Rosa did not look around. A confrontation would do her no good. She focused on the sleepily clucking hens, the whispery rush of their ruffled feathers.
When she did look back, the women were gone. Men sat sharpening tools or hunched over vegetable patches eyed her warily. During the accident they had seen how easily she took control and did not like it.
Rosa had expected to at least see Björn again. His wound would need seeing to and a new poultice applied. Not once did he appear at her door, not even to visit his grandmother.
Instead, she found on the doorstep curious gifts: a flagon of ale, gulls’ eggs, even a basket of honey, the comb sticky and gleaming, broken into clumps. When she did manage to catch a glimpse of the boy, he bowed his head to her. It was a quick, nervous jerk, as if afraid.
This week’s blog post to go alongside The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm will describe what a Viking settlement would have looked like. Earlier blog posts were about the Vikings in Norfolk and Viking beliefs.
Viking Social Structure
There were four social classes in Viking society:
Viking upper society consisted of chieftains (Jarls), who answered to a chieftain considered king amongst them. Freemen (Karls) supported their chieftains in exchange for protection while their slaves (Thralls) were seen as lesser than, that they were born to serve their Viking masters.
The role of a king or chieftain was often tenuous. The title of king was not inherited, instead the power taken by force, leaving the current ruler constantly on guard for any traitorous followers with lofty ambitions.
Chieftains gained and held on to their power through money, social connections and the support of the freemen from his clan.
At the time Bride is set, money was not yet properly seen as legal tender. Vikings used a barter system instead, trading what they themselves made, such as woven baskets or a snared rabbit. Metal was greatly favoured as well as jewellery.
When Vikings went raiding and wanted to use the coins they had stolen, they bent or cut them so they became hacksilver. This meant the coin’s value wasn’t what was carved into it, but the weight of the silver itself.
A chieftain had to be generous and fair in dealing with his people, else they might soon abandon him for a less stingy leader...
Karls were the working class of this society. They were warriors, fishermen, farmers, merchants, those who had to work to earn their bread. Then there were the thralls, men, women and children who were carried off by Vikings during raids and forced into slavery. They came from all over the world, such as Spain, Ireland and Eastern Europe.
Many Viking romances have the heroine being carried off by a warlord to be his servant. In reality, such a beginning would not have had a happy ending. Life as a thrall was brutal. Some slaves were allowed to work side jobs to buy back their freedom, but the social stigma was carried through their family for generations.
In the Eddic poem, Rígsþula, the God Rig (who is argued to either be Odin or Heimdall) wanders and stays in three households. One is a hut, the second a good sized, tidy home and the third a mansion. He lays between each couple who welcome him in, and nine months later a child is born.
For the first couple, their child is considered ugly but strong, and his descendants are named the race of slaves. The second child arrives and he is called Karl, his children are the freemen. In the third house, Jarl is born and his offspring shall be the chieftains to oversee the different clans. The youngest son from this family is called Konr, and the name is believed to be the origin for the Norse word for king.
Vikings believed their society’s class structure to have sprung forth from the Gods themselves... or it’s an effective story to teach children to know their place.
Viking Houses
Longhouses were the most common Viking home. They were built with materials such as wood, stone or clay, and their design has been compared to the hull of a ship. Some longhouses, such as ones in Iceland, had walls and roofs made of turf and seemed to almost merge with the land itself.
Inside, the main entrance resembled an aisle, with curtains to section off ‘rooms’ on the sides for privacy. Light and ventilation entered through smoke holes in the thatched roof, which could be opened and shut depending on the weather.
They had a packed dirt floor with a firepit in the centre. Mice were a common sight, which might be a reason why some sources suggest a kitten would be gifted to a married couple for their new home.*
*This little bit of trivia hasn’t been completely proven, although some argue that as the Goddess of Love (Freyja) is associated with cats it would have been a suitable gift. I myself couldn’t resist adding it to my book! :)
Reenactors often comment how surprisingly bright the inside of a longhouse is, though if a smoke hole became blocked up or a draft slipped in it would be dim and overwhelmingly smoky.
Longhouses were where people relaxed, ate and worked, with outbuildings dotted around as pantries and storage. When a feast was held or other important event (festival, marriage, blood feud) took place, then the community went to the mead hall. This was where the chieftain lived and hosted his followers.
In The Bride Who Rode in With the Storm, I wanted to symbolise the divide between Grimulf and his people. After so long away, and choosing an unsuitable bride, there is a disconnect for the warrior. Rather than stay in the mead hall, he prefers the quiet of a smaller longhouse out of the way, which only proves to the villagers Grimulf’s reluctance to accept his new role.
The most familiar depiction of Vikings and Saxons in old films and video games are when they celebrate in mead halls. Benches heave with warriors. Mead spills from drinking horns crashing together. Dogs carouse between people’s feet, hunting for scraps. And it isn’t far from the truth.
Mead halls were community hubs. Men went there to be rewarded for their loyalty. Marriages were brokered or truces negotiated. If it was something which would impact the clan, it would be happening in the mead hall so everyone could see. The importance of the mead hall is shown through how proud warriors believed they would be taken to Odin’s or Freyja’s halls if they fought bravely in battle.
Archaeological examples of Viking settlements include the Viking drinking hall under an Orkney farm in Scotland. Viking 'Drinking Hall' Uncovered in Scotland - HISTORY
There are also some great places around the UK, such as JORVIK Viking Centre - a must see attraction in York, which shows re-enactments of Viking life.
After a hard day of toil or celebrating, it was time for the fires to be banked. Considering the aisle-like setup of longhouses, there was little privacy between families. Most people slept on benches covered in sheepskin, either laying down or sitting up.
The master and mistress of the house had something a little more special: a box-bed tucked away in a closet. This meant a warmer, cosier place to nap so long as they could also afford the luxuries of a down stuffed mattress and silk covers.
I’ll be making these articles a bit smaller so they’re easier to read in one go :) My next post will be about Viking clothes, Kitty-Lydia Dye: Viking Clothes and Jewellery (kittylydiadye.blogspot.com)
Previous articles: Viking Gods, Traditions and Norfolk Folklore The Vikings and Norfolk
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