The commonly known ways of Norsemen include screaming and rushing and looting. Vikings were famous for their ferocity and lust. But there is the less known family life of a Norseman.
Life was hard in that time, because there were no machines like combines or tractors to work the fields, no running water and plumbing, no electricity, no pens, no pencils, nearly nothing we take for granted today. Food was a major problem too for those living in the far north. Berries only grew in the summer, and had to be picked and eaten then. No saving them, because there were no fridges. Sleeping was not very comfy, for you had to stick to a fleece as a mattress and pillows hadn’t been invented yet. The normal meat for a Norse family depended on where they lived. If you lived in Iceland, hakárl, which is dried Greenland shark, or narwhal meat would be the normal meal. If you lived in Norway or Sweden, elk would be your best bet. Denmark, you would have plenty of venison to munch on. In terms of warmth, fire was the only thing indoors.
Vikings were masters of the seas because their ships were light and small. Vikings could enter up rivers with their ships, and that was a very huge advantage against their enemies, the Anglo-Saxons and the Franks. The Vikings established Dublin, Ireland, and Kiev, Ukraine, as slave trading ports.
THE OLD NORSE ALPHABET
Phrases in Icelandic
Hállo – Hi
Hvað heitir þú – What’s your name
Ég heiti – My name is
Afsakið mig – Excuse me
Fyrirgefðu – Sorry
Hver er leiðin – What’s the way
Góðan daginn – Good morning / afternoon
Góða nótt – Good night
Já – Yes
Nei – No
Hvernig hefurþú það – How are you
Allt gott, en þú – Everything good, and you
VERY IMPORTANT FACT: VIKINGS NEVER WORE HORNED HELMETS!
Anay Ganesh 