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| The mythology
of the horned Viking ransacking a village and sexually pillaging every maiden
he can find still echoes in our society. What we must always keep in mind
is that many written accounts of the Viking raids were exaggerated and put
into circulation by the victims, usually Christian Monks. If we look beyond
this view of the Viking Barbarian, we will see a Scandinavian society of
farmers, traders, settlers, artisans, and other roles quite similar to their
foreign contemporary cultures. The word vííkingar referred to those men who were raiders and pirates. There were very few ‘‘Viking'' women and these few were likely mentioned by the Chroniclers because of the novelty and surprise of encountering a female warrior-pirate. However, the word Viking has become, over time, widely accepted when discussing the various Scandinavian people and their culture in an approximate time period, roughly between the years 700 AD and 1100 AD. Therefore, the term Viking is rather loosely used for convenience more than anything else. This article focuses primarily on the Vikings, those pirates so idolized and yet feared, and their relationships with their wives and conquests. It is very unlikely that a Viking would rape a woman during a raid despite the popular misconception that they did so frequently. ""Rapine"" when mentioned in period text generally referred to the abduction of goods or property, whether this was gold, religious relics, or a woman. Not only would it be very difficult to sexually accost a woman in the midst of a fray, but the very thought of rape goes against the deeply ingrained respect Viking men had for their women, and for women in general. Courtship and wooing were more or less a refined art for the Viking. There were courtship laws, and men who broke the rules were punished. Many men were fluent poets; indeed, they were expected to be. A great many Vikings were from the upper classes as they were the ones who were able to train with weapons and learn to navigate the seas. They were not so close to the land as the poorer farmer, although most of them had quite a bit of property that was managed by their wives. There were fewer Scandinavian women than men, and they were highly guarded by their families prior to marriage. Virginity was a highly priced commodity, thus the courting laws with penalties. Adultery was dishonorable behavior and was defined by any man having sexual relations with another man''s wife, or a wife having sexual relations with any man (other than their husbands). A man committing adultery was put to death, and a wife could be divorced or killed. These punishments were to protect the legitimacy of the heirs. Marriage was never taken lightly, but the Viking concept of fidelity differs greatly from our possessive views today. Viking men had no qualms about making a beautiful or sexually attractive slave his concubine. When he arrived home from raiding with a few new slaves or concubines, his wife wouldn''t complain. The Viking wife is believed to have looked upon these extra women as helping hands, in the bedroom and out. She knew her place as head wife could not be challenged as the Viking man could never marry a thrall (slave). The first wife was the only respected wife with the right to represent the group. Any children born between a Viking and a concubine could be adopted into the family with a public declaration with witnesses. The more male children the merrier - the more males to work the land and go to war. With a number of women living under the same roof with sexual ties to one man, we can quickly see the resemblance to a harem. The women also may have indulged in sexual relations with one another. There is some reasoning to believe that lesbian activity was accepted. The men were so often away from home and the laws against adultery were strict; remember that the laws stated that adultery was any wife engaging in sex with a male. Having sexual and intimate relations with another woman could fulfill both sexual and emotional needs - it could be awfully lonely on that hundred plus acreage of land. Viking men did abduct women. They may have raped these women after the raid was over, when they were on safer ground, but it is more likely that they did not. In some situations the captured women were held for ransom and no Viking in his right mind would rape such a pricey woman and lose his chance of gaining a ransom! In other situations the abducted women were young and strong, but not worth much by way of ransom. These women became slaves. Today it may be an exciting fantasy to think about being captured, pillaged, and stolen away in the dead of the night by a tall, golden-haired, muscled Viking. However, the reality is a bit less stimulating, Viking men were the cleanest, most well-mannered men (in the presence of women) compared to their counterparts in other societies at the time. Their deep respect for women and their love of poetry combined with an almost brutal animal lust surely set many hearts pounding. |
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