Story #1: What Did My Parents Say My Heritage Was?
Hi Bruce & Kim! Your mother should be around a 50% match to me (give or take) read on!!!
And I stand corrected as I just checked MyHeritage and I have 6,503 people & 769 photos as of 9 pm 3/4/2019
And I stand corrected as I just checked MyHeritage and I have 6,503 people & 769 photos as of 9 pm 3/4/2019
My last is Konichek and my mothers maiden name is Clark. My father said he was 100% Czech as both of his parents and all four of his grandparents and great grandparents were Czech so that would make me at least 50% Czech or as DNA results say East European. Both of my mothers parents were Clarks although they were NOT 1st, 2nd or even 3rd cousins. My mother said she was English but some Irish.
So the week before St. Patrick's Day when I had my students and their friends and anyone who walked by my classroom or through it (staff & students) mark on my front blackboard (white board) what their nationalities were down to 1/16th (if they were a little bit). If their nationality was not listed they could add it to the blackboard. At the end of the day I'd take the 1/2's and make them a whole tally and four 1/4's another tally,etc. to clean it up a bit. Then on St. Patrick's Day I would share with my classes the final results.
At Stevens Point Senior High School (SPASH, St. Pt. Area Senior High) some years the Germans would win but some years the Polish would win but every year those were the top two.
Another interesting point is that the Native Americans DID NOT want to tally under Native American but wanted their tribe listed on the blackboard.
The last interesting point is that if a student said that they didn't know what they were I'd ask them to find the oldest living grandparent on both their mother & fathers sides and ask them if their parents didn't know.
Lastly, I need to point out that I would put down 1/2 Czech Republic, 3/8 English, and 1/8 Irish.
So the week before St. Patrick's Day when I had my students and their friends and anyone who walked by my classroom or through it (staff & students) mark on my front blackboard (white board) what their nationalities were down to 1/16th (if they were a little bit). If their nationality was not listed they could add it to the blackboard. At the end of the day I'd take the 1/2's and make them a whole tally and four 1/4's another tally,etc. to clean it up a bit. Then on St. Patrick's Day I would share with my classes the final results.
At Stevens Point Senior High School (SPASH, St. Pt. Area Senior High) some years the Germans would win but some years the Polish would win but every year those were the top two.
Another interesting point is that the Native Americans DID NOT want to tally under Native American but wanted their tribe listed on the blackboard.
The last interesting point is that if a student said that they didn't know what they were I'd ask them to find the oldest living grandparent on both their mother & fathers sides and ask them if their parents didn't know.
Lastly, I need to point out that I would put down 1/2 Czech Republic, 3/8 English, and 1/8 Irish.
Story #2: What Is My DNA Results And How Did I React Originally?
- Europe
100.0%
North and West Europe
81.3% Scandinavian 43.0%
English 38.3%
East Europe
17.1% East European 17.1%- South Europe
- 1.6% Iberian 1.6%
Paul Konichek
100.0% NOTE: Please click on the red type below to see the map which better depicts my DNA results.
My reaction was more like .... WHAT? 43% Scandinavian???
I did not understand and I thought my results would be the same for my brother and three sisters so I checked out what % DNA match siblings would be and this is what I found out ...
Average Percent DNA Shared Between RelativesThe following table summarizes the average percent DNA shared for different types of relationships according to our simulations. You may notice that several relationships share the same average percent DNA; this can account for a predicted relationship of aunt/niece for a pair of half sisters.
RelationshipAverage % DNA SharedRange
Identical Twin 100%N/A
Parent / Child
Full Sibling 50%Varies by specific relationship
Grandparent / Grandchild
Aunt / Uncle
Niece / Nephew
Half Sibling 25%Varies by specific relationship
1st Cousin 12.5% 7.31% - 13.8%
1st Cousin once removed 6.25% 3.3% - 8.51%
2nd Cousin 3.13% 2.85% - 5.04%
2nd Cousin once removed 1.5% 0.57% - 2.54%
3rd Cousin 0.78% 0.3% - 2.0%
4th Cousin 0.20% 0.07% - 0.5%
5th Cousin 0.05%Variable
6th Cousin 0.01%Variable
Obviously, I do not understand DNA results and what it means so I needed to do more research. How can my brother and three sisters only be a 50% to mine if we all have the same father & mother and are each half of dad and half of mom. Here I thought when I received my mothers DNA results early next month I could double my DNA results and subtract hers and obtain my fathers even though he has passed on.
