The Viking Age Timeline of the Viking Age Timeline of the Viking Age Socio-Economic structure Socio-Economic structure Political Structure Political Structure Religious dynamics Religious dynamics Mythology Mythology

Timeline of the Viking Age 793: Lindisfarne Raid 793: Lindisfarne Raid 845: Viking Raids on Moorish Spain 845: Viking Raids on Moorish Spain 852: Swedish Rus traders become dominant along Volga 852: Swedish Rus traders become dominant along Volga 870: Settlement of Iceland begins 870: Settlement of Iceland begins 886: Danelaw treaty between Alfred and Guthrum 886: Danelaw treaty between Alfred and Guthrum 912: Gongu-Hrolf and his men take parts of Normandy 912: Gongu-Hrolf and his men take parts of Normandy 930: First Althing 930: First Althing 1000: Icelandic conversion 1000: Icelandic conversion 1066: Norman conquest 1066: Norman conquest Lindisfarne, UK Viking targets, North Sea

Socio-Economic Structure Social positions Social positions –Freeman –Foster relations –Hired hand –Slave –Relatively simple and non- hierarchical system in comparison to feudal system’s more intricate ranks and orders Household as domestic unit Household as domestic unit Sources of wealth Sources of wealth –Production of trade goods –Relationships, rather than liquidity Portrait of Egil, as known through Egils saga Skallagrímsson

Political Structure Political roles Political roles –Lawspeaker –Godi –Thingmen Political institutions Political institutions –Local things  Governing assembly of pagan Norse society  Consensus among peers  Dispute settlement  No absolutism –Compensation  Lives  Propery Dynamics Dynamics –Knowledge of laws –Alliance building and maintenance –Honor and reputation From local allegiance to centralized structure From local allegiance to centralized structure Imagined Althing Thingvellir

Religious Dynamics A note on sources A note on sources Why is Norse paganism of interest? Why is Norse paganism of interest? –Latest surviving heathen religious forms in Europe –Role of Vikings and their legal system Cult Worship Cult Worship –“Blót” activity –Sacrifice  Altars  Temple at Uppsala –Shamanism  Open-air places of worship  Odin “the shapeshifter” Midwinter blót (at the Temple at Uppsala), by Carl Larsson (1915)

Norse Mythology “Euhemerization” “Euhemerization” Ragnarrok Ragnarrok –Destruction of the Gods –End of mythical present Yggdrasil Yggdrasil –World tree –Victims hung from trees in sacrifice Odin Odin –King of Gods –One-eye Hávamál Hávamál –“Saying of the High One” –Maxims –Examples –Odin’s sacfice Thor Thor –Hammer –God of War Wilden Jäger as Wotan, Berlin 1876 Bronze Thor, circa 1000 Iceland (7 CM)

Conclusion Viking Age is limited period of huge Scandinavian impact on Europe Viking Age is limited period of huge Scandinavian impact on Europe Socio-economic and political structure Socio-economic and political structure –Honor society –Quasi-democratic –Sufficiently flexible to allow emergence of “independent” dynamics of Viking age Religious dynamics Religious dynamics –“Last heathens in Europe” –Source of information about pre-Christian Europe –Literary wellspring