Viking Ships
What type of ship did Vikings use for long-distance travel and raids?
Longships.
What type of homes did most Vikings live in?
Longhouses.
Who was at the top of Viking society?
The King or Chieftain (Jarl).
What was the Viking legal assembly (or meeting) called?
The Thing.
Who was the king of the Viking gods?
Odin
What building technique did Vikings use to make their ships lighter and faster for ocean travel?
Clinker method of overlapping planks of wood.
What activity did Viking women often engage in to make clothes for their families?
Weaving and spinning wool.
What was the name for Viking slaves?
Thralls.
How were legal disputes typically resolved in Viking society?
Through the Thing, where leaders and community members would gather to discuss and resolve issues.
Which Viking god was known as the god of thunder?
Thor
What is the name of the Viking ship discovered in Roskilde, Denmark, in 1962?
The Skuldelev ships.
How were stories passed down in society?
Word of mouth.
What was the term for a free Viking farmer?
Karl.
Name TWO types of punishment.
Feuds: If a man was killed, his family sought revenge, often leading to ongoing cycles of violence for many years.
Duels: Disputes were sometimes settled by duels. The first to bleed lost, as it was believed the gods favoured the winner.
Fines: Some quarrels ended with the guilty party paying a fine (wergild) in public. The value of stolen items had to be repaid.
Outlaw: For serious crimes, someone could be declared an outlaw, forced to live in the wild. Killing an outlaw had no legal consequences.
Where did Viking warriors hope to go after death if they died in battle?
What was the main purpose of Knorr ships?
Transport goods between countries.
Name TWO practical skills children were taught.
How to light a fire, ride a horse, use a weapon, row a boat, household skills (cooking, making cloth).
What social class did the Viking warriors belong to?
Karls or Jarls (depending on their wealth and status).
Who was responsible for deciding on a sentence?
The victim's family.
What type of trees were used for the wooden planks on Viking longships?
Oak
What is another name for the Viking longship?
Drakkar.
Name the artefact discovered by archaeologists that showed Vikings cared about their appearance?
The comb.
What was the role of Viking women in society regarding property and divorce?
Viking women could own property and request a divorce.
What were the leaders or judges at the Thing called? Hint: they had to remember and recite the law.
Lawspeakers.
What is the name of the front of a Viking ship?
Prow