In general, Viking marriages took place when men and women were still very young. Virtually every man and woman were expected to be married by the time they reached the age of 20. Girls were often entered into arranged marriages in their early teens.
Fortunately, they often were and many illegitimate sons inherited their father's land and wealth. This even holds true in the royal family, where multiple illegitimate sons have inherited the throne.
The Vikings loved their children, and when they weren't exploring, travelling, farming, raiding or invading faraway shores, they dedicated much of their lives to raising strong children who would do them proud.
Some men would have two to three wives, but the Norse sagas say that some princes had limitless numbers. “So raiding was away to build up wealth and power. Men could gain a place in society, and the chance for wives if they took part in raids and proved their masculinity and came back wealthy.
The Vikings typically lived to be around 40-50 years old. But there are also examples of upper class Vikings who lived longer – for instance Harald Fairhair, who was King of Norway for more than 60 years.
WOMEN AS VALKYRIES AND SHIELD-MAIDENS
Women that fought were in the Norse literature called vakyries or shield-maidens (skjoldsmøyer). There were several kinds of female warriors. – Some were divine beings, like the valkyries sent by Odin to pick up the warriors that were slain on the battlefield.
Adult life-span
For women, the risks were in pregnancy and childbirth and 35% of them did not survive beyond 30 years. The 31 to 40 year olds were the 'middle-aged' people of the Viking Age and 50 years of age would be thought of as 'old'.
On the other hand, women were respected in Norse society and had great freedom, especially when compared to other European societies of that era. They managed the finances of the family. They ran the farm in their husband's absence. In widowhood, they could be rich and important landowners.
Compared to women elsewhere in the same period, Viking women had more freedom. However, there were limits to this. Even if women had a relatively strong position, they were officially inferior to men. They could not appear in court or receive a share of the man's inheritance.
A wife's adultery was a serious matter, and in some areas the husband had the right to kill both her and her lover if they were caught together. There was no penalty for a man if he kept a concubine or had children outside his marriage.
Marriage And Other Forms Of Cohabitation
Sagas and runic inscriptions show that families were formed by monogamous marriages. A man may have had relationships, and children, with several women, but when he died, only one wife was acknowledged.
A typical couple probably had 2 or 3 living children at any one time. Few parents lived to see their children marry. And fewer lived to see their first grandchild. Three generation families were rare.
Vikings didn't share their wifes as a historical known custom. It has always been an alluring fantasy of traveling men which almost never is true.
Children's tasks in the Viking period
Children helped their parents with indoor tasks, such as looking after the fireplace or making food. They also spent time outdoors, where they helped with the animals, worked hard in the fields, as well as gathering firewood, berries and fruit in the woods.
The faces of men and women in the Viking Age were more alike than they are today. The women's faces were more masculine than women's today, with prominent brow ridges. On the other hand, the Viking man's appearance was more feminine than that of men today, with a less prominent jaw and brow ridges.
Vikings didn't have family names. Instead, boys and girls usually took their father's, or sometimes mother's, first name as a surname and added “son” or “dottir” (daughter). So Leif, the son of Erik, became Leif Eriksson.
Fidelity. This belief in fidelity extended far beyond the modern understanding of it, which is to remain monogamous with your life partner. They also applied this belief in fidelity to friends and family as well, which meant that Vikings had to be unequivocally loyal to those that were close to them.
Lagertha. Thanks to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, we know of a legendary female Viking known as either Lagertha or Ladgerda. This incredible woman was part of a larger group of female warriors who volunteered to help renowned hero Ragnar Lothbrok avenge his grandfather's death.
The Seven Wives of Harald Fairhair: 1st King of All Norway - A Viking Saga.
Many believe that the Viking Age was dominated by men and that they held a stronger social position with more freedom, whilst women were at their mercy in terms of their agency and choice.
Viking wedding ceremony
The groom would present an ancestral sword to his bride, with the intention for it to be passed on to future sons. The bride would also gift the groom an ancestral sword to symbolise the transfer of a father's protection of a bride to the husband.
Female Vikings could go to Valhalla. Viking culture and mythos were not free of bias against women, but the gods cared about the method of their dying, not the details of their life. According to the Poetic Edda, Valhalla was reserved only for those who demonstrated their eternal valor by dying in battle.
Like many traditional civilizations, Viking Age society at home and abroad was essentially male-dominated. Men did the hunting, fighting, trading and farming, while women's lives centered around cooking, caring for the home and raising children.
The Vikings needed all the energy that they could get in the form of fat – especially in winter. Meat, fish, vegetables, cereals and milk products were all an important part of their diet. Sweet food was consumed in the form of berries, fruit and honey. In England the Vikings were often described as gluttonous.
In Scandinavia, the Viking Age is considered to have ended with the establishment of royal authority in the Scandinavian countries and the establishment of Christianity as the dominant religion. The date is usually put somewhere in the early 11th century in all three Scandinavian countries.