Norse Culture
Norse Culture: A Closer Look | | | Julianne N. Cantu | Intercultural CommunicationsDr. ThibodeauxMarch 7, 2013 |
From the beginning of civilization, culture has played a crucial role at shaping every society. Culture allows for all that is special about a group of people to be taken into account and be recognized. Norse culture has long been a popular subject in modern societies. Some of the most important characteristics that make Norse culture so unique are their people, their language, their literature, their religion, and their funeral practices. Like most societies, the Norse had a surprisingly lax social hierarchy. The Norse hierarchy was set to where there was a possibility for upward mobility. Individuals in Norse society were not doomed to live out their days in a particular social status, but were free to move from class to class. There were three set social classes in Norse society. Most Norsemen belonged to the middle class known as karls. Karls were the landowners, the farmers; the smiths (blacksmiths, locksmiths, etc.), etc (Haywood, 2000). The highest level in the social hierarchy was known as the jarls, or the nobility. These people lived in extravagant houses and halls and lived refined lives. The jarls used their money, wealth, followers, ships, and estates distinguish them from the rest of society. The lowest class of the social hierarchy was known as the prӕll. This class included slaves and people who were known as bondsmen. If a person, from any class, could not pay their debts, they would become a bondsman and work for another man until his debts were repaid (Guy, 1998).
The Scandinavians, during the Viking Age, spoke Old Norse. This language was sometimes referred to as “Danish Tongue (Page, 1987).” Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian languages are all descended of Old Norse. There were many different dialects spoken during this time. Many scholars are able to find the differences between East Norse and
From the beginning of civilization, culture has played a crucial role at shaping every society. Culture allows for all that is special about a group of people to be taken into account and be recognized. Norse culture has long been a popular subject in modern societies. Some of the most important characteristics that make Norse culture so unique are their people, their language, their literature, their religion, and their funeral practices. Like most societies, the Norse had a surprisingly lax social hierarchy. The Norse hierarchy was set to where there was a possibility for upward mobility. Individuals in Norse society were not doomed to live out their days in a particular social status, but were free to move from class to class. There were three set social classes in Norse society. Most Norsemen belonged to the middle class known as karls. Karls were the landowners, the farmers; the smiths (blacksmiths, locksmiths, etc.), etc (Haywood, 2000). The highest level in the social hierarchy was known as the jarls, or the nobility. These people lived in extravagant houses and halls and lived refined lives. The jarls used their money, wealth, followers, ships, and estates distinguish them from the rest of society. The lowest class of the social hierarchy was known as the prӕll. This class included slaves and people who were known as bondsmen. If a person, from any class, could not pay their debts, they would become a bondsman and work for another man until his debts were repaid (Guy, 1998).
The Scandinavians, during the Viking Age, spoke Old Norse. This language was sometimes referred to as “Danish Tongue (Page, 1987).” Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian languages are all descended of Old Norse. There were many different dialects spoken during this time. Many scholars are able to find the differences between East Norse and
References: Dubois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Print. Guy, John. Viking Life. Kent: Ticktock, 1998. Print. Haywood, John. Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. Print. Jesch, Judith. Women in the Viking Age. Haworth: Woodbridge, 1991. Print. Orchard, Andy. Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell, 1997. Print. Page, RI. Reading the Past: Runes. London: British Museum Press, 1987. Print. Page, RKi. Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials and Myths. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1995. Print. Roesdahl, Else. The Vikings. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.