Viking+Women

The Viking women lived in large families, including the parents, grandparents and themselves. The women had no say in which they marry. It was up to the woman’s family and the man’s family. In most cases they would only get married to make an alliance between the families for mutual help and protection. Viking women were in charge of the housekeeping, food making, and looking after the farm animals. Even in the Viking world there were rich families, and the rich women used to have many slaves to help her with her duties. The women were talented in weaving and sewing, and they used food dye to colour the wool they spun. Although Viking Women had rights, slaves had no legal rights. If they were assaulted, nothing could be done. If the slave became pregnant, the child would end up the property of the slave’s owner. If the slave was sold when pregnant, the child would be the property of the new owner. The owner could do whatever they wished to the slave. If the owner were to kill the slave, it would not be regarded as murder. If another person were to kill the slave, they would have to pay the price of the slave to the owner as compensation. Girls aged 12-16 were married to the men. They could not refuse there marriage, they forced into it. They could divorce their husbands if mistreated or the family is insulted, and even if the husband was lazy. To divorce the husband, they had to call witnesses and proclaim at the front door and at the bed that they were divorced. In the Viking culture, the women had the right to proclaim if they were to get divorced; the Viking men had no say in this. Viking women had more rights than any other women in Europe in that age. Most of the husbands trusted their wives with most things. The women wore keys around their waste for the locks of the household. '... A permanent population could only be established if women also made the journey...’ By Shae and Stefana 7E 2008