DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

BONE SMOOTH

One of a woman’s main

responsibilities was making

clothes for the whole family

(pp. 44–45). After she had

woven a piece of linen, a woman

probably stretched the cloth

across a smoothing board and

rubbed it with a glass ball until it

was smooth and shiny. This board

from Norway is made of whalebone.

30

Women and children

VȪȬȪȯȨȸȰȮȦȯȸȦȳȦȪȯȥȦȱȦȯȥȦȯȵ. While the men were away

on expeditions, women ran households and farms. A woman

could choose her own husband, and could sue for divorce if he

beat her or was unfaithful. On rune stones (pp. 58–59), women

were praised for their good housekeeping or skill in handiwork

such as embroidery. Wealthy women often paid

for memorial stones to be raised for loved ones.

Viking children didn’t go to school. Instead, they

worked in the fields and workshops, and helped

with cooking, spinning, and weaving. Not

all women and children stayed at home.

Many joined their husbands or fathers

in colonies such as England. They hid

somewhere safe during battles, and

came out later to help set

up new villages.

BRYNHILD
This is a romantic engraving of Brynhild.
According to legend, she was a Valkyrie,
a female warrior in the service of the
god Odin (p. 53). In reality, there is no
evidence that any Viking women were
warriors, or even traders or craftsworkers.
But one female scald (poet) and a female
rune carver are known.

TOY HORSE

About 900 years ago, a small boy

or girl in Trondheim, Norway, played

with this toy horse made of wood. Children

also had toy boats. They played board games

and made music with small pipes (p. 50).

In the summer, young Vikings swam and

played ball; in the winter, they skated

and played in the snow.

STARTING YOUNG

Viking boys played with

toy weapons made of

wood. They probably

began serious weapon

practice in their early

teens. Some young

men seem to have gone

raiding when they were

as young as 16.

Piece of leat her

covers t he point,

to prevent injury

Toy spear

made of wood

Woolen tunic wit h

embroidered collar

Leat her

bag

Decorated belt end

Toy sword

Two carved

animal heads

wit h open jaws