Hatrack River Forum: Norse Culture

This is topic Norse Culture in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :

I've been playing around with a story in my head set in 8th century Scandinavia. I know a fair amount about the history and the myths, but I'm a bit of a stickler for details and I'd like to know more about day to day life, especially about farming and the military. Anyone have any suggestions for an informative book I could get about this? Or suggestions at all?

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

Here's a start

Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :

That video is such garbage. Utter, utter garbage. Vikings never actually wore horned helmets, that's a fabrication from Wagner and other 19th century German opera!

j/k, of course.

[ February 09, 2004, 12:30 AM: Message edited by: Book ]

Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :

For a moment i thought this said NOSE CULTURE. i was getting excited. imagine my disappointment.

Posted by Rhaegar The Fool (Member # 5811) on :

Live every day to the fullest, it might be your last. Die fighting, to die in bed was a DISGRACE.

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

Rhaegar, I think you'll find that most of the norse were farmers, and that lots of them died in bed without disgrace [Smile]

Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :

Check out Michael Chricton's Eaters of the Dead for a bit on Norse culture. While it's not a complete anthropological study, he did quite a bit of homework for such a short book.

There's a lot more to the Vikings than the raiding-pillaging-raping rap that they've been given. Of course, there's a lot of truth to the raiding-pillaging-raping deal, though.

Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :

Psh. Come now, fugu. We all know that vikings were Klingons who were stranded on Earth until they could get their ship up and running again.

Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :

The History Channel recently did a show on the vikings (I think it was part of their "Barbarians" week). It was very informative and interesting. I wonder if they're going to be repeating it any time soon.

I did a search on their website which pulled up a list of what looked like good results. Check it out.

Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :

Thanks! Actually I was one step ahead of you, Sopwith, I already ordered Eaters off Amazon. I saw the 13th Warrior, but I wasn't too enthralled with it. I also saw the viking show you mentioned, ludosti, but I'd still like more day-to-day stuff, if any of that is still known.

Posted by luthe (Member # 1601) on :

The terms Viking and Norse are not the same. The Vikings were of the norse people, but all of the norse people were not vikings. You could try digging around here although that is mostly myths and the like.

Posted by Rhaegar The Fool (Member # 5811) on :

Fugu I am speaking of the idolized society, the one that they help up, like we do Ben and Jen [Razz]

not the realistic one, never take the fool seriously folks! Seriously Fugu, I thought you knew something about me, shame shame [No No]

Rhaegar

Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :

Yeah, I'm alright with the myths and the history, I know how that works. I'm going to England this summer and I intend to stop by York to see the Viking museum they have there. Should be neat.