I did not understand and I thought my results would be the same for my brother and three sisters so I checked out what % DNA match siblings would be and this is what I found out ...
Average Percent DNA Shared Between RelativesThe following table summarizes the average percent DNA shared for different types of relationships according to our simulations. You may notice that several relationships share the same average percent DNA; this can account for a predicted relationship of aunt/niece for a pair of half sisters.
RelationshipAverage % DNA SharedRange
Identical Twin 100%N/A
Parent / Child
Full Sibling 50%Varies by specific relationship
Grandparent / Grandchild
Aunt / Uncle
Niece / Nephew
Half Sibling 25%Varies by specific relationship
1st Cousin 12.5% 7.31% - 13.8%
1st Cousin once removed 6.25% 3.3% - 8.51%
2nd Cousin 3.13% 2.85% - 5.04%
2nd Cousin once removed 1.5% 0.57% - 2.54%
3rd Cousin 0.78% 0.3% - 2.0%
4th Cousin 0.20% 0.07% - 0.5%
5th Cousin 0.05%Variable
6th Cousin 0.01%Variable
Obviously, I do not understand DNA results and what it means so I needed to do more research. How can my brother and three sisters only be a 50% to mine if we all have the same father & mother and are each half of dad and half of mom. Here I thought when I received my mothers DNA results early next month I could double my DNA results and subtract hers and obtain my fathers even though he has passed on.
Story #3: Why are my siblings only a 50% DNA match to me?
Here is the easiest way translated by me to explain why our son & daughter only are a 50% match:
Suppose my wife and I were each a full deck of 100 cards each (instead of 52 cards).
I know from my DNA results that my 100 card deck consists of 43 Scandinavian cards, 38 English cards, 17 East European cards (Czech Republic included), and 2 Iberian cards.
My wife has not done her DNA but her 100 card deck would also have in it she expects mostly East European (Jancik is her maiden name so Czech Republic region also) from her father and her mothers half mainly German cards.
When our daughter was born both of our 100 cards decks were well shuffled and she received any 50 of my cards and any 50 of her mothers cards. Meaning, she could have all 38 of my English cards and 12 of my East European (Czech) cards. From her mother our daughter could have received all her German cards and none of her mothers East European cards.
On the other hand, when our son was born he could have actually ended up with all the 50 cards from my deck and his mothers deck that his sister did not get meaning he could have ended up with no English cards from me but the 5 Eastern European cards that his sister did not get, all 43 of the Scandinavian cards and the two Iberian cards from me and the 50 East European cards from his mother.
On average though, each my son and my daughter would have about half of their cards the same from each parent.
So at this point I did email my DNA results to my two children and their spouses AND my four siblings with the above story on how they probably only are a 50% match to my DNA and would only be 100% match if we were identical twins.
Suppose my wife and I were each a full deck of 100 cards each (instead of 52 cards).
I know from my DNA results that my 100 card deck consists of 43 Scandinavian cards, 38 English cards, 17 East European cards (Czech Republic included), and 2 Iberian cards.
My wife has not done her DNA but her 100 card deck would also have in it she expects mostly East European (Jancik is her maiden name so Czech Republic region also) from her father and her mothers half mainly German cards.
When our daughter was born both of our 100 cards decks were well shuffled and she received any 50 of my cards and any 50 of her mothers cards. Meaning, she could have all 38 of my English cards and 12 of my East European (Czech) cards. From her mother our daughter could have received all her German cards and none of her mothers East European cards.
On the other hand, when our son was born he could have actually ended up with all the 50 cards from my deck and his mothers deck that his sister did not get meaning he could have ended up with no English cards from me but the 5 Eastern European cards that his sister did not get, all 43 of the Scandinavian cards and the two Iberian cards from me and the 50 East European cards from his mother.
On average though, each my son and my daughter would have about half of their cards the same from each parent.
So at this point I did email my DNA results to my two children and their spouses AND my four siblings with the above story on how they probably only are a 50% match to my DNA and would only be 100% match if we were identical twins.
Story #4: How Can I Be mostly Scandinavian if I originally it wasn't even mentioned?
Time for some more research as I was born in Prairie du Chien, WI (southwest Wisconsin) just above where the Wisconsin River flows into the Mississippi River.
