Heads Up!

**QUICK NOTE**

In my speech class I am supposed to say a persuasive speech *yay. -_-* and I will be trying to persuade my listeners that the Vikings were not really any "eviler" or less "civilized" than the Romans at the time.

I will endeavor to edit my speech into a few paragraphs instead of an outline and then post it on this blog. Keep a look-out! Should be interesting! ;)

~Freya Hrethric

The Daily Life

"Here stand I, the viking lord! And I make the decisions here!" The men in the council gave many "aye"'s and cheers. "No girl will run my house!"

"Aye!"

*Voice* - Hold it!

*Everything stops.... once again.... in motion*

*Viking* - Wait.... you're here again?!

*Voice* - Yup.

*Viking* - Now what did I say wrong?"

*Voice* - Well --- Everything."

*Viking* - What?

*Voice* - Let me explain. . . .

********

So. Another misconception among the world about the Vikings. This and the next post will be about the people of the Viking villages. This post is about the women and girls.

I think many people would think that the husband was the one in complete charge of the household. Well, that's not completely true.

The girls were married from between around 12-15 usually and from that point on they were to run their new household. The marriages were agreed on by the fathers and many times it was for an alliance of the two houses.

When the girl was married she brought along her dowry with her which consisted of linens, a spinning wheel, loom, and a bed. Girls from wealthier families brought gold and silver jewelry, farm animals, and sometimes even farms as a part of their dowry. The dowry was her property and didn't become a part of her husband's estate. Her children would inherit the dowry from her.

The lady of the house was in charge of the food - making sure it lasted all winter. She prepared the meat, made the cheese and butter. She smoked and dried the meat. She was also responsible for the animals (bet you didn't know that one). In larger, richer homes she would carry the keys of the food chests at her waist. She was supposed to know medicine and caring for the sick. When her husband left for raids or trading the wife stayed at home and took complete charge of the farm.

If the husband mistreated his wife, insulted her family, or didn't provide for her, she could divorce him. She would call a few witnesses and then declare herself divorced from her husband in front of them. The children would go to her unless they were older and then they were divided between the husband and wife according to their family's wealth and status.

I hope you understand a little more about the Viking women and girls now. The next time someone says that the Vikings were barbaric, just remember that most of the women had more rights than many other women in Europe at the time.

~Freya Hrethric

Of course the Vikings attacked Europe for their own greediness. Right?

The wind beat against the walls of a large home, built of stone, as a great roar arose from within. Sitting at some long tables another shout arose as the man at the head of the table stood and raising his drinking horn shouted out, so all could hear -

"Tonight we shall attack the village of northern England for some slaves and gold and silver! *another shout* Fellow Vikings! I shall here-by vow not to ever return if I don't bring back the silver for my great hall! It shall be filled overflowing! *a cheer* It shall never empty! Even in war! *another loud cheer* And I shall always attack those ridiculous English-men!"

A loud cheer now arose, which was much louder then the rest, and they all raised their horns and drank.

"And although I have enough silver and gold," began the man at the head at the table once more, "I shall still gather more and more!! And I shall -"

*Voice* - "Stop!!"

*Everything stops in action*

*Voice* - "Viking lord! What are you doing?!"

*Viking* - "I thought I had gotten rid of you in that wave that nearly drowned us upon our ship!!"

*Voice* - "And I thought I got you out of doing this!"

*Viking* - "Doing what?! I can't help from raiding the village!"

*Voice* - "I know you can't. Which is why I am here to help you."

*Viking pauses* - "I thought you were against me raiding!"

*Voice* - "I am. But only when you raid just for more gold and silver - because of your greediness."

*Viking* - "What? I don't understand."

*Voice* - "Let me explain......"

*******
Okay. Well, this is another very misunderstood 'problem' with Vikings. You probably have only heard one reason for Vikings raiding towns, villages, and monasteries - from pure greediness. True, this was part of the reason, but let me explain the other reason also.

Before the 9th century, the Vikings lived somewhat alright together - a few fights and wars between each other - like most everybody was at the time. The trouble really started, I believe, around the time of the 800's at some point.

It was all started partly because of one thing. Children.

Yes - children. Probably the last thing you would have expected, right? Well, yes and no. You see, Iceland is small. Does it make more sense now? They were becoming over-populated. They had nowhere to live. They were running out of room! So where did they get more room? You guessed it. From their nearest neighbors!

Now the leaders of each farm would gather up his slaves and sons and attack the Viking farms around it. It all stood down to who had more men, and who made the most surprising attack.

