Viking Homesteading

Life in the Viking area, all raids and war?  Actually there was another side as well..homesteading.  Farming was and still is a key part of life in the Scandinavian countries.  Some raids were actually scouting missions to find new lands to farm.  A traditional farm settlement took the the form of a central cluster of buildings, enclosed by turf walls, which were normal shoulder height to a man and five feet wide at the base. Outside the walled areas were fields used for cultivation and grazings.



Each Viking homestead normally consisted of a longhouse and typically multiple outbuildings  In the early years, both humans and animals dwelt in the long houses, but latter animals were moved into a barn.  Wells were sometimes build, but the Vikings prefered to have a running water source, like a river or stream, on the homestead.

The main focus of the Viking homestead was raising animals, with cattle being the chief.  Milk cows were highly prized, and provided the family with cheese, butter, and skyr (a type of curds). Oxen were work animals kept to pull the sleigh and aror, the Viking plow. Sheep were next in importance to cattle, and were used for their wool, meat, and milk.  Goats and pigs were also common. Horses were bread not only for their ability to provide transportation, but also meat.

Hay was grown to provide for the animals over the long winters.  Grains of barley, rye, and oats were grown; occasionally, in more southern regions, wheat as well. Beans, cabbage, onions, and peas were harvested.  Wild fruits and berries rounded out the diet.  Of course, fish was common, either from family members or the markets.   Thus life on the homestead was hard but good.

~ Morria





(Deep thanks to the multiple sites and books out on the history of Vikings.  Especially to the historical museums who seek to impart history through reenactments and living history sites!)