Also, (thanks to my wife's brother & his wife) I've had the opportunity to climb mountains all over the world (including Aconcagua [the highest mountain on six of the seven continents], Fugi in Japan, Pico in the Azores, etc.) and found the altitude seemed not to affect me as much as most of the people I was with so I gave my DNA credit for that. Scandinavians I discovered lived at higher than 8,000 feet. This made sense even though what do I really know?
Here is the results of my research on Immigration of Scandinavians in history:
Where did the Norwegians settle in America? The Wisconsin checks out especially along the biggest river.
The majority of Norwegian immigrants lived in the farming communities of the upper Midwest making their homes in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and North and South Dakota and settling in cities such as Brooklyn, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle.Sep 14, 2018
Where did Vikings go? My mothers heritage is from Great Britian and Ireland remember.
Vikings under Leif Erikson, the heir to Erik the Red, reached North America and set up a short-lived settlement in present-day L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland,Canada. Longer lasting and more established settlements were formed in Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Great Britain, Ireland and Normandy.
Where do most Norwegians live in the US?
The upper Midwest became the home for most immigrants. In 1910 almost 80 percent of the one million or more Norwegian Americans—the immigrants and their children—lived in that part of the United States. In 1990, 51.7 percent of the Norwegian American population lived in the Midwest; Minnesota had the largest number.
Where did the Scandinavians originally come from?
The history of Scandinavia is the history of the geographical region of Scandinavia and its peoples. The region is in northern Europe, and consists of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Finland and Iceland are at times, especially in English-speaking contexts, considered part of Scandinavia.
What does Scandinavian descent mean?
The kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark and Norway (official Scandinavia) and their Nordic cousins Iceland and Finland (unofficial Scandinavia) are bound together by North Germanic heritage and a distinct psychological distance from the world.Nov 13, 2015
Why did Norwegians enter Minnesota?
The first Norwegian emigrants to come to the United States often settled in the eastern Mid-west. ... Because the land of Minnesota was subdued by force from the American Indians, land was cheap for the European immigrants who came here. Before long, the immigrant population exploded in Minnesota
Why did the Norwegians immigrate to America?
Many immigrants during the early 1800s sought religious freedom. From the mid - 1800s however, the main reasons for Norwegian immigration to America were agricultural disasters leading to poverty, from the European Potato Failure of the 1840s to Famine of 1866–68.
How did Scandinavians reach America?
Before the 19th century, the people of the Scandinavian lands—Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland—had often visited North America. ... But by the end of the United States' first century of existence, Scandinavians began to come by the tens of thousands, and they came to start new lives for themselves.
Who were the Vikings and what was their impact on Europe?
They originally settled the Scandinavian lands that are today the countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The Vikings played a major role in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, especially during the Viking Age which was from 800 CE to 1066 CE. The word Viking actually means "to raid" in Old Norse.
All the following questions have the same answer and remember my fathers heritage immigrated from eastern Europe.
Were all Scandinavians Vikings? Where did the Scandinavian Vikings come from? Do Vikings still exist?
What nationality were the Vikings?
According to the Icelandic sagas, many Norwegian Vikings also went to eastern Europe. In the Viking Age, the present day nations of Norway, Sweden and Denmark did not exist, but were largely homogeneous and similar in culture and language, although somewhat distinct geographically.
From all of the above research I gather that Norwegian Vikings settled in the lands the lands my ancestry was from and thus when my parents said their ancestry came from Czechoslovakia, England, and Ireland they were not wrong but didn't take into account that Norwegian Vikings also settled in these same places they were from.
Also, (thanks to my wife's brother & his wife) I've had the opportunity to climb mountains all over the world (including Aconcagua [the highest mountain on six of the seven continents], Fugi in Japan, Pico in the Azores, etc.) and found the altitude seemed not to affect me as much as most of the people I was with so I gave my DNA credit for that. Scandinavians I discovered lived at higher than 8,000 feet. This made sense even though what do I really know?
Here is the results of my research on Immigration of Scandinavians in history:
Where did the Norwegians settle in America? The Wisconsin checks out especially along the biggest river.
The majority of Norwegian immigrants lived in the farming communities of the upper Midwest making their homes in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and North and South Dakota and settling in cities such as Brooklyn, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle.Sep 14, 2018
Where did Vikings go? My mothers heritage is from Great Britian and Ireland remember.
Vikings under Leif Erikson, the heir to Erik the Red, reached North America and set up a short-lived settlement in present-day L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland,Canada. Longer lasting and more established settlements were formed in Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Great Britain, Ireland and Normandy.
