The Age of the Vikings Essay Example

When someone mentions the word ‘Viking’, the image that comes to mind is usually not pleasant. Often pictured as bloodthirsty barbarians in horned helmets, the Vikings are one of the most unfairly stereotyped ethnic groups. Although a large part of the Viking lifestyle involved invading and pillaging, they also had a rich culture that included unique gods and goddesses and fascinating traditions. Although often overlooked, the Vikings were some of the most amazing and accomplished people ever to walk the earth.
The origins of the Vikings lie in the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Most Vikings were craftsmen and farmers who occasionally raided and pillaged in order to get rich. However, the majority of their time was spent traveling across Europe and colonizing new places. The Vikings most likely acquired their bad reputation from the monks at the few monasteries they raided, who wrote of the attacks as being the “vengeance of Satan on Christian outposts” (Who). In fact, the monks at these monasteries were known to have invented prayers for the purpose of keeping the Vikings away. One such prayer included the words ‘Deliver us, O Lord, from the fury of the Norsemen. They ravage our lands; they kill our women and children’ (Henkin). Nevertheless, the Vikings still made time out of their busy schedules to play games such as backgammon, chess, and drinking (Lemonick).
Since it was too cold in Iceland to grow barley to make beer, Icelandic Vikings had to invent other culinary delights to enjoy. The main staple of the Viking diet was probably stew, made from vegetables such as beans, carrots, turnips and the occasional lamb bone. Stew was often eaten with stale bread and buttermilk. The women made the bread by hand, using millstones to tirelessly grind the grain into flour. For lunch, there was often homemade cottage cheese and leftover stale bread, and occasionally, a piece of wild fruit. Any meat would have to be salted and dried, because