While most Viking costumes and outfits focus on wealthy Viking men and women, there's often little attention paid to the poorer Vikings who made up the majority of the population. We're giving the Viking woman in this outfit the name Gunnhild
Viking society had three classes, which can be divided into slaves, free farmers, and aristocrats. This is vividly described in the Edda poem Rígsþula, which also explains that it was the god Ríg—father of mankind, also known as Heimdallr—who had created the three classes. Archaeology has confirmed this social structure. Gunnhild was part of the lower end of the free class. Because of this, she had legal personhood and could accumulate wealth. However, most of the free class weren't nearly as rich as what we find in the Viking graves.
Slaves (Thralls)
The Vikings took captives with them during their plundering expeditions through Europe. These were made into slaves and tasked with various jobs on farms, ranging from grinding grain to herding cattle to gathering firewood. Although they had almost no rights, slaves were generally treated fairly well. Probably about a quarter of the Viking World's population was unfree. Although the majority of slaves were captured on foreign shores, some people could also be condemned to slavery for crimes committed, or they chose to sell themselves to pay off debts. Dublin in Ireland served as a transit camp for slaves from England, Wales, and Scotland, after which captives were traded on markets like Hedeby.
Free Farmers (Karls)
The "karl" was a free farmer in Viking society, a member of the free farmer class who played an important role in the agricultural economy. These free farmers owned their own land and resources, which gave them a certain degree of independence. They grew crops and kept livestock. Many Karls used slaves to get enough labor on the farm. Churls and huskarls were similar to these classes.
The karl enjoyed certain rights, such as the right to own land and participate in local decision-making within the community. He was obligated to pay taxes and in times of war could be called upon to defend his community. Despite their freedom, the karls didn't have the same social status as the nobility, but they were also not unfree serfs or slaves.
Noblemen (Jarls)
The jarls formed the aristocracy of Viking society. They were wealthy and owned large estates with enormous longhouses, horses, and many thralls. The thralls performed most of the daily tasks, while the jarls occupied themselves with administration, politics, hunting, and sports. They also visited other jarls or went on expeditions abroad. When a jarl died and was buried, his household thralls were sometimes ritually killed and buried beside him, as many excavations have revealed.
In practice, it appears that some social mobility was possible, and there were various intermediate forms. The details are unclear, but titles and positions like hauldr, thegn, and landmand show mobility between the karls and the jarls.
Other social structures included communities of félag in both the civil and military domains, to which members (félage) were obligated. A félag could focus on certain professions, the joint ownership of a seaship, or a military obligation under a specific leader. Members of the latter were referred to as drenge, one of the words for warrior. There were also official communities within towns and villages, focused on overall defense, religion, the legal system, and the thing (the parliament).
Viking society
Daily life largely revolved around the clan or family group, with individuals subordinate to the group. When arranging marriages, the emphasis was on the relationship between both clans, which was essential for the marriage to be approved.
The living conditions of the clans were reflected in the construction and furnishing of their dwellings. Often the same building served as residence, stable, meeting place, and workshop. The main room served as living, working, and sleeping space for the entire family, with a central fireplace in the middle. During winter it was pleasant here, with fixed benches along the walls covered with warm animal hides and blankets. Oil lamps, filled with fish oil and whale fat, hung from the ceiling, and loose furniture was scarce.
Above the central hearth fire, cooking took place, with a large cooking pot on an iron chain. Various meals were prepared, including stewed beef and mutton seasoned with mustard and garlic. Sheep and cattle served not only as a meat source but also for milk production, from which cheese and butter were made.
Rights of Viking Women
Women in northern society enjoyed a status comparable to men in various respects, which was considerably more favorable than the position of women elsewhere in Europe. This is described, among other sources, in the Icelandic Grágás and the Norwegian laws of Frostating and Gulating. They could inherit and divorce their husbands. At the wedding feast, the woman received a set of keys, and after wearing them as húsfreyja (lady of the house) for three years, she could consider herself a legitimate wife. While Scandinavian women could hold prominent positions, Christianity introduced ideas of female inferiority, resulting in the loss of their favorable social status and freedoms.
Among the Vikings, the groom and his family paid the bride price, also called "mundr," as part of the wedding ritual. This symbolic payment compensated for the loss of the bride's labor, who often moved to the groom's community after marriage. In case of divorce, the bride kept the bride price, making it serve as a guarantee for a good partnership. Viking laws recognized that some marriages were irreparable, making divorce the only option.
As a member of the free class, Gunnhild had a busy life. She took care of the household, raised the children, and worked daily alongside her husband on the farm.
In this outfit, Gunnhild wears several layers of clothing. Striking are the more natural colors she wears, which were cheaper than the blue, red, and even purple that aristocrats could afford.
Gunnhild's Outfit
Viking Dress & Underdress
Gunnhild wears a practical underdress in which she also sleeps at night. When it's hot in summer on the farm, she wears just her underdress while working.
Over the underdress she wears a natural green dress, these dresses are her everyday clothing. Gunnhild probably owned only one or two different sets of these dresses.
Viking Shoes
Gunnhild wears shoes. But often she would also have gone barefoot. Shoes are relatively expensive and were constantly repaired. Probably few people owned brand new shoes.
Hanging Skirt
The hanging skirt was a very important garment for Viking women. It was precisely the hanging skirt that expressed status. Status was very important for the Vikings who lived in a clan system. Gunnhild has her brown hanging skirt embroidered with brown thread. The skirt itself is woven in a herringbone pattern. Gunnhild doesn't have much time to decorate clothing.
The hanging skirt was fastened with tortoiseshell brooches.
Viking Shawl
Over her clothes Gunnhild wears a shawl. This shawl keeps her warm while working and also serves as a neat 'coat' for when she walks through the village. When winter comes, she exchanges her shawl for a heavy wool cloak.
Viking Belt & Fibula
Gunnhild wears a leather belt. Her buckle shows that she doesn't belong to the poorest classes, just like the fibula she wears to hold her shawl together.
Both men and women used axes daily. Axes were THE tool in and around the house. Vikings made almost everything from wood and could therefore probably repair almost everything themselves, such as parts of ships, houses, fences, and tools.
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Viking Keys
A very important object for the Viking woman were her keys. This was the symbol of power over the house. That's why women could even derive marriage rights from the fact that they had worn the house keys for several years.