Where do most Norwegians live in the US?
The upper Midwest became the home for most immigrants. In 1910 almost 80 percent of the one million or more Norwegian Americans—the immigrants and their children—lived in that part of the United States. In 1990, 51.7 percent of the Norwegian American population lived in the Midwest; Minnesota had the largest number.
Where did the Scandinavians originally come from?
The history of Scandinavia is the history of the geographical region of Scandinavia and its peoples. The region is in northern Europe, and consists of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Finland and Iceland are at times, especially in English-speaking contexts, considered part of Scandinavia.
What does Scandinavian descent mean?
The kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark and Norway (official Scandinavia) and their Nordic cousins Iceland and Finland (unofficial Scandinavia) are bound together by North Germanic heritage and a distinct psychological distance from the world.Nov 13, 2015
Why did Norwegians enter Minnesota?
The first Norwegian emigrants to come to the United States often settled in the eastern Mid-west. ... Because the land of Minnesota was subdued by force from the American Indians, land was cheap for the European immigrants who came here. Before long, the immigrant population exploded in Minnesota
Why did the Norwegians immigrate to America?
Many immigrants during the early 1800s sought religious freedom. From the mid - 1800s however, the main reasons for Norwegian immigration to America were agricultural disasters leading to poverty, from the European Potato Failure of the 1840s to Famine of 1866–68.
How did Scandinavians reach America?
Before the 19th century, the people of the Scandinavian lands—Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland—had often visited North America. ... But by the end of the United States' first century of existence, Scandinavians began to come by the tens of thousands, and they came to start new lives for themselves.
Who were the Vikings and what was their impact on Europe?
They originally settled the Scandinavian lands that are today the countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The Vikings played a major role in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, especially during the Viking Age which was from 800 CE to 1066 CE. The word Viking actually means "to raid" in Old Norse.
All the following questions have the same answer and remember my fathers heritage immigrated from eastern Europe.
Were all Scandinavians Vikings? Where did the Scandinavian Vikings come from? Do Vikings still exist?
What nationality were the Vikings?
According to the Icelandic sagas, many Norwegian Vikings also went to eastern Europe. In the Viking Age, the present day nations of Norway, Sweden and Denmark did not exist, but were largely homogeneous and similar in culture and language, although somewhat distinct geographically.
From all of the above research I gather that Norwegian Vikings settled in the lands the lands my ancestry was from and thus when my parents said their ancestry came from Czechoslovakia, England, and Ireland they were not wrong but didn't take into account that Norwegian Vikings also settled in these same places they were from.
Story #5 My Next Concern if I am 43% a Norwegian Viking, that is, I image that as very non-christian, in that, I think they raided, raped, and did many other horrible things? More research....
The following information I obtained from the following website: www.historyonthenet.com/vikings-history-overview-culture-history-viking-age
They Loved to Keep Themselves Clean and Tidy
Several Viking excavations have turned up razors, combs, tweezers, and even ear cleaners. It turns out these savage warriors cared quite a lot about their personal hygiene. Historians also believe that the typical Viking citizen bathed at least once a week, far more than any other European group during that time.
Viking Women Had Basic Rights
Vikings girls were usually forced to marry around the age of 12 and tend to a household full of kids while their husbands sailed off into awesome adventures. However, when compared to other women during that time, they enjoyed a wide range of freedoms. They had the right to inherit property, file for a divorce, and even reclaim settlements if the marriage failed.
They Used Urine to Start Fires
Vikings lived a large part of their lives on the go. Because they did not have lighters, they would collect a tree fungus called touchwood, and boil it for several days in their own urine. After the mixture was done, they would pound it into a felt like substance. The sodium nitrate found in the urine would mix with the touchwood and make the mixture easily combustible, so they could easily start a fire while on the road.
Viking Men Often Dyed their Hair
During the Viking Era, having blonde hair was really “in” with the cool crowd. Therefore, brunette Vikings, mostly men, would use a heavily concentrated soap with high levels of lye that would bleach their hair. Historians believe that aside from being part of their culture’s beauty ideal, the bleached hair would also help keep lice away.
They Buried their Dead in Boats
Vikings loved their boats, and the Scandinavian culture was extremely superstitious. It was considered a great honor for a person to be mummified, dressed in finery, and placed to rest in a ship. They believed that these ships would transcend the dead into the afterlife. Distinguished warriors and highborn women were often put to rest in vessels, surrounded by valuable goods and sacrificed slaves.
