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Y302: The Viking Age c.790–1066

Viking society, administration and livelihood: Viking identity and Scandinavian administration

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit group 3

Overview

Recall questions on Viking identity, Scandinavian land and climate, Scandinavian society, including slaves, the free, women, children, elites and rules of conduct, Scandinavian administration.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Process

How did land and climate shape life in Norway, Denmark and Sweden?

Key term

Describe the legal and practical position of free women in Scandinavian society.

Key term

Describe the Scandinavian assembly known as the thing.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What did the Old Norse word from which we get Viking actually mean?

    Model answer

    It described an activity rather than a people, referring to a raiding voyage and to the man who went on one, so most Scandinavians were never Vikings at all.

  2. 2

    How did land and climate shape life in Norway, Denmark and Sweden?

    Model answer

    Denmark's low, fertile land supported dense farming and cattle, Norway's mountains and fjords left only narrow coastal strips of arable and forced dependence on the sea, and Sweden's forests and lakes favoured hunting, iron and inland waterways.

  3. 3

    Name the three broad ranks of Scandinavian society.

    Model answer

    The jarls or aristocracy, the free farmers or karls who formed the bulk of the population, and the thralls who were slaves.

  4. 4

    Describe the legal and practical position of free women in Scandinavian society.

    Model answer

    They could own and inherit property, run the farm and its stores while the men were away, initiate divorce and commission memorial stones, though they were excluded from public office and formal legal action.

  5. 5

    How were children treated in Scandinavian society?

    Model answer

    A newborn had to be acknowledged and named by the father to be reared, children worked on the farm from an early age, and boys of good family were often fostered out to build alliances between households.

  6. 6

    What values governed conduct among free men?

    Model answer

    Honour and reputation above all, generosity from a lord to his followers, hospitality, loyalty and the duty to answer an insult or a killing, if necessary by feud or a formal duel.

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