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| The name ‘Viking’ means ‘a pirate raid’ in the Old Norse language |
Compared to other medieval societies in Europe, Viking society followed a less rigid social hierarchy. Their society was composed of Jarls, Karls, and Thralls.
- The Jarls were nobles who were normally wealthy and influential.
-The Karls were craftsmen, silversmiths, shipbuilders, and merchants who dominated communities in number. They were often associated with raiding foreign lands.
-At the bottom of the hierarchy were Thralls, composed of slaves. Slaves did the dirtiest jobs. They were captured in war and purchased by traders and sold in the marketplace.
Members of the nobility or the Jarls were recognized by their clothing, jewelry, and headpieces like metal helmets, while the lower class usually wore leather caps. The Vikings did not wear helmets with horns like how they are depicted in popular culture; instead, their metal helmets were round.
- Vikings travelled on vessels called Longships (sometimes called Longboats or Dragon Boats).
- The Vikings used longships for trading, exploring and raiding.
- Longships were narrow and light making them quick to manoeuvre through water. They could even be carried by Vikings over land, allowing them to sneak up on an enemy be approaching from a different direction.
- Vikings would hang their shields on the side of the boat to protect the hull and save space aboard the deck. Plus, it would make the Longship nice and colourful - Vikings liked bright colours - and all the symbols of the scary animals and creatures on the shields would help scare the enemy.
- They had a single sail in the centre of the boat, often shown striped in red and white. Sails were made from wool or linen and then dyed red. Some archaeologists believe that Longship sails came in many different colours, Vikings were known for liking bright colours.
