Life at Home
Although the Vikings are known as pirates and raiders, they were above all, farmers. While some went off in the longships to raid, the others stayed home and looked after the farms.
A modern reconstruction of a 12th century turf house at Stöng (Left)
More at http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/daily_living/text/longhouse.htm
More at http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/daily_living/text/longhouse.htm
Longhouse ruins in Jolshaf
A Viking farm was a huddle of buildings around the 'longhouse' which is where the family lived. Longhouses (langhús), were typically 5 to 7 meters wide and anywhere from 15 to 75 meters long, depending on the wealth and social position of the owner. In much of the Norse region, the longhouses were built around wooden frames on simple stone footings. Walls were constructed of planks, of logs, or of wattle and daub. In the early part of the Viking age a longhouse would also include stalls for animals, a workshop and stores for food and tools.
Inside, the longhouse was divided into several rooms. Two rows of posts ran down the length of the longhouse supporting the roof beams. These columns divided each interior room into three long aisles. The columns supported the roof, and, as a result, the walls supported little weight. Typically, the walls bowed out at the center of the longhouse, making it wider in the center than the ends.
It is unlikely that the longhouses had much furniture. Only the master and mistress of the house would have had a box-bed in which to sleep, usually located in a enclosed bed-closet. The remainder of the household slept on the benches.
Farms were generally built on a slope or other high ground, which provided better drainage. Houses were built near running water. While wells were known and used in the Viking age, especially in trading towns, running water was preferred at a farmstead.
Hired hands were often employed to help run the farm, and slaves were fairly common. Generally the farm was isolated and needed to be self efficient. They had to produce their own food and tools.
A Viking farmer had to be a good carpenter, blacksmith, cultivator of crops and animal breeder. He had to build the farm himself as well as any of the carts or boats he needed.
Viking farmers kept cattle, horses, sheep, goats,oxen and pigs. In the summer the sheep and cattle would be taken to higher pastures. Winter would be severely cold so the livestock was kept indoors and fed with hay.
The Vikings farmed hay, barley, oats, rye, onions, peas and cabbages. They farmed flax and hemp so that they could make linen and rope.
The wife of a Viking farmer was someone who had great authority in her community. The men could be away for up to years at a time and during this time their wives would command the farm.
Viking bowl and jewelry found in Northern England in 2007. It is now in the British museum and it was sold for $1,760,000.
Read more at
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/2968
Food
The Vikings mainly ate agricultural products raised on their own farms: meat from cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, goats, and poultry; cereals, such as barley, rye, oats, and (rarely) wheat; dairy produce, such as milk from cows, sheep, or goats, as well as cheese and butter; vegetables, such as peas, beans, cabbage, onions, and an assortment of herbs and wild fruits, such as apples, pears, cherries, and berries. Many foods commonly consumed today were unknown, such as corn, potatoes, and sugar; the only available sweetener was wild honey.
Clothing
Men wore a tunic that was tight fitting across the chest with a broad skirt. The trousers could be either loose fitting or tight. Women wore a long shift with a suspended overdress. Both men and women wore a long cloak or a jacket to provide warmth and protection in cold weather.