Essay On Viking Culture

While popular culture depicts Vikings as a very homogeneous warrior group, there were actually many layers and nuances to Norse culture and society. Given that the Viking period extended from 800 AD to 1050 AD, the Norse groups experienced multiple cultural shifts and political shifts that can be seen throughout their stories and cultural artifacts. Prior to the majority of Viking expansion, much of their culture was defined by closely knit kin groups and one’s honor was deeply tied to your relationships with others. When the groups expanded and interacted with the cultures of the south, they developed new ideas on rulership and political structures. As the Norse dealt with the shift away from kin groups and dealt with questions of statehood and kings, one can clearly see the cultural and political shifts that take place in Norse society though changes in law, politics and religious practices. Unlike what is typically described, the Norse people were resolute with their following of laws and traditions. Even with the takeover by kings, one can see that some of the traditions still remain in the laws that were formed in medieval Iceland and eventually led to the writing of Grágás. One can see the cultural …show more content…
Even though the sagas show how the culture was affected by the shift away from clan to nation, they still hold certain ideals that were consistant throughout the Viking period. These stories are clear cultural relics that discuss the important issues facing the Norse people at the time; the changing political landscape, the change in law precedence, and the shift away from the traditional homestead gods to ones of magic and travel. These shifts in society are important because it reveals that the Vikings were not simply one group of warriors but rather a multi-faceted group of people with a wide range of political, cultural, and religious