Viking Settlements: How the Norse Lived in Conquered Land

The Vikings who established homes in the lands they conquered in the 9th-11th centuries used a settlement pattern based largely on their own Scandinavian cultural heritage . That pattern, in contrast to that of the Viking bandit, was that of living on isolated, regularly spaced farms surrounded by grain fields.

The extent to which the Norse and their successors adapted their agricultural methods and lifestyles to the local environment and customs varied from place to place, a decision that influenced the eventual success of their farming. them as colonists. The impact of this is discussed in detail in the articles on Landnám and Shieling .

Features of Viking settlement

A model Viking settlement was located near the coast with reasonable boat access; a flat, well-drained area for farming; and extensive grazing areas.

The structures in the Viking settlements — houses, barns, and barns — were built of stone foundations and had walls of stone, peat, soggy earth, wood, or a combination of objects. this material. Religious structures are also present in Viking settlements. After the Christianization of the Norse, churches were established as small square buildings in the center of a circular churchyard.

Fuels used by the Norse for heating and cooking included peat, peat grass, and wood. In addition to being used in heating and building buildings, wood is also a common fuel for smelting iron .

The Viking community is led by chieftains who own many farms. Early Icelandic chiefs competed with each other for support from local farmers through conspicuous consumer, gift-giving, and legal contests. The engagement ceremony is an important element of leadership, as described in the Icelandic sagas .

Landnam and Shieling

The traditional Scandinavian agricultural economy (known as landnám) consisted of a focus on barley and domesticated sheep, goats, cattle , pigs and horses . The marine resources exploited by the Norse colonists included seaweed, fish, shellfish and whales. Seabirds are harvested for their eggs and meat, and driftwood and peat are used as building materials and fuel.

Shieling, the Scandinavian system of grazing, was practiced in upland stations where cattle could be moved during the summer. Near summer pastures, the Norse build small huts, cottages, barns, stables, and hedges.

Visit Tatkuink for more Hoodie Dress!

Farms in the Faroe Islands

In the Faroe Islands, Viking settlement began in the mid-ninth century , and research on farms there ( Arge, 2014 ) has identified a number of farms that have been continuously inhabited in the past. many centuries. Some of the farms that exist in the Faroes today are located in the same location as those settled during the Viking landnám period. That permanence has created 'farm mounds', which record the entire history of the Norse settlement and later adaptations.

Toftanes: An early Viking farm in the Faroes

Toftanes (described in detail in Arge, 2014 ) is a farm mound in the village of Leirvik, which was occupied from the 9th-10th centuries. Artifacts of Toftanes' early occupation include schist (mills for grinding grain) and whetstones. Fragments of bowls and saucepans, reels , and fishing lines or nets were also found on the site, as were several well-preserved wooden objects including bowls, spoons, and barrel racks. Other artefacts found at Toftanes include goods and jewelry imported from the Irish Sea and a large number of objects carved from steatite ( soapstone ), which the Vikings must have bring when they come from Norway.

If you are looking for Skull, Vikings Phone Case, visit Tatkuink now!

The first ranch on the site, consisting of four buildings, including the dwelling, was a typical Viking longhouse designed to house both people and animals. This long house is 20 meters (65 feet) long and 5 meters (16 ft) wide inside. The curved walls of the house are 1 meter (3.5 ft) long and built from a vertical haystack, with an outer and inner wall of dry stone. In the middle of the western half of the building, where residents live, there is a fireplace that spans nearly the entire width of the house. The eastern half is completely devoid of any heating and can be used as a pile of animal carcasses. There is a small building built outside the south wall that has a floor area of ​​about 12 square meters (130 ft 2 ).

Other buildings at Toftanes include a storage facility for craft or food production located on the north side of the long house and measuring 13 meters long by 4 meters wide (42.5 x 13 ft). It is constructed of a drywall layer with no grooves. A smaller building (5 x 3 m, 16 x 10 ft) can be used as a firehouse. Its side walls are built of parquet board, but its western gable is wooden. At some point in its history, the east wall was eroded by a stream. The floor is paved with flat stone and covered with a thick layer of ash and coal. A small, stone-built ember is located at the east end.