Women in the Viking Age: How did their life look like?

The word víkingar (the Vikings) referred to men; women weren't even included in the concept. However, this didn't mean that women had no rights at all – on the contrary!

They had the right to be property owners and ask for a divorce if they were not satisfied with their spouse and their treatment in the marriage. 

They shared responsibility with their male partners when it came to farms and homes. Also, they were protected from male harassment by law.

Viking women in the household

Viking women were in charge of managing the household on a daily basis, making sure that the daily routines in the family were running smoothly. 

They would often get married at an early age and would start their married life and household in a house which usually consisted of only one room where all key activities took place – cooking, sleeping, socialization, and cleaning.

Viking women as hostesses and storytellers

On the other hand, Viking women also had to take care of the guests. While the men would lead the conversation regarding business and politics, women were in charge of accommodating and entertaining guests, offering them meals, drinks, etc. 

The family did not consist only of parents and children; other family members were also included. In some cases, families also included foster children. 

Famous sagas and myths were shared and passed on to future generations by women – the mistresses of the household. Viking women took on the role of storytellers and shared the stories with kids. 

Later on, the sagas were recorded in written form.

Viking women took on the role of storytellers. Photo: adriankirby - Pixabay 

Viking women as warriors and explorers

Although men were in charge of fighting in wars, Viking women could not be completely shielded from violence and attacks, especially if everything was happening close to their village or settlement. 

In such cases, Viking women had to take part in defending the location – they would take their tools - such as, for example, axes or knives - and help the men defend the people and goods. However, there aren't many confirmed cases of trained women warriors. 

If Vikings were attacked during trade trips, the women would also take part in defending the goods they were buying or selling. 

During Viking times, great explorations and many voyages took place, and Viking women took part in these voyages. According to some historical sources, thirteen women took part in the voyage that ended in settling on Iceland. Without these women, the settlement would have hardly survived.

Famous Viking women

The settlement in Iceland had thirteen women who definitely contributed to forming the new community. One of them, the most famous one, was named Aud the Deep-Minded. 

She was famous for moving her whole household to Iceland from Scotland. Considering the conditions and the whole historical context, this was a major achievement.

Another famous Viking woman was named Ingirun. She lived in Sweden in the 11th century and was set on going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, according to a runestone that she set up. 

What did Viking women look like?

Women wore dresses made of linen, a sort of an under-dress, and an apron skirt over it. Sometimes they would use brooches to hold the outfit in place, and in some cases, the brooches were worn just for decoration. 

The shape of these brooches was usually similar to a turtle's shell. They also served as holders of strings of beads that Viking women liked to wear as jewelry. Beads were usually made of glass and, in some cases, precious stones.

Viking women wore head coverings according to their social status and ranking – those of a lower class wore simple coverings. In contrast, those of noble families wore headdresses with elaborate decorations made of gold. Sometimes, different types of headdresses would mark the difference between a married and unmarried woman.

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