Much of the culture from Norway during the period of the 10th to the 11th century came from the Vikings. They came from many villages and military camps from all over Scandinavia. They were excellent seamen and warriors. Because of their geography the people were forced to use the sea as their transportation. The traveled in long boats decorated with dragonheads on their prows and used for raiding, warfare, and exploration. According to many historians, the Vikings lived quiet lives as farmers or traders. Many were skilled craftsmen, who were experts in boat building, iron working and as goldsmiths. Women milked the cows and goats, made cheese, brewed ale and honey-sweetened meat, ground grain in hand mills made of soapstone, called querns, cooked up the porridge that often served as breakfast, and prepared fish or meat for dinner by spit roasting it, baked it amid glowing embers in a fire pit or boiled it in an iron pot filled with water. The housewife also used a loom where she made shirts, trousers that formed the first layer of clothing for the Vikings, woolen kirtles, cloaks and shawls. The mistress of the house knew about industry and authority. She carried needles, scissors, and a knife with her wherever she went. She also held the keys to trunks or chests that held household articles of special value. The class structure was based upon the fact that those who were clumsy, ill formed would be the slaves of the Vikings, or otherwise known as THRALLS. Those who were good looking and strong were the workers of farms and homes, otherwise known as FREEMEN. The Vikings lived in small villages that consisted of family owned farms. On these farms there was longhouse (sometimes made from wood, sod, wattle, or daub), stables for livestock, storage sheds for food, workshops for iron and other crafts, boathouses for sheltering vessels in winter and huts for storing other precious equipment like plows, fishing tackle, carts, sleighs and ...
