The Scandinavian History Podcast

In 911, after decades of Viking attacks, the Frankish King Charles the Simple made a deal with the Scandinavian warlord Rollo: in exchange for land and a noble title the Viking promised to defend the Channel coast from further invasions. Rollo accepted, and established a dynasty that would change French—as well as English—history forever.

In the late 9^th century, Scandinavians more or less stumbled upon a new piece of real estate in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They eventually decided to call it Iceland, and started to populate it. The early settlers assumed that its lush forests and promise of political independence would last forever. They would soon be proven wrong.

 

In the year 930, the Icelandic Commonwealth was established. The Icelanders set up a libertarian utopia of personal freedom and sheep farming, governed by the Althing—an assembly that passed laws and settled disputes—but that had absolutely zero executive power. Instead, law enforcement was left to the citizens themselves. It worked better than you might have expected.

When he was outlawed in Iceland for killing some people, Erik the Red sailed west and explored a new land. He called it “Greenland” to lure unsuspecting Icelanders to join his colonization project. His son—Leif Eriksson—continued in the family tradition (of exploring, not killing) and became the first European to reach the continent we know as North America.

Vikings traded and raided along the great rivers (almost) connecting the Baltic and the Black Seas. They sold slaves, furs and other goods, and in return brought home enormous amounts of silver from Byzantium and Baghdad. Some Scandinavians settled along the route and set up a network of city states they called Gardariki, or “The Realm of Cities”.

Constantinople with its golden palaces, splendid churches and lively markets captured the Viking imagination like few other places. They simply called it the Great City, Miklagard. For centuries Scandinavians would go there in the hopes of making a fortune trading in slaves, furs and silk. Some also worked as imperial bodyguards, impressing and scaring the locals with their long hair and reputation for ruthlessness.

The Vikings who travelled the furthest away from home, reached Muslim lands around the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus Mountains. There, they encountered men who didn’t wear pants, but rather caftans or tunics, so naturally the Vikings called the place Serkland—or “Gown Land”. Many a Scandinavian trader made a fortune selling furs and slaves in Serkland. Many others lost their lives fighting local armies.

Most Viking Age Scandinavians weren’t really Vikings. Instead of gallivanting across the seas in search for gold and glory, they spent their lives eking out a meager existence at some isolated farm somewhere where the summers were too short and the winters too long.

This episode is dedicated to a closer look at their daily lives.