DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

38

Farming

MȰȴȵȷȪȬȪȯȨȴȸȦȳȦȧȢȳȮȦȳȴ.

They often had to work infertile

land in harsh weather. The difficult

conditions led many farmers to set

sail for faraway lands like Iceland

(pp. 20–21), where they hoped

to find fertile soil and more

space for their animals and

crops. Sheep, cows, pigs,

goats, horses, poultry, and

geese were all raised for eating.

The milk of cattle, goats, and

sheep was drunk or turned into

butter and cheese. Farms often had separate byres,

sheds where cattle could pass the winter. Even so, many died

of cold or starvation. Rich farms had byres to house 100 cattle.

A man’s wealth was often measured in animals. Othere, a

merchant from northern Norway, told King Alfred of England

that he had 20 cattle, 20 sheep, 20 pigs,

and a herd of 600 caribou. But his

main source of income was the furs

he traded.

SHEARS
Vikings sheared
sheep, cut cloth,
and even trimmed
beards with iron
shears like these.

BLACK SHEEP

Hebridean sheep were farmed by Vikings on the

Hebrides islands, off the coast of Scotland. Like

Manx Loghtan sheep (p. 37), they shed their wool

naturally, and do not have to be sheared. They can

live on sparse vegetation and are very hardy.

Thick fleece was shed

once a year, in spring

JARLSHOF FARM

This ruin of a 9th-century Viking farmhouse was found

on the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It had two rooms, a

long hall, and a kitchen. The farmers sat

and slept on platforms that ran along

the curved walls. A hearth burned

in the center of the hall.

MILKING CARIBOU

This 16th-century Swedish engraving

shows a woman milking caribou. In the

far North, people farmed caribou for

their milk, meat, and hides. Caribou

were also hunted in many places,

including Greenland (pp. 20–21).

HARVEST TOOLS

The ground was broken up in the spring with an

ard, a simple plow. Later, grain was cut with iron

sickles with wooden handles. The blades of these

tools were sharpened with whetstones.

Two sickle blades

Ard blade

PLOWING AND SOWING

This detail from the Bayeux

Tapestry (p. 10) shows Normans

plowing (far left) and sowing seeds

(left). The Vikings would have used

similar techniques.