What was vikings religion

Ribe Viking Center. Ribe Vikingecenter. Facts and myths about Denmark's Vikings We all think we know the Vikings, from the stories of raiding and plundering to Norse mythology and those horned helmets.

Who were the Vikings? How long did the Viking Age last? Simeon Baker - Copenhagen Media Center. What did the Viking believe in as a religion? Roskilde Viking Ship Musuem. Martin Heiberg - Copenhagen Media Center. Vikings as Explorers Vikings were feared for their famous long ships, impressive vessels that allowed Vikings not only to traverse oceans but also navigate through shallow waters and even land straight on beaches.

What was Danegeld? Robert Lacy. Kim Wyon. What are runes and rune stones? Kongernes Jelling. Viking Myths Countless misconceptions of the Vikings exist and continue to be perpetuated today. Here are some of the more well-known Viking myths that have no grounding in historical fact: Vikings did not wear horned helmets. There is no evidence to suggest that they ever did, apart from in some ritual ceremonies.

Having horned helmets would seriously impede your ability to fight effectively in close combat. Much like the other pagan religions, Vikings worshipped their gods out in the elements. Wooded areas with unusual trees, natural landmarks, waterfalls, oversized rocks, or anything in nature with an otherworldly feel would be a worthy place of worship. There were many gods, but the gods of most importance were Odin, the god of knowledge, Freya, the goddess of fertility, and Thor, the god of thunder and a symbol of strength and metalwork.

All of these deities were representations of the aspects of life most important to the Viking people. A menace to both gods and humans, these massive forces of nature were too big in size and numbers to wipe out, so they were banished to Jotunheim by the Norse gods. The king or chief was responsible for overseeing public faith, while private faith was up to each individual head of household. Ghost lore was big amongst the Norse people and was directly connected to their burial practices. Some of their old sagas detail accounts of ghosts violently haunting the living after not receiving burial rites.

Another beast of superstition was the Draugr, which was basically the Vikings' version of a zombie. To prevent these undead warriors from rising, they would hide twigs in their clothing and drive needles through the bottoms of their feet prior to interment. Giving birth to a child was a far more dangerous task back in the Viking age than it is today.

Vikings prayed and sang to the fertility goddesses Freya and Frigg in hopes of protecting the mother and child. Naming the child also involved a ritual; they would wait nine days after the birth, at which time the father would place the child on his knee and sprinkle them with water.

As no overall interpretation of the written sources exists, the religion is practised so that it gives the best meaning to the individual. To feel the power of their ancestors, the believers in the old Nordic religion go to pre-Christian cult sites, where they make offerings.

The chosen location may be a Bronze Age burial mound or a Viking Age ship setting, for instance. Usually the participants form a ceremonial circle. The participants then pay homage to their gods until the circle is ceremonially opened again. Specific gods are invoked depending on the season and the theme of the sacrifice. The offerings are carried out around four times a year — at the winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox.

The winter and summer solstice are respectively the shortest and longest day. At the spring and autumn equinox day and night are equally long. The way the Vikings divided up the year was closely connected to the activities of work and daily life. The Viking year began around 13 October. They marked the beginning of the winter half of the year with a large public harvest sacrifice and ended it with a corresponding victory sacrifice, when spring was beginning around 14 April — which marked the start of the war season.

After this date the days gradually became lighter and warmer. As is the case today, the great festival of the winter half of the year was Christmas. The festival began in the middle of January and lasted for weeks. The summer half of the year was used by the Vikings to gather supplies.