They Didn’t Wear Those Horned Helmets
Pretty much every single Viking costume you have seen in a movie or video game is a lie. These warriors usually went into battle bareheaded. The whole horned-helm idea came about in Victorian times when Vikings were romanticized. Painters began to depict them as glamorous savages with horned helmets; however, nothing found during the Viking Age shows this image to be in the least bit authentic.
Vikings History — Eight Interesting Features of the Vikinger
While video games and movies tend to portray Vikings as ruthless savages with oversized helmets and hollow brains, their culture and motives reach far beyond that. The term Viking means, “pirate raid” in the Old Norse language. The people of Scandinavia commonly used the word as a verb to describe a tradition where men would take off in the summers and go “viking.” Contrary to popular belief, the majority of these expeditions did not consist of raiding villages and raping women. Instead, their purpose was usually to discover new land and trade. They even had a legal system.
Catholic propaganda is responsible for most of the modern misconception about Vikings (they were pagans, not Christian) The church lost several facilities, treasures, and relics to Scandinavian people, so they made it their mission for many years to make them look like wild beasts.
Vikings History — Games and Entertainment
Viking games and entertainment occupied the time of these people between conquest raids and trade journeys, and they were quite complicated. While Vikings worked hard, they also played hard. From grave goods and the sagas, we learn that Vikings played board games avidly, carved wooden dolls and toys for their children, played dice and gambled and played rough sports at their feasts and gatherings.
The board game enjoyed most often by Vikings was Hnefatafl, which they took with them to Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland and Great Britain. Unfortunately, we do not know the rules of the game except that it was a game of strategic skill. Two players of unequal strength engaged in the game. One player was by far the strongest, with the most pieces. His job was to corner the king, who was defending his castle with a much smaller force. A variety of Tafl games existed in many areas, but during the Viking Age, hnefatafl was the most popular. It lasted until the 12th century when chess was introduced into Scandinavia.
They Loved to Keep Themselves Clean and Tidy
Several Viking excavations have turned up razors, combs, tweezers, and even ear cleaners. It turns out these savage warriors cared quite a lot about their personal hygiene. Historians also believe that the typical Viking citizen bathed at least once a week, far more than any other European group during that time.
Viking Women Had Basic Rights
Vikings girls were usually forced to marry around the age of 12 and tend to a household full of kids while their husbands sailed off into awesome adventures. However, when compared to other women during that time, they enjoyed a wide range of freedoms. They had the right to inherit property, file for a divorce, and even reclaim settlements if the marriage failed.
They Used Urine to Start Fires
Vikings lived a large part of their lives on the go. Because they did not have lighters, they would collect a tree fungus called touchwood, and boil it for several days in their own urine. After the mixture was done, they would pound it into a felt like substance. The sodium nitrate found in the urine would mix with the touchwood and make the mixture easily combustible, so they could easily start a fire while on the road.
Viking Men Often Dyed their Hair
During the Viking Era, having blonde hair was really “in” with the cool crowd. Therefore, brunette Vikings, mostly men, would use a heavily concentrated soap with high levels of lye that would bleach their hair. Historians believe that aside from being part of their culture’s beauty ideal, the bleached hair would also help keep lice away.
They Buried their Dead in Boats
Vikings loved their boats, and the Scandinavian culture was extremely superstitious. It was considered a great honor for a person to be mummified, dressed in finery, and placed to rest in a ship. They believed that these ships would transcend the dead into the afterlife. Distinguished warriors and highborn women were often put to rest in vessels, surrounded by valuable goods and sacrificed slaves.
They Didn’t Wear Those Horned Helmets
Pretty much every single Viking costume you have seen in a movie or video game is a lie. These warriors usually went into battle bareheaded. The whole horned-helm idea came about in Victorian times when Vikings were romanticized. Painters began to depict them as glamorous savages with horned helmets; however, nothing found during the Viking Age shows this image to be in the least bit authentic.
Vikings History — Eight Interesting Features of the Vikinger
While video games and movies tend to portray Vikings as ruthless savages with oversized helmets and hollow brains, their culture and motives reach far beyond that. The term Viking means, “pirate raid” in the Old Norse language. The people of Scandinavia commonly used the word as a verb to describe a tradition where men would take off in the summers and go “viking.” Contrary to popular belief, the majority of these expeditions did not consist of raiding villages and raping women. Instead, their purpose was usually to discover new land and trade. They even had a legal system.