This started getting worse and worse, and the Vikings were constantly attacking each other.

At last some of them got together and built a fleet to do the next more 'reasonable' choice - England. It was at their back door, and they at last realized they had to opened the door to survive.

Now they were beginning to attack villages and towns - and soon discovered another way to get money and animals - the monasteries. It was an easy way to get it! The monasteries were full of the things they needed - and even better - there were no people with weapons to deny them entrance. I know you are probably thinking 'how terrible of them! To murder monks who were weaponless! How can you be on their side with this?!"

Well - I can't.

*Viking's mouth drops* - "I thought you were on our side?!"

*Voice* - "I am mostly. Just not in this case. Now let me finish the story!"

*Viking crosses arms and listens*

It was now that they began to realize how much land and riches were in Europe, and it was now that they began their quick and deadly attacks upon the country. . . . . . . . . .

~Freya Hrethric

Definition of a 'Viking Helmet' = A mettle cap with two horns or wings attached. Right??

A great roar of wind ripped through the great sail as waves dash against the long side of the longboat, lined with many round shields - each carved with unique figures of their heathen gods. Through the vast blanket of fog the mighty dragon head at the front still reigned supreme, even in the thickest of storms.

From aboard the ship men scurried around to their duties, dressed in furs with helmets of gold - horns and wings rested upon either side of them. The leader of the ship taking out his sword gave a terrifying yell and, turning towards some of the other men call out that he knew -

Wrong!!!

*wind stops and the leader looks confused*

"What?" the leader says, "How dare you stop my raid upon the village!"

*voice* - because I wanted to.

*leader* - I shall teach you not to stand against me in these matters! I am a Viking and -

*voice* - no. You're not. You are little fake cartoon made by the minds of illiterate people.

*leader is stunned* - what? So, I'm not a Viking?

*voice* - no.

*leader* - what is a Viking then?

*******
Well, everywhere I go it seems that the meaning of Viking is portrayed wrong. When the words 'Viking helmet' are mentioned {for example}, a random person usually thinks of a little gold cap, that looks like a upside-down bowl, with two white horns or wings coming out of the side. A 'Viking' is betrayed as a scary/cruel man, with an axe in his hand, chasing after some helpless monk and raiding a monastery - oh! and of course wearing the all-famous 'helmet'. He is a cruel barbarous man who cares nothing for his family, except to get an heir to take his place when he is dead.

I am constantly seeing this everywhere. Nearly everyone I have know has probably thought this; and if not the last part, they all known about their 'helmets'. Not just the children! Adults! This is so wrong! And furthermore, it's sad. It wasn't until last winter that I actually even knew about the myth of their 'helmets'.

An article from Wikipedia describes the Viking helmets as "a rounded cap... {with}... a spectacle guard around the eyes and nose, in addition to a possible mail aventail.......from rune-stones and other illustrations, we know the Vikings also wore simpler helmets, often peaked caps with a simple nose-guard. It is unlikely that any Viking helmets had HORNS or WINGS mounted on them, but illustrations from the 19th Century popularized this representation." {italics, caps, and 'with' added} I also read in a book that there is no evidence for such myths anywhere.


This is a picture of an Anglo-Saxon helmet {The Anglo-Saxons where Vikings from various places who came into England and settled there. Alfred the Great was an Anglo-Saxon for instance}. I think this is the real helmet. It may one that was copied after it.... but either way, this is somewhat how they looked.



Here is another. This one and the one above where both found in the Sutton Hoo ship excavated in Suffolk, England, 1939. Note: these are probably somewhat close to the Viking's helmets, but they were not the same.

Either way, as you can see this is much different than the upside-down-bowl-helmet-with-horns-or-wings.

So, where did all of these myths about the horned-helmet come from? No one is quite sure. I personally believe that it started when the Vikings were beginning to attack the northern monasteries in the Roman Empire in the middle to late 400's A.D. { it was 476 A.D that the Western Roman Empire collapsed, so it would have been some time before this}. Because they attacked the helpless monks and villages, they were probably looked upon as beasts, having pity on no one and being merciless - not to mention the every-day people had never seen men like the Vikings before. Thus tales were likely spread around how they were like great beasts killing everyone - hence could have come the horned-helmets. Where the wings could have come from? I don't know. But I'm not very sure about the horned helmets originating then, since the article above states that it wasn't until the 19th century that they "popularized this representation".

As for why the Vikings came and started to attack England and other parts of the Roman Empire..... I will have to save that for another post.

~Freya Hrethric

I apologize for the font change!