DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

BȦȢȳȴȸȰȭȷȦȴ, mink, foxes, deer, and wild

boar all roamed the dark forests of Norway

and Sweden. Whales, otters, seals, walruses,

and caribou lived in the far north. Sea birds

flocked along the coasts, and game birds

were common inland. The Vikings hunted

most of these animals for their meat. They

made clothes and bedding from feathers,

furs, and hides, and bones and tusks were

raw materials for jewelry, tools, and

everyday objects like knife handles. Many

of the finest objects were then traded

(pp. 26–27). Viking legends and art are also

crammed with wild beasts. But the animals

that decorate jewelry, tools, and weapons

are not real. They have been turned into

fantastic and acrobatic creatures. Their hips

are spirals, and plant shoots spring from their

bodies. Some beasts become ribbons that

twist around each other in intricate patterns.

36

Animals, wild and imagined

BROWN BEAR
Bears were hunted in
the far north. Their
skins were made into
jackets and cloaks,
and their claws and
teeth were worn as
pendants. Warriors
may have thought
that some of the bear’s
strength and courage
would rub off on
them (p. 14).

BIRD BROOCH
This brooch was found in a woman’s grave
in Birka, Sweden. It once decorated a belt
worn by someone living in eastern Europe
by the Volga River (pp. 18–19). A Viking
took it home to Sweden, where a jeweler
converted it into a brooch. The birds are
very realistic and are easy to identify.
A Viking craftsman would have turned
them into fantastic creatures.

Gilt (gold-

coated) silver

Owl

Bird of

prey

FANTASTIC ANIMAL

This brooch from Norway is in

the shape of a slender, snake-

like animal. It is caught up

in a thin ribbon twisting in

a fantastic pattern. This is

known as the Urnes style

of Viking art, after wood

carvings on a church at

Urnes in Norway.

Animal’s head

Bronze, cast

in a mold

This is an

openwork brooch,

wit h open areas

inside t he main design

BRONZE BEAST

This fierce animal with snarling teeth comes

from a horse’s harness bow (p. 41). It may have

been intended to scare enemies and protect the

horse and wagon.

STAG

Elk, deer, and caribou

all have big antlers.

Craftsmen sawed and

carved these to create

combs (pp. 31, 59).

Deer skin was used for

clothes and possibly

wall and bed

coverings.

Venison (deer

meat) was also

eaten, either

dried or roasted.