03 Vikings

VIKINGS

Viking life The Vikings were people who lived in Denmark, Norway and Sweden more than a thousand years ago. Most Vikings lived on small farms in the countryside.

Different Vikings The richest Vikings were kings and jarls, and the poorest people were thralls. Most ordinary Vikings were farmers. Kings ruled over large areas of land called kingdoms. Jarls were important leaders who owned lots of land. Some ordinary Vikings worked as fishermen or traders. Thralls were slaves who had to work for richer Vikings.

All Viking men except thralls trained to fight as warriors. This statue shows a jarl ready to go into battle. Many Vikings had nicknames, such as Thorkell the Tall and Eric Bloodaxe.

At home Viking families lived in wooden or stone buildings called longhouses. There was one big room inside. The walls of this longhouse have been removed so you. can see inside. Clothes tools and weapons were stored in big chests or hung up on pegs.

A fire was used for cooking food and heating the room. At one end of the longhouse was a stable for animals. People slept on benches around the sides of the room. Toilets were holes dug outside, often in small huts.