Vikings are best known for the reputation as fierce warriors who pillaged, burned and enslaved villages all over Europe. But when they weren’t out burning, pillaging and murdering, Vikings returned home to their villages in the north, where there were strict social classes, governing daily life.
The term Viking encompasses three different geographical groups- the Danes, the Swedes and the Norwegians. These three groups shared a similar culture that included a common language and pagan religion. They were also rooted in farming, hunting and fishing. Most Vikings and their families lived in small villages in southern Scandinavia or on isolated farmsteads in the north. There were three main social classes of Viking society: the nobility, the freeman and the slaves.
The Boendr: Viking Nobility
The Viking nobility were called Boendr. They were the strongest and richest in society. Boendr literally means “stay in one place.” This refers to the fact that these Viking men were landowning farmers. Unlike other feudal societies in Western Europe, the a Bondi had no direct overlord. They were a fiercely independent class.
The Freemen
The next social class was referred to as the Freemen. This was the most broad and varied group of Viking society. Freeman were generally made up of men who were born into that class, though some might be freed slaves, since upward mobility was allowed in Scandinavian society. Freeman were composed of fishermen, shipwrights, metal workers, carpenters, craftsmen and farm workers.
Thralls: Viking Slaves
The lowliest class in Viking society was the slave class, called Thralls. Thralls did the lowliest work and were treated no better than a dog or horse. They could even be “put down” by an owner, if they were sick or injured. Unlike serfs who were legally bound to the land for their lifetime, a Viking slave could purchase their own freedom. Their owners could give them a plot of land to work, thereby saving money to put toward their freedom. Typically to buy their freedom from their owners, a slave had to host a great feast with at least eight bushels of malt for ale. They also had to present their owners with six ounces of silver.
Viking Society
The men who were called Vikings, typically came from the Boendr and Freemen classes. Each spring and summer these men would leave home for months at a time to sail the seas in search of riches and glory. In the fall and winter, when the seas were too dangerous to cross, the Vikings would return home to their village or farms, where they farmed, hunted and gathered. Hunting was plentiful, thanks to great expanses of forests in Scandinavia. Farming was just as important to Viking society. Barely, oats, rye and hops were all important crops for the Vikings, providing much food for the long winter months.
Viking Society was similar to other Western European societies during the Middle Ages. However, Vikings maintained fierce independence that became their trademark on and off the battlefield.
Sources:
Barraclough, Geoffrey. Atlas of World History. Ann Arbor: Harper Collins, 2001.
Time-Life. Fury of the Northmen. Alexandria: Time-Life, 1988.
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