Vikings TV Series

[Queequeg]

What were Viking marriage customs? I assumed polygamy. Also, some of the buildings look way too medieval.

[Siege]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings_(TV_series)


Historical accuracy[edit]
A historical account of the Vikings would reach hundreds, occasionally thousands, of people. Here we’ve got to reach millions.”[34]

I wonder where this guy got his facts for making an statement like this.
Do we know for a fact that historical series that is fairly close to reality would not find a market?

I can understand for dramatic purpose to pile up actions that happened over a longer period of time, but I see no excuse to get wrong basic stuff like clothing, architectural styles, armor, weapons, government, social structure, etc.

I think the argument that historical accuracy doesn't sell is complete bullshit.

[Queequeg]

Would a Viking wife be offended by someone raping a captive?   

[Razgovory]

Well some guy from the American Spectator said something about the historical accuracy, so can't be all untrue.

He is right though.

Oh?

[Drakken]

What were Viking marriage customs? I assumed polygamy. Also, some of the buildings look way too medieval.

Officially, monogamy. Slaves, captives, and concubines didn't count, only infidelity with another freeman's wife counted as adultery.

Freewomen wives kept their maiden names, they still remain part of their biological family even after marriage. They were basically shrews ruling the household and the slaves attached to the lands while the husband was gone. If they were mistreated, had poor providers as husbands, or they or their familiies were simply fed up with the marriage wives could divorce by simply declaring themselves so in front of witnesses, first at his doorstep, then in front of the marital bed.

[Syt]

then in front of the marital bed.

Ouch.

[Queequeg]

Would the sons of slaves and concubines count towards inheritance?  How was inheritance dealt with anyway? 

[jimmy olsen]

What were Viking marriage customs? I assumed polygamy. Also, some of the buildings look way too medieval.

Officially, monogamy. Slaves, captives, and concubines didn't count, only infidelity with another freeman's wife counted as adultery.

Freewomen wives kept their maiden names, they still remain part of their biological family even after marriage. They were basically shrews ruling the household and the slaves attached to the lands while the husband was gone. If they were mistreated, had poor providers as husbands, or they or their familiies were simply fed up with the marriage wives could divorce by simply declaring themselves so in front of witnesses, first at his doorstep, then in front of the marital bed.

IIRC the happy couple had to bang in front of six witnesses after the wedding feast to make the marriage official. True?

[Razgovory]

There is one thing I do wonder, and that's how literate the Vikings were.

[Queequeg]

The Early Rus' tended to be literate.    IDK about the Vikings.  Anne of Kiev was literate while neither of her French husbands were. 

[The Brain]

There is one thing I do wonder, and that's how literate the Vikings were.

What is your impression?

Going by the number and quality of runic instriptions on stone that have come down to us a significant number of people could read and write. It is likely that the vast majority of runic inscriptions were made on perishable materials and haven't survived. IIRC they have found huge numbers of runic inscriptions on leather etc dealing with everyday stuff when excavating Bergen, Norway, but I think those are medieval. My guess is that the process from magical, ritual runes to everyday "pick up a gallon of blueberries on your way home from rape honey" was a gradual one.

[Viking]

The Uppsala part was insane. Having some guy in the wrong time period is fair enough. But what is today a decent sized city in totally the wrong terrain?

They put denmark in mountainous fjord terrain. They did the same with uppsala, in addition to giving it a stave church.

[Viking]

Would the sons of slaves and concubines count towards inheritance?  How was inheritance dealt with anyway?

That depends on the the householder and place. Initially in iceland land was divided between sons, though when that ran out the farm went to one son. Inheritance isn't an issue that is brought up much in the sagas. Archeologists have shown that in iceland the original claims were divided and sub divided into the resulting modern farms over generations, presumably among family and retainers. This then stopped at a point when the farms got small enough. Property rights meant nothing without armed men to hold the land - or at least armed men returning from overseas soon to wreak revenge on whoever despoiled the house and land.

[Razgovory]

There is one thing I do wonder, and that's how literate the Vikings were.

What is your impression?

Going by the number and quality of runic instriptions on stone that have come down to us a significant number of people could read and write. It is likely that the vast majority of runic inscriptions were made on perishable materials and haven't survived. IIRC they have found huge numbers of runic inscriptions on leather etc dealing with everyday stuff when excavating Bergen, Norway, but I think those are medieval. My guess is that the process from magical, ritual runes to everyday "pick up a gallon of blueberries on your way home from rape honey" was a gradual one.

There aren't a lot of references to documents or stores of documents, so not very literate.  I've been reading about the Carolingian period and found an interesting claim.  There are more surviving documents from that period then the entire 1,300 years previous.

[Queequeg]

Would the sons of slaves and concubines count towards inheritance?  How was inheritance dealt with anyway?

That depends on the the householder and place. Initially in iceland land was divided between sons, though when that ran out the farm went to one son. Inheritance isn't an issue that is brought up much in the sagas. Archeologists have shown that in iceland the original claims were divided and sub divided into the resulting modern farms over generations, presumably among family and retainers. This then stopped at a point when the farms got small enough. Property rights meant nothing without armed men to hold the land - or at least armed men returning from overseas soon to wreak revenge on whoever despoiled the house and land.

That actually sounds a bit like the Rus' system, although sadly that never went towards functional primogeniture.  Are there any good books on the eastward Viking expeditions, or on general Viking history?