Somehow over the roughly one thousand years that have passed since the Vikings roamed the seas, people have become very misinformed about them. Even the most common thing associated with the Viking warrior, the horned helmet, is a common misconception- the real Viking battle helmets had no horns. Additionally, the Norse society was not dominated by marauding men but rather consisted of three distinct social classes that were ruled by a regional king. And contrary to popular belief it was farming and trading, not pillaging, that made up the largest part of their economy.
The word “Viking” calls to mind a big, powerful man. However, the Vikings were actually somewhat egalitarian- at least among the sexes- for their time. Though Norse women did not enjoy all the rights as modern women, their social status was much higher than other cultures at that time. Some of the rights women had included the right to own property and divorce their husbands. However, women were confined to a domestic role and were not allowed to occupy the most desirable job in their society, Viking
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Major trading partners included the Holy Roman Empire and the Abbasid empire. There is even disputed evidence that the Norse people traded with the Inuit native to Greenland. They originally used only the bartering system, however they eventually switched to using primarily silver coins. However, trade was only one part of their economy. Farming also had a large role. Without the mass farming techniques and advanced technology that exist in modern times, most Norse people at that time were sustenance farmers- they grew only enough for themselves and their families. However, others did create surpluses of food. This is the only reason non-farmers such as merchants and pillagers could exist in their