40 Fascinating Viking Facts You Probably Haven’t Heard Before

In Viking culture, giving pets as wedding gifts was a common practice, particularly among new brides. As mentioned on Norhalla.com, Viking brides were often gifted with kittens as they started their new lives together. Cats held great importance in setting up a new household and were closely associated with Freyja, the goddess of love and marriage. While today, gifting a pet as a wedding present is considered uncommon, it was an essential tradition in Viking times.
 

The Vikings had a unique way of gauging the severity of stomach wounds in their wounded warriors. They used onions for this purpose. After feeding the injured soldier an onion, they would later smell the man's belly. If the onion's stench could penetrate through the wound, it meant that the wall of the stomach had been cut, signaling impending death, and no treatment would be effective. This practice helped them conserve herbal remedies, using them only when necessary to treat wounds that had a chance of healing. It showcases the resourcefulness and practicality of Viking medical practices during their time.

 

According to recent research, the well-known Viking depictions of large warriors wearing horned helmets are actually inaccurate. The famous helmets discovered in Viksø, Denmark, about 80 years ago, actually date back to around 900 B.C.E., much earlier than the Viking era by nearly 2,000 years. Archaeologist Helle Vandkilde from Aarhus University explains that the horned helmet theme originates from the Bronze Age and can be traced back to the ancient Near East. This finding challenges the popular cultural association between Vikings and horned helmets.

In Viking society, girls were sometimes married as young as 12 and had the responsibility of managing the household while their husbands went on voyages and adventures. However, compared to women in other contemporary societies, Viking women enjoyed more freedom. Unless they were slaves (thralls), Viking women could inherit property, ask for a divorce, and reclaim their dowries if their marriages ended. Unlike in some other cultures, there were no laws explicitly limiting women's rights or preventing them from being equal members of society. Viking women had the right to own land, manage their finances, and even participate in settling disputes when no male in their lineage could take responsibility. This relative autonomy granted to Viking women made their position more equitable than in many other societies of that era.

 

During the Viking Age (approximately 790–1066 CE), the people we refer to as Vikings did not actually identify themselves as such. Scandinavia, as we know it today, didn't exist back then, and instead, people lived in various clans and tribes scattered throughout the region. The word "viking" in Old Norse referred to "piracy" or a "freebooting voyage," something one would do rather than a personal descriptor. It was more like an action, as in "go on a viking," rather than a name for a specific group or tribe of people.

 

According to Geigl, an expert in ancient DNA analysis, sea-faring people likely kept cats to control rodents on their ships. Her team discovered cat remains with the same maternal DNA lineage at a Viking site in northern Germany, dating back to the eighth and eleventh century AD. This finding provides strong evidence that cats were indeed valued companions for sea voyages, helping to manage the rodent population on board and highlighting their significance in maritime life during the Viking Age.

 

Shields were a crucial aspect of Viking life, and their shields were among the most advanced of their time, as mentioned on Spagenhelm.com. Vikings crafted their shields from flexible woods like linden and basswood, using several planks rather than a single sheet of wood. Interestingly, the Vikings painted their shields not for decoration or to indicate group affiliation but for practicality. The paint served to conceal the wood grains, preventing their opponents from identifying weak points in the shields during battle. This clever tactic showcased the Vikings' ingenuity in both design and strategy.

 

Before Columbus "discovered" North America, the lands were already inhabited by various Native American tribes. However, even before Columbus' time, European sailors embarked on voyages to explore new territories. These sailors were Vikings, and they are believed to be the first Europeans to set foot on North American soil. Led by Viking explorer Leif Eriksson, they likely conducted an expedition across the Atlantic, reaching present-day Canada. The Vikings reportedly spent a winter in Newfoundland and brought back timber and grapes to Greenland, leaving their mark on the exploration of the New World long before Columbus' famous journey.

 

 

We can thank the Vikings for the Bluetooth symbol and its name, as explained by Bluetooth.com. The inspiration behind it came from King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, who unified Denmark and Norway in 958. His nickname "Bluetooth" was due to a dead tooth that appeared blueish in color. The name was initially chosen as a placeholder by Nokia, Intel, and Ericsson while they were developing the technology to enable wireless connectivity between different devices and technologies.

The Bluetooth logo itself is a combination of Harald's initials, H (ᚼ) and B (ᛒ), represented in Norse runes, specifically the Younger Futhark bind rune. This creative link to the Viking king pays tribute to his unifying efforts and serves as a fitting symbol for the technology that connects devices wirelessly, just as he unified two kingdoms during his reign.

 

Despite being known for their cleanliness, the Vikings were not shy about utilizing an unusual resource – human waste. They would gather a type of fungus known as touchwood from tree bark and soak it in urine, boiling it for several days. Afterward, they would pound the fungus until it resembled felt. This process created a material that, thanks to the sodium nitrate present in urine, could smolder instead of burning, allowing the Vikings to carry fire with them wherever they went.

