Vikings Mind Map

Inuit

Leif Eriksson

• it seemed that neither society learned much from each other.

• the Norse did not take on the Inuit survival techniques.

• Inuit subsistence or technology was not changed by Norse contact.

Swedish Vikings

• explored, traded, and raided in eastern Europe and Russia.

Erik the Red

• had economic influence in the Black Sea, the Caspian and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Inuit

• in Russia they became so powerful they founded a dynasty that ruled Kiev (the capital city of Ukraine)

• historians believe the 2 cultures interacted for hundreds of years.

• Oral stories told by the Inuit describe trade and a complex relationship between them.

Danish Vikings

Norwegian Vikings

• explored North Atlantic

• extended to eastern coast of England and western coast of Europe.

• homeland in Scandinavian

Bristled Comb

Inuit

• expanded westward to Iceland and Greenland

• made raids that extended to Spain, the Mediterranean, and Northern Africa

• consisted of Danish, Swedish, & Norwegian Vikings

• famous vikings Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson were from Norwegian decent.

• some Norse objects were found in Inuit contexts and vice versa when excavated by archeologists.

• in England they formed the towns Dublin and York.

Skis

• 5 Inuit objects appeared in Norse sites.

• 170 Norse objects were found in Inuit sites.

Inuit

Bristled Comb

• they called the Inuit "skraelings," which translates to "wretches."

• archeological digs have found bristled cobs with varying tooth widths.

Skis

• Viking model is the inspiration for the western incarnation of the comb.

• document written in 1170 tells the first reported interaction between the Vikings and the Inuit.

• modern western tradition of skiing comes to us directly from the Vikings.

• they would have been used to groom facial hair

• the word "ski" comes from an Old Norse word "skio", meaning the same thing.

• encounter occurred in 1150 when Vikings were hunting to the north and ran into the Inuit who were moving south.

• brushes were used to groom hair on head for both men and women.

Thor

Location of Civilization

Original Home & Conquered Lands

Glasses

• Chris Hemsworth portraying Thor in the movie "The Avengers"

• Thor in Norse Myths.

Glasses

Norse Myths- Thor

• Vikings invented spectacles/glasses from crushed rock dust.

• Thor is one of the most popular stories among the the many Norse myths.

• rather than being used for eyesight, they were us for fashion and jewelery.

• in one popular story it is said that Thor tried to prove his strength to the Giant King by lifting a giant cat, but could only lift his paw.

Interaction With Other

Civilizations

• artifacts were found in archeological sites in Sweden.

Notable Inventions,

Buildings & Writings

• the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has taken the god Thor and has made the character into a very popular movie franchise.

• the Vikings had many encounters with other civilizations that were not good.

• this was a huge breakthrough for the world that early on.

Norse Myths

War, Trades & Treaties

• they raided many countries stealing things and people to become their slaves.

• old stories about gods, giants, and monsters.

• some of the places they raided were Spain, Russia and Northern Africa and many more.

Fines

• Viking's imposed fines on those who broke the law because they wanted to prevent blood feuds.

Odin

• Scandinavians set up trials at communal assemblies called Things.

Norse Myths

• they decided on appropriate compensation to be paid to the victims.

• they're were exceptions and capital punishment was always an option.

• fines existed else where in the world but our modern use comes from the Vikings.

Odin

• one of the most popular Gods amongst people in the Pagan religion.

Pagan Religion

• when Vikings came to Britain they had their own religion.

• Odin is associated with healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, battle, sorcery, poetry, frenzy and the runic alphabet.

• he is frequently referred to as a founding figure among most of Scandinavia.

• is depicted as one-eyed and long-bearded.

Gods & Goddesses

Gods & Goddesses

• Vikings worshiped their gods.

• they built wooden temples and thought the gods had 'magic trees'

• some Vikings killed captives as human sacrifices.

Religious Beliefs

Frigg

• Vikings told stories about how people live in Midgard or Middle Earth, and the Gods and Goddesses lived in a sky world called Asgard.

Vikings

• the chieftain and his wife, or the King and the Queen, were at the top of the social pyramid.

• in the heat of a battle slaves were taken to be sold or used as labourers.

Frigg

• she was said to be "foremost among the goddesses."

• when Viking warriors raided the villages they would be rewarded with some of the artifacts they stole.

Social Structure

• linking Midgard and Asgard was a rainbow bridge.

