficient.

Farm life in the Viking age was a constant struggle against starvation, cold, and disease. Most people used to work their entire waking hours.

Every farmer had to be prepared to defend his farm and property. A sense of solidarity was expected on a farm, between the farmer and his wife, on one hand, and the servants and farm hands on the other.That is why in exchange for obedience and support, the farmer provided for defense and safety of his servants.

Clothing in Trondheim during the Viking era

Clothing was a sign of hospitality. Any family which could afford have more clothing would certainly keep warm.

Clothing appears to have been comfortable, and practical. It's surprisingly warm, but adjusts for varying temperature ranges.

Food and diet in Trondheim during the Viking era

People ate agricultural products which were raised on their own farms. They had meat from their cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and poultry. They used to plant cereals. Their dairy products were milk from their cows, sheep , goats, as well as cheese and butter.

The vegetables were such as: beans, cabbage, onions, and an assortment of herbs; and wild fruits, such as apples, pears, cloud berries,blue berries and raspberries.

The only available sweetener in that time was wild honey. viking Trondheim viking

Games and sport in the Viking age

People loved board games (indoor activity during winter) and outdoor.

Boards games were common and have been found in some viking graves with ranging from 7x7 squares to 19x19 squares. Playing pieces were made of bone, antler, amber, bronze and wood. It's unclear whether dice was a part of this board game, or, more likely, a different game. Many Viking kings were good at playing board games.

According to the Viking mythology the Viking gods played board games in the meadow, during the golden age of the gods. It was predicted that after Ragnar�k, good fortune will return, after finding the golden playing pieces once again in the meadow. Another indoor game was drinking game.

There were also ball games, skin throwing games, wrestling, swimming, skiing and horse fights. The games were important social events for the community and might last for days.

Games took place during feasts or religious festivals. Sometimes prominent men called people together for a leikm�te (games meeting) specifically to take part in games.

However, the competition was a bit more rugged. There were serious injury or death.

The swimming competitions might be more accurately called drowning competitions; the goal was to see who could hold his breath underwater the longest.

Skiing and Ice skating was also common among people from Trondheim in Viking age.

Health , medicine and burial in the viking age

People were neat during the Viking age. Women had their long hair. According to the law women were prohibited from wearing their hair short.

The average height of men in Norway in the Viking era, based on skeletal measurements, was 176cm (5ft 9in), with a range from 170-181cm (5ft 7in to 5ft 11in), which was taller than other Europeans during this time. The average height of women was 160cm (5ft 3in), with a range from 149-164cm (4ft 11in to 5ft 5in).

According to the studies of burial remains from the Viking age, one can assume that people had good health and long life compare to the other countries. Good health was seen as an extension of good luck.

Both the saga literature and forensic studies of skeletal remains suggest that battle injuries could also be horrific.

Magic was used to heal the injuries received in a duel.

Wealthy and powerful men were sometimes buried in a ship. A structure was built on the deck in which the body was laid. It was not unknown for his wife to voluntarily join him. Horses, slaves, farm animals, and all the trappings of wealth were placed on board the ship before it was buried.

Trades

Most of the trading was over short distances. A smaller number of international trading centers attracted merchants from Europe, the Arab states, and even Asia.

Some of the exports during viking age were timber, iron, soapstone, whetstones, barley and tar. Silver was used as a medium of exchange, in the form of coins, unworked silver rods, and in the form of jewelry.

The value of silver was based solely by weight, so if the weight of a piece of jewelry was more than needed to complete a purchase, it was cut into bits to make up the correct weight for the transaction.

Classes

The majority of Norsemen belonged to the middle class. These people were freemen and land owners. They were the farmers, the smiths, and the just plain folks. Families of middle class usually lived in clusters of two or more buildings, typically longhouses supplemented by barns and workshops.

Slaves generally worked in the farms. The harder and less desirable work frequently fell on the backs of the slaves. Slavery existed throughout all the Norse lands in the Viking age and ended in 13^th century.

Women in society

A woman was, by law, under the authority of her husband or father.She had only limited freedom to dispose of her belonging. She was prohibited. from participating in most political or governmental activities.

Women were respected in Norse society and had great freedom, especially when compared to other European societies of that era. They managed the finances of the family. They ran the farm in their husband's absence. In widowhood, they could be rich and important landowners. The law protected women from a wide range of unwanted attention. In some old law books there are lists of penalties for offenses ranging from kissing to intercourse.

Honor and dueling

The concept of "honor" and of a "good name" were common among people in Trondheim. A man fights until the end for defending and protecting his honor.

Viking raids

The Norse were looking for three things: new victims, new partners with which to trade and new land on which to settle. In many cases, Norse voyages included all three activities.

The raids were usually opportunistic, against targets that could be attacked, plundered, and departed from quickly. Vikings stayed along the coast or on navigable rivers; overland marches were avoided. The goal was to grab as much valuable booty as possible before an effective defense could be raised. Typical booty included weapons, tools, clothing, jewelry, precious metals, and people who could be sold as slaves.

Vikings invaded Europe for many years and Warriors from Nidaros were also among them.

The Viking raids didn't come to an end with any singular event. Some would say the widespread conversion to Christianity in the Norse lands at the beginning of the 11^th century signaled the end of the Viking age. The teachings of the Christian religion did not encompass the kinds of activities that took place on a typical raid.

In the year 1066, King Harald of Norway died trying to conquer England. It would be the last major Norse raid. In the same year, Polish tribesmen overran and destroyed Hedeby, the primary Norse trading center. The climate turned colder that century, making life more difficult in the north. The Norse influence in continental Europe gradually declined.

Languages

Old Norse was spoken throughout the Norse lands during the Viking period. Old Norse is one of ten branches that make up the Indo-European family of languages which have been spoken throughout Europe and southern Asia for the last 3000 years.

This is the root language from which the modern Scandinavian languages descended, and is a close relative of modern English, Dutch, and German.

During the period from 550-750 AD, the language was not a barrier in Europe; from Greenland to the Baltic. However, there is evidence that, despite the common language, a man's homeland could be identified by his accent. See Norwegian language

Vikings destiny

What happened to Vikings?

Raiding and fighting was a part time occupation by a small percentage of the population. Few Vikings were professional soldiers, although like all men in this era, they were familiar with the use of weapons.

Most of the people were farmers who wanted to take care of their family. They were business men who saw raiding as a means of acquiring capital that could be invested in a ship, in a farm, or in a business.

When Christianity arrived to Norway. The viking age ended.See History of Trondheim.

The Viking age ended when the raids stopped in year 1066. At the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian king Harald was killed as he attempted to reclaim a portion of England. It was the last major Viking incursion into Europe.

index Trondheim hotels contact Our link Partners