What Life Was Really Like As A Viking In 800 AD

There's a lot more to Viking culture than just looting and pillaging. In fact, over the years, historians have been able to unravel many more details of daily Viking habits. So here's what life was really like as a Viking in the year 800 AD.

If you were able to travel back in time to the Viking era, you wouldn't be disappointed by the food piled on the table of a longhouse. But there would be a catch, as it was all highly labor-intensive to make. According to The National Museum of Denmark, most Viking families were self-sufficient and responsible for keeping their larders filled themselves. The cold climate and hard work that was a part of daily life meant their diets needed to be high in fat and energy, and they certainly were.

Grains were incredibly important, as were vegetables like cabbage, peas, and beans. Viking farmers also grew rye, oats, and millet for everyday use in bread, along with beer and porridge. The food wasn't bland and tasteless, either, as honey was a popular sweetener. Honey was also used in mead, which was reserved for special occasions, as was strong beer. Meanwhile, weak beer was more of a daily option, for children and adults alike. And among the richest Vikings, it wouldn't be uncommon to find wine on their tables.

Vikings were also huge fans of fruit. Gathering fruits and berries was primarily a job for the children. Meat and fish were of the utmost importance, and Viking families often kept pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, chicken, and ducks. Fish and seals were hunted in the surrounding areas, and the records left behind by travelers suggest that there were as many as 26 different kinds of fish on the menu at various times.

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Labor-intensive food | 0:00
Grooming and hygiene | 1:28
Viking religion | 2:31
Spinning and weaving | 3:44
Luxury horses | 4:51
The Viking longhouse | 5:50
Runes and omens | 7:06
Knowing their place | 8:01
The blot sacrifice | 8:57
Viking game nights | 10:00

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