Everyday Life

The Vikings lived on farms or in villages. There were three groups of people:

• The nobles were the kings or chiefs of each village. They also included people who were very rich.
• The freemen were farmers or merchants.
• The third group were the slaves , who were captured when the Vikings fought against other people. 

Most of the Vikings were farmers. They grew fruits and vegetables as well as barley and oats. They also raised cattle, goats, pigs and sheep. Some Vikings were fishermen and others were good at building ships. In bigger villages Vikings lived as merchants. They sailed a lot and traded furs, gold, silver and other things. 

Most Viking men wore trousers that reached to the knee and a long-sleeved pullover or shirt. Women wore dresses made of linen or wool. All Vikings wore leather shoes. 

Viking houses were one-story buildings with slanted roofs. Some houses only had one room. The  walls were made of wood or stone. The roof was covered with shingles or straw. In every house there was a hearth that gave Vikings heat and a place to cook.

Religion played an important role in the life of Vikings. They worshipped many gods. The chief god was called Odin. When Vikings died they were buried in boats. Rich people were even put into big ships. 

Typical Viking clothes on display at a museum in Stavanger, Norway
Image:Wolfmann, CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons 

Everyday life in the Viking Age
Image:  Postverk Føroya - Philatelic Office, Public Domain