At the old ax
The steel has become chipped.
My cleaver was a wolf, Became an insidious stick.
Glad to send an ax
I'm back.
In the gift of the princes need
There was no and no.
(Grim Bald. Son of Kveldulv.
Translation by S. V. Petrov)
The Vikings knew how to have fun. And they had fun not only by chopping off heads with axes to bulls or enemies. The finds of archaeologists indicate that they found time for socially important and festive gatherings. They were familiar with board games such as dice. In the evenings, and especially at feasts, they told stories, skaldic poems, paid tribute to music and … alcoholic beverages such as beer and mead.
Modern reconstruction of the Viking games.
Board games and especially dice were a popular pastime in all walks of the Viking Age Scandinavian society. Surviving artifacts, including chessboards and figures, show how highly the Vikings prized such activities. Moreover, they played not only chess and dice. Special game boards made of wood with exquisite carvings served them for their own original games as well. And the "figures" themselves were mostly made of stone, wood and bone. Glass, horn and amber were also used to make them. Moreover, we know from written sources that the Vikings played "hnefatafl" and "nitavl", and chess became popular at the end of the Viking era. Hnefatafl is a war game in which one player had to capture the opponent's king. The essence of the game was as follows: a formidable enemy army threatens, and the king's people must protect him. It was played on a board with squares and using black and white pieces. But they were moved in accordance with the rolls of the dice. That is, it was like our modern children's games, where the chips move in accordance with the number of points scored by throwing the dice.
This is how the dice that the Vikings played with looked like. (National Museum, Copenhagen)
In the era of the Vikings, there were the same gambling addicts as they are today. They were no longer satisfied with the game as a means of entertainment. In one saga, you can read the following warning: "There is one thing that you should avoid, as the devil himself, is drunkenness and board games, whores, bets and dice rolls for profit."
And when the Vikings gambled, they had something to gamble on! Gold hryvnia from Kalmergorden, found at Lake Tissot in western Zealand, and gilded jewelry from Hornelund near Vardo in western Jutland and Ornum near Gervel in western Zealand, and silver from Oruggard on Falster Island. (National Museum, Copenhagen)
Today's children go to kindergarten and school when their mothers and fathers are working. But what were the Viking children doing? Did they learn to read and write when they were old enough? Or was there something else that was more important to them? One thing is for sure, Viking children played with toys, just as children of today do. Because these toys have been found: small ships, swords, dolls and animal figurines made of wood. Most of them, most likely, were intended specifically for children. But some of these artifacts could also be useful for teaching various skills. As always, the toys copied the things of the adults. A small toy boat always reflects the desire to go to sea with adults. The wooden sword could be used for training until it was replaced with an iron sword.
Grown up Danish uncles are playing Vikings!
Thus, the game could be used for more serious purposes. The word "play" as we know it today does not only mean children. "Game" is also sport, physical exercise, playing musical instruments and playing with weapons. Adult Vikings also enjoyed playing games together. For example, in Icelandic sagas, men are praised for their ability to jump, throw stones and run fast. But possession of such abilities could come in handy in battle and solve the issue of life and death in a combat situation. Preferring to fight hand-to-hand, the Vikings also used a bow and arrow, with which they fought both at sea and on land. The very word "bow" in Sweden sometimes meant the warrior himself. Even kings shot from a bow and were very proud of their accuracy. But learning to shoot from a bow "just like that" is impossible. Consequently, the Vikings not only constantly trained in shooting, but, of course, organized shooting competitions in order to find the best shooter, because otherwise it is simply impossible. So viking games were serious business. And in winter, the Vikings used skates for movement. And it was for them both entertainment and a means of transportation. Although we don't know if they hosted the ice skating competition. They were made of cow or horse bones, which were then tied to the legs with leather straps.
Valkyrie brings horns to the deceased. A very popular theme of runestones.
The Vikings buried their dead at a short distance from the settlement, usually at a distance of 300 - 600 m. Many farms and cemeteries were separated from each other by water currents. A very beautiful explanation of why this is so can be derived from Scandinavian mythology, in which the Gjöll watercourse separates the land of the living from the world of the dead. An analogy can be drawn here to the River Styx in Greek mythology, on which the ferryman Charon received payment to ensure the transportation of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. Perhaps such burial sites can be considered as one of the specific manifestations of the Viking religion? However, this interpretation does not apply to all Viking burials. The fact is that, after all, most cemeteries are located more than one km from rivers and streams. So other explanations are also possible here.