Catholic propaganda is responsible for most of the modern misconception about Vikings (they were pagans, not Christian) The church lost several facilities, treasures, and relics to Scandinavian people, so they made it their mission for many years to make them look like wild beasts.
Vikings History — Games and Entertainment
Viking games and entertainment occupied the time of these people between conquest raids and trade journeys, and they were quite complicated. While Vikings worked hard, they also played hard. From grave goods and the sagas, we learn that Vikings played board games avidly, carved wooden dolls and toys for their children, played dice and gambled and played rough sports at their feasts and gatherings.
The board game enjoyed most often by Vikings was Hnefatafl, which they took with them to Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland and Great Britain. Unfortunately, we do not know the rules of the game except that it was a game of strategic skill. Two players of unequal strength engaged in the game. One player was by far the strongest, with the most pieces. His job was to corner the king, who was defending his castle with a much smaller force. A variety of Tafl games existed in many areas, but during the Viking Age, hnefatafl was the most popular. It lasted until the 12th century when chess was introduced into Scandinavia.
Other indoor games including drinking games with man/woman teams. Each team would drink, then boast, tell rhymes and insult the other team. The second team would then try to out-drink and out-insult the first team. The object was to see who could drink the most and remain articulate and witty. After meals, adults might bring out the dice and gamble or they might sing and tell stories.
Western Trade
Vikings raided, traded and settled all along Europe’s coasts. For 300 years, churches would pray to be spared the “wrath of the Norsemen.” The Vikings were equal opportunity traders and raiders. If they found an unprotected church or monastery, they’d raid. If they came to a well-defended town, they would set up trade. Early in the Viking Age, trade was done by direct barter. Eventually, Viking traders obtained a great deal of trade silver and Arabic coins, which then was used to buy goods.
Vikings established home bases and trade centers in both Dublin, Ireland and York, England. Not only did these towns attract international traders, but many Viking craftsmen settled there. Their workshops produced cups, tableware, glass beads, pottery, drinking glasses, bone and antler combs, leather goods, jewelry, and cloth. Blacksmiths and armor makers produced swords, battle axes, chainmail and armor.
During the Viking Age, Norsemen traded all up and down the coasts of Europe, establishing new homes in many locations. They took over and settled Normandy in France and southern Italy. They settled on all the Atlantic islands, the Orkneys, Shetland, Hebrides, Scilly and Isle of Man. Eventually, these Vikings intermarried and settled in permanently.
Eastern Trade
Vikings fostered close ties with Constantinople, becoming the Varangian guard to the Byzantine emperor. From Constantinople, Baghdad and perhaps even Persia, the Vikings could obtain goods from the Far East. Timber, iron, furs, amber, soapstone, whetstones and slaves were carried south by Viking traders. On return trips to the north, the cargo contained Arabic silver, coins, fabrics, spices, silk, fruit, wine and other goods of the south. By the end of the Viking Age, Norsemen had created a trading empire, covering most of the known world.
Vikings History — Society: Men, Women, and Children
Within the male-dominated Viking society, women had a certain amount of personal power, depending on their social status. When Viking men were away from home—raiding, fishing, exploring or on trading missions—women in Viking society took over all the men’s work as well as doing their own. Women were valuable members of the society and it was shameful for a man to harm a woman.
Women’s role was domestic, taking care of the family, preparing food, laundry, milking cows, sheep and goats, making butter and cheeses, preserving food for winter, gardening, cleaning and the most time-consuming task of all, making the family’s clothes. Spinning, carding, weaving, cutting and sewing took a long time. It could take a Viking woman 35 hours to spin enough yarn for a day’s weaving, to give you some idea of how much time it took to make clothing.
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married. Life expectancy was about 50 years, but most died long before reaching 50. Only a few lived to 60.
Marriages were arranged by the parents of the young couple. A marriage was a contract between two families: the groom’s family paid a bride price to bride’s family when the couple was betrothed. At the marriage, the bride’s father paid a dowry. Since both families had a financial investment in the new couple, a marriage was as much a matter for the families as it was for the people involved.
Viking children did not go to school as we know it today. Rather, the boys learned all the men’s work, taught by their fathers, brothers and uncles. Girls worked along with their mothers and aunts learning how to cook, garden, take care of the domestic animals and make clothing. By the time they reached adulthood at 12 to 15, both boys and girls could effectively run a household and a farm.
