Viking Age Expert Answers Viking Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

Viking Support (0s)

• An archaeologist specializing in the Viking age will answer questions from the internet. (1s)
• The video is sponsored by Longer Fish 2K. (11s)

Nicknames (15s)

• Vikings were often given nicknames in addition to their given names. (24s)
• These nicknames were frequently based on a person's skills, personality traits, or physical characteristics. (34s)
• Some examples of Viking nicknames include "Icicle-ale lover", "Kutill Flatnose", "Olaf the Witch-breaker", "Icin Foul-fart", "Coline Butter-penis", "Thid Sound-filler", "Hallard Twist-breaks", and "Thorborg Ship-breast". (44s)

How violent were the Vikings? (1m13s)

• The early medieval period in Europe was a violent time, not just for the Vikings. (1m20s)
• Vikings were successful in battle due to their advanced battle techniques and weapons. (1m26s)
• A study of skeletons in Scandinavia revealed that Norwegian Vikings had significantly more injuries (about a third of those studied) compared to Danish Vikings (only 6%), suggesting a more violent society. (1m49s)

Vikings on TV (2m8s)

• The History Channel show Vikings is inspired by real events and sagas, with some factual accuracies, such as the portrayal of King Canute and Emma, aligning with historical records. (2m19s)
• While the show depicts numerous female warriors, including entire armies, historical evidence suggests that while "shield-maidens" might have existed, they were likely mythical, with evidence primarily found in Norse mythology. (2m45s)
• The discovery of the "Birka warrior woman" (Bj 581), a grave containing a female skeleton buried with weapons, suggests the possibility of women participating in battle, although the lack of widespread similar findings implies it was uncommon. (3m34s)

Did Vikings really sacrifice humans? (3m50s)

• Archaeological evidence, such as the grave of four young children buried together near a Viking great Army grave, suggests potential human sacrifice. (3m53s)
• Chemical analysis of the children's teeth indicates they came from different places and had different diets but died simultaneously, supporting the possibility of sacrifice. (4m13s)
• Written accounts, like that of Adam of Breman, describe rituals at the Temple of Odin, Thor, and Frey in gamla Upsala, where nine males of each species, including humans, were allegedly sacrificed every nine years. (4m25s)

How do we know about the Vikings? (5m2s)

• There are limited written sources directly from the Vikings, with most contemporary records coming from their enemies, such as the Anglo-Saxons. These records often focus on rulers, battles, and major events, providing little insight into everyday life. (5m4s)
• Vikings used runes as a writing system, but these were primarily for short inscriptions and offer limited information. Sagas, a form of historical fiction written centuries after the Viking Age, provide some insights but are influenced by Christian perspectives. (5m33s)
• Archaeological evidence, including human remains and grave goods, offers valuable insights into Viking life. For example, the Viking Great Army Winter Camp at Repton provides evidence of Viking warriors buried with artifacts like swords and Thor's hammers. (6m6s)

Fun, if you’re a Viking (7m54s)

• Vikings held feasts where they consumed mead and beer, often to the point of drunkenness. (7m56s)
• Archaeological evidence points to Vikings using ice skates and skis, the latter evidenced both physically and psychologically. (8m3s)
• The question of where Vikings traveled is raised. (8m16s)

Where did the Vikings go? (8m18s)

• Vikings originated in Scandinavia, specifically Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. (8m20s)
• They traveled in various directions, including to Britain, Ireland, France, and Spain. (8m22s)
• Some Vikings crossed the North Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland, and even North America. (8m33s)
• Others traveled across the Baltic Sea and down river routes in Eastern Europe, reaching areas now known as Russia and Ukraine, and further to the Mediterranean. (8m40s)
• Some Vikings traveled as far as the Caspian Sea and Baghdad. (8m50s)
• Evidence of Viking travel comes from runic inscriptions, particularly in Sweden, and archaeological findings. (9m4s)
• Sites like L'Anse aux Meadows in North America show typical patterns of Viking settlements and artifacts. (9m14s)
• Traded objects, such as Carnelian beads found in England, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe, indicate extensive trade networks, including connections to India and the Silk Roads. (9m32s)

When did the Viking Age begin? (9m57s)