The ship, the horse, and the woman are a popular runestone motif.
Now let's get acquainted with such an important element of culture as … names. During the Viking Age, many boys were named after the god Thor, and received the names Toke and Torsten. Animal names were also popular. It was quite possible to meet the Vikings, who had the names Orm (Serpent), Ulf (Wolf) and Björn (Bear). There were names and formidable enemies of the gods, such as the serpent Midgard and the wolf Fenrir - these were the animals that the Norse gods had to defeat in Ragnarok.
Used the Vikings and more peaceful names. For example, Frida means "peace" and Astrid means "beautiful and beloved" - this was probably a very popular name for girls. But they also gave them the name Hilda, which means "fighter". Apparently, a girl with that name could fend for herself, or at least it was expected!
A find in 2002, in which 50 items of silver were found at once, mainly buckles and pendants - only 1, 3 kg of silver. Most of the silver items were made in the Frankish kingdom during the period 820-870. AD However, some artifacts were made in Scandinavia in the period 850-950. n. NS. The composition of the hoard and the dating of individual parts indicate that it must have been buried in the mid-900s or later. Then he was hit by a plow. Therefore, the finds were distributed over an area of 10 x 15 meters. In the Viking Age, it was customary to bury such treasures. Several such finds are known from Denmark. The unusualness of the Dusmünd find is that it consists of small weapons and equipment made of Frankish-made silver. Such artifacts have not yet been found in such a volume in one place in Europe. It is unclear who buried this treasure and why. Perhaps it was a wealthy person who wanted to protect his values in this way, or the treasure is a stock of a silversmith or a traveling merchant. (National Museum, Copenhagen)
Many names from the Viking Age are still in use today. In Denmark there are still people with the names Runa, Erik, Sigrid and Tove. They continue to give the children the names Harald, Gorm and Tyra. There is a runestone on which it is written: “King Harald ordered these flower beds to be made in memory of Gorm, his father, and in memory of Tyr, his mother; that Harald got all of Denmark and Norway for himself and made the Danes Christians. And all these same names are held in high esteem in Norway and Denmark today!
We are familiar with Viking names from, for example, runic inscriptions and place names. Several foreign sources also mention the names of the Vikings. Many of these names are from Scandinavia. Some names were entrenched in individual families, such as Harald, Svend and Knud in the Danish royal family during the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages.
With the introduction of Christianity at the end of the Viking Age, biblical names began to gain popularity. However, the names of the Vikings were not forgotten, that is, even today children - the descendants of the ancient Vikings, still receive their names.
Viking names and what they mean:
Viking Age male names
Arne: eagle
Birger: the keeper
Björn: the bear
Eric: the exact measure
Frode: wise and smart
Gorm: one who worships god
Halfdan: half of the Danes
Harald: prince and ruler
Knud: knot
Kåre: with curly hair
Leif: Descendant
Nyal: giant
Roar: glory and spear
Rune: secret
Wall: stone
Scard: with a cleft in the chin
Sune: son
Svend: a free man who is in the service of another
Troel: Thor's arrow
Tok: Thor and the Helmet
Thorsten: Thor and Stone
Trugwe: reliable
Ulf: the wolf
Odder: wealth and spear
Age: a man who plows; ancestor
Viking Age female names:
Astrid: beautiful, beloved
Bodil: Repentance and Struggle
Frida: peace
Gertrude: spear
Gro: grow
Estrida: god and beautiful
Hilda: the fighter
Gudruna: god and rune
Gunhilda: the fight
Helga: the sacred
Inga: from the kind of god Inga
Liv: life
Randy: shield or shrine
Signyu: the one that wins
Sigrid: Victorious Horsewoman
Raven: raven
Seth: wife and bride
Thor: the god Thor
Touché: pigeon
Tyra: useful
Turid: Thor and beautiful
Ursa: wild
Ulfield: wolf or battle
Ose: goddess
"Chess Pieces from the Isle of Lewis". A set of 78 chess pieces from the Viking Age. The material is walrus tusks, and some of the figurines are made from whale tooth. These figures, along with 14 checkers for playing something similar to backgammon, were found in 1831 on the Scottish island of Lewis (Outer Hebrides). It is speculated that these figures could also have been used to play hnefatafl. Today, 11 figures are kept in the National Museum of Scotland, and the remaining 82 items (including checkers and the buckle found with them) are on display in the British Museum.