As is always the case, there were exceptions to these general societal rules of behavior. When the men went to settle Iceland, Greenland and Vinland, women went with them. Vikings settled in England, Ireland and France as families. However, only men went raiding and trading while women stayed home and minded the farm.
Women in Viking society had more power than most other European women of the time. They could divorce their husbands, own some property and sell their own handicrafts. Some women became wealthy landowners. Others participated in trade—scales used for weighing silver used in trade have been found in women’s graves. Even a few weapons were found in female graves, giving the notion that some women were fighters along side of their men. Most women in Viking society, however, lived and worked in the domestic realm of the household.
Western Trade
Vikings raided, traded and settled all along Europe’s coasts. For 300 years, churches would pray to be spared the “wrath of the Norsemen.” The Vikings were equal opportunity traders and raiders. If they found an unprotected church or monastery, they’d raid. If they came to a well-defended town, they would set up trade. Early in the Viking Age, trade was done by direct barter. Eventually, Viking traders obtained a great deal of trade silver and Arabic coins, which then was used to buy goods.
Vikings established home bases and trade centers in both Dublin, Ireland and York, England. Not only did these towns attract international traders, but many Viking craftsmen settled there. Their workshops produced cups, tableware, glass beads, pottery, drinking glasses, bone and antler combs, leather goods, jewelry, and cloth. Blacksmiths and armor makers produced swords, battle axes, chainmail and armor.
During the Viking Age, Norsemen traded all up and down the coasts of Europe, establishing new homes in many locations. They took over and settled Normandy in France and southern Italy. They settled on all the Atlantic islands, the Orkneys, Shetland, Hebrides, Scilly and Isle of Man. Eventually, these Vikings intermarried and settled in permanently.
Eastern Trade
Vikings fostered close ties with Constantinople, becoming the Varangian guard to the Byzantine emperor. From Constantinople, Baghdad and perhaps even Persia, the Vikings could obtain goods from the Far East. Timber, iron, furs, amber, soapstone, whetstones and slaves were carried south by Viking traders. On return trips to the north, the cargo contained Arabic silver, coins, fabrics, spices, silk, fruit, wine and other goods of the south. By the end of the Viking Age, Norsemen had created a trading empire, covering most of the known world.
Vikings History — Society: Men, Women, and Children
Within the male-dominated Viking society, women had a certain amount of personal power, depending on their social status. When Viking men were away from home—raiding, fishing, exploring or on trading missions—women in Viking society took over all the men’s work as well as doing their own. Women were valuable members of the society and it was shameful for a man to harm a woman.
Women’s role was domestic, taking care of the family, preparing food, laundry, milking cows, sheep and goats, making butter and cheeses, preserving food for winter, gardening, cleaning and the most time-consuming task of all, making the family’s clothes. Spinning, carding, weaving, cutting and sewing took a long time. It could take a Viking woman 35 hours to spin enough yarn for a day’s weaving, to give you some idea of how much time it took to make clothing.
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married. Life expectancy was about 50 years, but most died long before reaching 50. Only a few lived to 60.
Marriages were arranged by the parents of the young couple. A marriage was a contract between two families: the groom’s family paid a bride price to bride’s family when the couple was betrothed. At the marriage, the bride’s father paid a dowry. Since both families had a financial investment in the new couple, a marriage was as much a matter for the families as it was for the people involved.
Viking children did not go to school as we know it today. Rather, the boys learned all the men’s work, taught by their fathers, brothers and uncles. Girls worked along with their mothers and aunts learning how to cook, garden, take care of the domestic animals and make clothing. By the time they reached adulthood at 12 to 15, both boys and girls could effectively run a household and a farm.
As is always the case, there were exceptions to these general societal rules of behavior. When the men went to settle Iceland, Greenland and Vinland, women went with them. Vikings settled in England, Ireland and France as families. However, only men went raiding and trading while women stayed home and minded the farm.
Women in Viking society had more power than most other European women of the time. They could divorce their husbands, own some property and sell their own handicrafts. Some women became wealthy landowners. Others participated in trade—scales used for weighing silver used in trade have been found in women’s graves. Even a few weapons were found in female graves, giving the notion that some women were fighters along side of their men. Most women in Viking society, however, lived and worked in the domestic realm of the household.