The Viking Age Daily Life during the time

The Viking Age - Daily Life during the time of the Vikings was very different to now! Any ideas how it

What was the Viking Age? • The Viking Age is from 700 AD to 1100 AD. • This was the time when the Vikings left Scandinavia for Europe. • Travelled to countries such as Britain & Ireland. • Some went to fight & steal treasure. • Others went to settle in new lands as farmers, craftsmen or traders. • They first landed in England in 787 AD, in the raid of Lindisfarne. • They settled & brought lots to Britain. • They even had a English King at one time.

Life in the Viking Age: • Life in the Viking Age was very different to today in many ways. • Today we are going to look at how certain things were different The Viking Age was very including: different to how you live today! ü Food; You are all going to be historians today. This means you ü Clothes; will be looking at how life in the ü Men & Women; Viking Age compares to your life. ü Children’s lives; ü Toys & Pastimes; Is there anything you already know about the Viking Age? ü Slaves.

Viking Food: • Vikings ate what they could grow or hunt. • A lot of vegetables were grown & eaten by Vikings. • Also Vikings would eat wild nuts & berries, and herbs & leaves such as spinach. • Meat was a large part of the Viking diet. • Wild animals & fish were hunted by Vikings. • Some Vikings had their own “domesticated animals” for food - sheep, goats, chickens. • Vikings also enjoyed honey which they would get from wild bee’s nests. • Beer was drank in the form of mead.

Viking Clothes: • Vikings made all of their own clothes. • Most of their clothes were made from wool, linen & animal skins. • Perfect for keeping them warm in cold weather. • Vikings were skilful weavers. • Women & children would spin the wool into yarn & dye it with plants for colour. • Men wore tunics & trousers. • Women wore a long dress with a pinafore. • Clothes were often fastened with belts & brooches.

Viking Men & Women: • Most Viking men were all-round handymen. • They were boat builders, potters, leather-workers & smiths. • Most Viking men knew how to handle a boat. • Most knew how to fight if needed. • Would fight to protect their family or support their chieftain. • Viking women baked bread & made clothing. • Looked after the children & made family meals. • On the farm they milked cows & made cheese.

Children’s Lives: • Viking babies were given small charms of Thor’s hammer. • To protect them from evil spirits & sickness. • Boy’s usually took their father’s name - Eric son of Karl became Eric Karlsson. • Girl’s took the name of their mother or grandmother. • Children didn’t go to school. • Helped parents at home & learnt Viking history, religion & law through spoken word. • By 15 or 16 they were adults. • Girl’s father often chose their husband.

Toys & Pastimes: • Viking’s enjoyed a variety of different pastimes. • Viking men enjoyed swimming, wrestling & horse racing. • In Winter, people skated on frozen rivers. • The favourite board game was called “hnefatafl” or “King’s Table”. • It was a game similar to chess or draughts. • Most children’s toys were homemade. • Whistles made from leg bones of geese. • Children had wooden dolls, played football & sailed model boats.

Slaves: • Vikings sometimes kept slaves. • Slaves did the hardest & dirtiest jobs. • Some people could be born into slavery. • The child of a slave mother & father was a slave too. • However, if your father or mother were free people the child was free too. • Many slaves were people