One of the most prevalent causes of death among Vikings, particularly in early life, was likely to be illness and disease. Without modern medical knowledge and treatments, common diseases could often be fatal.
An international team of scientists has discovered for the first time that Vikings had smallpox 1,400 years ago.
Understanding the average lifespan of a Viking
On average, most Vikings could live to an age between 35 and 50. However, many Vikings wouldn't make it to this age. The average lifespan of a Viking was affected by numerous external factors, from the battles they fought, to the environments they had to live in.
Adult life-span
As this chart shows, 50% of adult men died between 21 and 30 years of age and this may be because of warfare and the generally turbulent times. For women, the risks were in pregnancy and childbirth and 35% of them did not survive beyond 30 years.
Historical accounts
There are historical attestations that Viking Age women took part in warfare. The Byzantine historian John Skylitzes records that women fought in battle when Sviatoslav I of Kiev attacked the Byzantines in Bulgaria in 971.
Perhaps the epitome of the archetypal bloodthirsty Viking, Erik the Red violently murdered his way through life.
The Vikings loved their children, and when they weren't exploring, travelling, farming, raiding or invading faraway shores, they dedicated much of their lives to raising strong children who would do them proud.
If a Viking dies of old age, it is believed that they would go to one of two places. The first is Valhalla, a great hall within Asgard, the realm of the gods in Norse mythology. Valhalla is overseen by Odin and is said to house the souls of heroes who have fallen in battle.
Viking Age children were often granted freedom and agency to do as they wished, so long as it did not damage the honor of the family. Sons were allowed to choose their own life path-whether they wanted to be a farmer, a warrior, a trader, etc.
Vikings were all about physical strength and were known to abandon sickly children.
While the general diet was a balanced one and relatively healthy, Vikings still fell prey to illness and were often victims of severe wounds suffered during battles. In addition, worms and parasites were a major problem during the Viking era.
Ragnar's Illness Remains A Mystery
Given Ragnar's symptoms and how he was able to recover after the Vikings siege of Paris, he most likely had kidney damage. As bad as the hit to his back was, Ragnar didn't hurt his spine as he was able to walk, so it was an internal injury.
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married. Life expectancy was about 50 years, but most died long before reaching 50. Only a few lived to 60.
A typical couple probably had 2 or 3 living children at any one time. Few parents lived to see their children marry. And fewer lived to see their first grandchild. Three generation families were rare.
Instead, boys and girls usually took their father's, or sometimes mother's, first name as a surname and added “son” or “dottir” (daughter).
- King of Norway 1046-1066
Harald Hardrada (Harald III Sigurdsson) is often known as "the last real Viking," and maybe he was what many understood by a real Viking king.
In the modern world, belief in Valhalla as a literal place varies. Some followers of modern Pagan religions, like Ásatrú or Heathenry, might hold a belief in Valhalla, though their interpretations can differ widely. Valhalla might be seen more symbolically as representing courage and bravery for others.
The end of the Viking Age is traditionally marked in England by the failed invasion attempted by the Norwegian king Harald III (Haraldr Harðráði), who was defeated by Saxon King Harold Godwinson in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge; in Ireland, the capture of Dublin by Strongbow and his Hiberno-Norman forces in ...
On the other hand, women were respected in Norse society and had great freedom, especially when compared to other European societies of that era. They managed the finances of the family. They ran the farm in their husband's absence. In widowhood, they could be rich and important landowners.
The written sources portray Viking women as independent and possessing rights. Compared to women elsewhere in the same period, Viking women had more freedom. However, there were limits to this. Even if women had a relatively strong position, they were officially inferior to men.
Fidelity. This belief in fidelity extended far beyond the modern understanding of it, which is to remain monogamous with your life partner. They also applied this belief in fidelity to friends and family as well, which meant that Vikings had to be unequivocally loyal to those that were close to them.
This could be because they had better food, nutrition, and shelter than many of their enemies. Viking heritage may also be part of the reason why many of today's Scandinavians are quite tall.
– The sagas
The sagas tell that women did go on some of the Viking expeditions. The most notorious and frightening of these long distance travellers were Freydis, the daughter of Erik the Red. She initiated one of the Viking expeditions to Vinland.
"The examination of skeletons from different localities in Scandinavia reveals that the average height of the Vikings was a little less than that of today: men were about 5 ft 7-3/4 in. tall and women 5 ft 2-1/2 in.
Some men would have two to three wives, but the Norse sagas say that some princes had limitless numbers. "So raiding was away to build up wealth and power. Men could gain a place in society, and the chance for wives if they took part in raids and proved their masculinity and came back wealthy.