• The beginning of the Viking Age is often attributed to the attack on Lindisfarne on June 8th, 793. (10m5s)
• Recent discoveries suggest the Viking Age may have begun earlier, around 750, due to the discovery of a Viking ship in Salme, Estonia. (10m14s)
• The ship, which dates back further than the Lindisfarne attack, contains evidence of a raid or attack, suggesting earlier Viking activity, particularly in Eastern Europe. (10m28s)

Norse and Vikings (10m39s)

• Norse refers to the language spoken by people from Scandinavia, while Viking is a term given to people from Scandinavia who traveled and raided between the 8th and 11th centuries. (10m44s)
• The term Viking originates from the Old Norse language and can refer to an individual or a journey, which could be a raid or a peaceful endeavor. (11m2s)
• Old Norse is the root of all Scandinavian languages, including Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Icelandic, with Icelandic being the closest in sound to what Norse would have sounded like. (11m22s)

How did Vikings navigate? (12m1s)

• Vikings did not use compasses. (12m3s)
• It is possible Vikings used sunstones to determine the location of the sun and north. (12m8s)
• Vikings often navigated by following geographical features such as coastlines. (12m16s)

did they? (12m39s)

• Cannabis seeds have been discovered in Scandinavia. (12m41s)
• One such discovery was made in the Oseberg ship burial, a Viking ship grave containing the remains of two women and various burial goods. (12m49s)
• A small pouch containing cannabis seeds was found among the possessions of one of the women. (13m2s)

Everything you wanted to know about Viking sex but were afraid to ask (13m26s)

• There is no evidence Vikings used condoms, and even if they did, the organic materials would have decomposed. (13m35s)
• While Vikings were likely concerned about disease and pregnancy, there is no skeletal evidence of sexually transmitted diseases. (13m47s)
• There is a possibility Vikings practiced infanticide for economic reasons, as documented by an Islamic traveler who witnessed unwanted babies being thrown into the sea. (14m12s)

Did Vikings use soap? (14m55s)

• Vikings likely used a soap made from lye and animal fat. (15m0s)
• Vikings were very concerned with hygiene, especially hair care, and evidence of this exists in written sources and artifacts like bone combs. (15m7s)
• An Arab traveler documented that the Roose, despite washing daily, used a bowl of water for the entire group, spitting into it and passing it to each other. (15m20s)
• John of Wallingford noted that Vikings in England were seen as troublesome because they practiced extensive hygiene routines, including combing their hair daily, changing clothes often, and bathing every Saturday. (16m3s)

What did the Vikings look like? (16m28s)

• Recent DNA studies have revealed that many Vikings had darker hair than previously thought, including brown hair and even some with brown eyes. (16m41s)
• An eyewitness account from Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, who encountered the Rus' people near the Volga River, describes them as tall, blonde, and ruddy in complexion. (16m55s)
• There are no surviving pictures or paintings of Vikings, and descriptions beyond these sources are limited, making it difficult to definitively determine their appearance. (17m11s)

What do modern Norwegians and Danes think of the Viking era? (17m29s)

• Norwegians and Danes are proud of the art, objects, artifacts, and trading networks of the Viking era, but not necessarily the violence and enslavement. (17m44s)
• In England, the Viking era is seen from the perspective of those who fought against them, with figures like Alfred the Great being hailed as heroes who defeated the Vikings. (18m4s)
• Despite claims of victory against the Vikings, a Viking king named Cnut successfully conquered and ruled England for nearly 18 years. (18m36s)

Descendants of Vikings online? (18m50s)

• No DNA test can definitively identify someone as a Viking because Viking was not a clear identity, and people did not call themselves Vikings. (18m59s)
• There was significant movement in and out of Scandinavia, and interactions with various cultures, making genetics different from identities. (19m9s)
• The information from DNA tests becomes less meaningful when tracing back more than a thousand years due to the exponential increase in the number of ancestors. (19m22s)
• The population in the past was quite small, and geneticists have identified isopoints where all people with descendants are related to all people alive today. (19m39s)
• In Northern Europe, this isopoint is in the 10th century, meaning anyone with Northern European ancestry is likely related to Scandinavians from the Viking age. (19m57s)
• DNA tests compare samples to recent populations in those countries today, providing information about the last 300 years rather than the Viking age itself. (20m12s)