 

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric, is one of the most iconic "magic mushrooms" that comes to mind for many people. Its red cap with white spots makes it stand out and has contributed to its popularity in pop culture as a symbol of psychedelics. However, it is not as commonly used as other psychotropic mushrooms because it does not produce psilocybin. The psychoactive effects of A. muscaria are due to two compounds: ibotenic acid, which acts as a neurotoxin on the brain's glutamate receptors, causing excitatory effects in the nervous system, and muscimol, a psychoactive chemical that can induce sedative-hypnotic, depressant, and hallucinogenic activity. When consumed, these compounds lead to a drunken state, often accompanied by hallucinations, twitching, drooling, hyperthermia, and other neurological effects. Interestingly, the ibotenic acid in A. muscaria can also act as a stimulant, potentially producing the rage state associated with berserkers.

In Viking society, there were three distinct social classes: jarls, karls, and thralls. Jarls comprised the ruling aristocracy, and the term "earl" might have originated from this class. Karls were the working class, with a significant portion engaged in farming. Finally, thralls were the lowest class, serving as slaves and servants to both the jarls and karls. Many thralls were captives taken during Viking raids conducted abroad.

 

In the Viking Age, men and women had more similar facial features compared to modern times. Women had more masculine characteristics, including prominent brow ridges, while men had a more feminine appearance with less pronounced jaw and brow ridges. These ambiguous facial features make it challenging to determine the s*x of a Viking skeleton based solely on the skull. As a result, other traits, like pelvis width, become crucial in identifying the s*x of these ancient remains. Studying multiple characteristics helps researchers gain a more accurate understanding of the individuals from this fascinating historical period.

 

The idea that Vikings were well-groomed comes from Christian accounts, which condemned such behavior as vanity and linked it to pagan practices, causing concern among Christians. Vikings were a group of Scandinavians, and their emphasis on grooming and dressing well reflected the values of their broader culture. Some believe that the belief in Fate played a role in this, as Vikings never knew when they would meet their end, so they aimed to look their best for the afterlife. Norse poetry, like Hávamál and Reginsmál, stressed the importance of starting the day "combed and washed" since they didn't know where they might end up or if they would survive until the evening. Combs, which almost every Viking carried, were crafted from materials like antler, bone, ivory, and wood and were often kept in their own cases.

 

One significant tradition among certain cultures involved ship burials, where the deceased would be placed in a boat or stone ship, accompanied by grave offerings that corresponded to their social status and occupation. In some cases, these offerings even included sacrificed slaves. The burial site would often be covered with mounds of stones and soil to create a tumulus. Other practices like sacrifice or cremation were also observed, but the most prevalent method was to inter the departed with possessions that reflected their standing in society.

 

Historical sources indicate that the Vikings engaged in the trade of slaves at various trading centers like Hedeby and Bolghar on the Volga. Slaves were exchanged for other goods, and Viking farmers often bought them to assist with household chores and laborious work in the fields. They also provided a significant workforce for large construction projects during the Viking Age. Slavery was not limited to the Vikings; it was prevalent in Western Europe, but the Church opposed selling fellow Christians into slavery to "h*****n" Vikings. A monk's account describes how he was appalled to witness Christian slaves being sold in Hedeby in 870, leading him to sell all his possessions and buy their freedom. The Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe became a common target for European and Nordic s***e traders, and the term "s***e" originates from this region.

 

Viking skis might be used in pairs or as singles. Fantasy images of snowboarding Vikings might come to mind at the mention of "single skis," but we should remember that skiing for Vikings was almost certainly about covering distance efficiently in the snow (i.e., cross-country skiing) rather than downhill thrill-seeking. Still, Vikings were at least as fun-loving as any of us, and Scandinavia is full of slopes. Another difference between Viking skiing and modern skiing is that Vikings may have only used one ski pole rather than two.

 

In Viking culture, individuals, particularly men with dark hair, would use a potent soap with h**h lye content to bleach their hair and, in some cases, their beards as well. This practice aimed to conform to their culture's beauty ideals and may have also served to combat head lice, a common issue at the time. Men were more actively involved in this hair-lightening process, using a mixture of wood ash and water called "lye," which had a strong alkaline reaction, causing oxidation of the natural pigment in the hair roots and lightening the dark hair. Additionally, they used paint to achieve a golden color for their hair and beards, allowing them to attain their desired appearance.

 

The common perception of Vikings being mostly tall and muscular is not entirely accurate. According to History101.com, the majority of Vikings and people from Norse countries were not exceptionally tall; most men stood between 5'7" to 5'9" (170-175cm), while women were about 5'2" (157cm) on average. Despite the image of strong warriors, the reality is that most Vikings were farmers, with a lean and average physique rather than being heavily muscular.
 

In Viking times, children didn't go to school like we do today. Instead, boys learned men's work from their fathers, brothers, and uncles, while girls worked with their mothers and aunts, mastering skills like cooking, gardening, and taking care of domestic animals and clothing. By the time they reached 12 to 15 years old, both boys and girls could effectively manage a household and a farm. There were exceptions to these societal norms, like when women accompanied men during settlement journeys to places like Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland. In places like England, Ireland, and France, Vikings settled as families, but only men engaged in raiding and trading while women took care of the farm at home.