• she is the wife of Odin, the queen of Asgard, and the goddess of the sky.

• next were the skilled labourers and the warriors.

Philosophies on Life,

the Afterlife, Gods/Goddesses

• between 20-40% of the population were slaves.

• she is the goddess of marriage, motherhood, fertility, love household management, and domestic arts.

• after them were serfs, blacksmiths, craftsmen, freemen and labourers.

• the majority of the population were serfs, blacksmiths, craftsmen, freemen & labourers.

• slaves could be freed by their masters in a will or through buying themselves.

• she has the power of prophecy but does not tell what she knows.

• at the bottom of the pyramid were the slaves.

Afterlife

• she is the only one other than Odin who is permitted to sit on his high seat and look out over the universe.

• a dead person was buried or cremated with some of their belongings to take into the underworld.

• Thor, the God of Thunder, is her stepson.

• Vikings believed that a warrior killed in battle went to Valhalla.

• Valhalla was a great hall where dead heroes feasted at long tables.

• Viking warriors did not want to die in bed because they were afraid that they would go to a foggy underworld called Niflheim.

• these old pagan customs died out after Vikings became Christian.

• people in Britain were Christians long before Vikings settled there in the 900's.

• soon after that most Vikings became Christians.

• Viking leaders founded churches and put up painted stone crosses.

• Vikings were not conquered.

• Viking age ended when the raids stopped.

• the year 1066 is frequently used when describing the end of the Viking age.

• the Vikings eventually became Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Icelanders & Greenlanders.

Law

• they had laws without having them written

Causes of Fall/Decline of Civilization

Things

• all free men of the Vikings would gather in their communities to make law and decide cases in meeting called "Things."

Raiding

• each community has its own independent Thing.
• the Thing was instituted so conflicts wouldn't have to be settled by duels or family feuds.
• the Thing met at specific regular times.
• each Thing had a law speaker who would recite the laws from memory.

• at the beginning of the Viking age there was a large number of free land owning farmers who had the means and time to go raiding.

Things

Government Structure

• by the end of the Viking age there was a small number of privileged men that were able to go raiding.

• all free men of the community had a say, but the law speaker and local chieftain settles the dispute.

Raiding

• besides the Things, disputes could be settled by arbitration.

• Things were dominated by local, powerful families.

How was the civilization run?

Things

• there was a much larger number of men who had to work to pay their rent and fees and support their families.

• both parties would agree on an objective third party to judge between them.

• Vikings weren't conquered, they just stopped raiding.

• people found guilty were either fined, declared semi or fully outlawed.

• at the lowest level, they're were local community things.

• Viking means "raider" or "pirate."

• a dispute could also be settled by a holmgang, a duel practiced by medieval Scandinavians.

• these men did not have the time to go raiding.

• so when they stopped raiding, Vikings came to an end.

• in Iceland, disputes and laws were eventually settles at a national Thing.

• the better question is, why did the Vikings stop raiding?

• the duel was fought either to first blood or to death.

Raiding

• they stopped because changes took place in European societies that made raiding less profitable and desirable.

• during the Thing, marriages were arranged, alliances were crafted, news & gossip exchanged, and friendships were established and renewed.

• at the beginning of the Viking age there were no central authority figures in Europe so they had no one organizing a group of people to protect them from the Vikings.

• Vikings were Pagans meaning that they believed in natural and animal gods.

• they soon developed a system of family government that extended to grandparents and cousins.

Raiding

• they then had a regional form of government.

• then finally they began a form of democracy.

Democracy

• by the end of the Vikings age Europe had authority figures and strong armies to stand up against Viking attacks.

• there were Jarls, which are Norse or Danish chiefs.

• there were Kings in some areas.

Jarls

• next in the government structure were Jarls.

• they had almost as much power and land as Kings.

• according to the law they both ruled the people.

Kings

• the title Konungr, meaning King, was given to the chief of a community.

• there were many Kings.

• a king would rule over a small section or portion of land.

• some chiefs were war chiefs who didn't own any land.

• Things decided if the King would stay in power.

Kings

• time passed and Sweden and Denmark had crowned one King.

• by 1872, Norway had one King named Harald Fairhair.

Harald Fairhair

• he made the bad mistake of giving each of his sons the title of King as well as him, dividing Norway.

• people who didn't like his government moved to Iceland and made their own colony.

• they formed a national assembly called "Althing", instead of having a King.

Harald Fairhair

THE END