The Vikings have gone down in history as tough, armored men wearing horned helmets whose only purpose was to raid and pillage towns when they disembarked. But nothing could be further from the truth.
While they were formidable warriors, these seafarers were also explorers and farmers, traders, and colonists with vibrant religion, stratified society, and rich culture.
Theirs is a rich heritage, but with a history marked by misinformation and romanticized laziness that requires research to overcome in order to see their true impact on the modern world.
1. Vikings took hygiene seriously
Viking warriors spent loads of time at sea looking for new places to colonize. They were a busy bunch, but that didn’t mean they failed to take care of themselves.
The Vikings took hygiene seriously. Excavations reveal hygiene tools, including tweezers, razors, combs, and ear cleaners among their artifacts.
Vikings made it a point to bathe at least once a week (that’s A LOT for that time period). In fact, they cleaned themselves more often than their European counterparts.
And should Vikings find hot springs during an expedition, they would make time for a nice dip.
2. They engaged in slave trade
Hey, we didn’t say all of the impacts were positive.
Viking raids often resulted in the taking of prisoners which meant they would have human capital for slave trades. Vikings enslaved both women and young men wherever they could, from the British Isles to Eastern Europe.
They would be sold in giant slave markets across Scandinavia, Europe, and the Middle East. Owners could use or sell slaves however and whenever they wanted as the captives didn’t have rights.
3. The British Monarchy can trace itself back to the Vikings
William the Conqueror of Normandy defeated English King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 which resulted in a period of Norman rule over England.
The Normans were the descendants of Vikings who had settled in northern France.
English kings and queens, including Queen Elizabeth I, are descendants of William the Conqueror. I fact, the word “Normans” is actually derived from “Norseman,” like Sweyn and Cnut who invaded and eventually ruled England.
4. Vikings sailed the known world
Vikings didn’t just stick to Europe, they sailed everywhere from North America to Constantinople. They may even have sailed the Tigris River all the way to Baghdad according to archeological evidence. These expeditions were mostly exploratory voyages or raids as most Norse colonization was limited to the Northern Hemisphere.
The Viking world was large, expansive, and diverse thanks to their sailing and contact with so many places.
5. Some became elite bodyguards in the Byzantine Empire
A formidable unit called the Varangian Guard protected 10th-century Byzantine emperors.
These elite Varangian Vikings found their way to Constantinople by way of modern-day Russia. They served emperors up until the 1200s when their status as elite guards diminished.
6. Vikings had pet bears
Vikings did keep animals as pets, but they were not limited to cats and dogs. They kept domesticated bear cubs as pets.
In fact, Iceland even enacted laws to regulate polar bear ownership. Here’s a part of that law:
“If a man has a tame white bear, then he is to handle it in the same way as a dog and similarly pay for any damage it does. A bear has no immunity in respect of injuries done to it if it harms people.”
7. Warriors would go “berserk” before battle
Here’s a tidbit that’s not just the stuff of legend. Norse warriors called berserkers would work themselves up into an uncontrolled fury before heading into battle, and the men wearing bearskins would be imbued with otherworldly power.
Legends describe these fierce fighters to be mad as wild dogs who could slay enemies with one strike.
Modern theories suggest intoxicants like mushrooms or strong alcohol were the reasons for those berserker rages.
8. Vikings dyed their hair based on beauty ideals
Vikings were not exclusively blond-haired and blue-eyed as popularly believed. Instead, they were a culturally and ethnically diverse group who had a variety of appearances, but they generally conformed to Nordic beauty ideals.
Brown-haired male Vikings used a strong soap that had a high concentration of lye to bleach their hair blond. That soap could be used on those beards as well. Not to mention it killed lice.
9. Gender roles weren’t rigid
Women in Viking societies did exercise relative freedom compared to other European cultures. Women married young then would go join their husbands on trips even though Nordic society was mostly male-dominated. Inheriting property, managing family finances, and even requesting divorces were possible for Viking women.
Even Nordic Sagas show shield-maidens, and archaeologists have unearthed the grave of a Viking warrior who was biologically female.
10. They peddled “Unicorn horns” to naive Europeans
Vikings were traders connected to vast networks stretching from North America to the Middle East. They didn’t just deal in slaves either.
Narwhal tusks were passed off and sold as unicorn horns. Medieval Europeans were enamored with unicorns, believing they were real.
Vikings profited from this belief with wealthy buyers always ready to buy these “horns.”
11. Horned helmets were unwieldy and heavy
Vikings are often portrayed wearing horned helmets with their armor. But the truth is, those helmets would have been pointless (no pun intended), not to mention unwieldy for close-quarters combat.
It’s more likely that costume designer Carl Emil Doepler, who created the costumes for Richard Wagner’s Norse-themed operas came up with the idea and it stuck. The headpieces could have been based on Greco-Roman artwork including helmets old Germanic priests wore during ceremonies.
12. Vikings engaged in rap battles
Vikings found a way to deal with rivalries without bloodshed.
“Flyting,” from the Old Norse word for “provcocation,” allowed a Viking to verbally assault a rival as have been liked to modern “rap battles.”
Flyting became popular throughout the Viking world and featured in courts throughout England and Scotland.
13. They believed dogs were brought to the afterlife
But dogs had to be dead to be able to enter Valhalla, resulting in some dogs being sacrificed and buried with their masters.
14. Vikings and Native Americans
At the turn of the 11th century, inroads into what we know now as Newfoundland were created by the Vikings. The explorers even established a small village at L’Anse aux Meadows!
It is highly possible Viking sailors and Native Americans made contact as Inuits and Vikings fought multiple times in Greenland. A genetic link between some Icelanders and Native Americans has also been discovered.
In 1957, a Maine Penny, dating to the late 1000s was found as part of archaeological objects in Maine. Others say it’s a hoax but some scholars say it’s evidence of trade between the Vikings and Native Americans.
15. Our idea of a “Viking funeral” is probably a sham
While it may be true that some of the more important Vikings were cremated in boats, most funerals took place with the deceased buried on land as part of the funeral ritual.
They likely weren’t sent into open water as most shows depict.
Funeral traditions varied, with some burials including grave goods. They believed the deceased needed a few items in the afterlife.
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