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.