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My next book due out later this year is set in two time
zones, the Viking era, circa 850 AD, and the present day. It is not a
time-travel but more a reincarnation story, hence the different times. The
original idea for this book came from a friend, I confess, but we share this
interest in Vikings, and the idea of lovers though time intrigued me.
Why I keep returning to the Viking era I have no idea. They just
seem to fascinate me. Because they didn’t leave a lot of written history in the
early days, so much that has been written about them is based on what has been
garnered from the excavation sites around Scandinavia, Britain and elsewhere. Of course
every new book has to be researched, especially when you are returning to a
subject such as the Vikings. During my research for this book, I found out facts
unknown to me before.
Fact one—Norse weddings. These it seems were extravagant
affairs, and planned well in advance.
So much tradition was tied in with the ceremony, partly to please their
gods and partly to please the families of both parties. A lot of haggling went
on between relatives of the bride and groom. Considering the Vikings gained a
reputation of being a coldblooded lot of invaders who ransacked and ravaged
their way through life their respect for the treatment of women was one of the
reasons so much haggling went on. Marriage was a way to control sexual activity
and reproduction in the community. Both important to them, as marriage was the
heart of family structure in their culture, a fact that surprised me.
Weddings were held on a Friday, the sacred day for Frigga
the goddess of marriage, and the proceedings generally lasted up to a week.
Family and friends often travelled far to the wedding hence accommodation had
to be provided for them, which took planning, not to mention the provision of
food and drink for all these guests. A special ale was drunk by the bride and
groom during the ceremony so this had to be brewed in advance.
The couple were separated before the big day and for the
bride this entailed being stripped of old clothing and any symbols of her
virginity, the main one being her ‘kransen’, a gilt circlet. This was handed
down through generations of daughters. The bride wore a crown during the
ceremony. Apparently the Norse women were not worried too much about the bridal
gown but more about their hair, which indicated her sexual allure, and
therefore was kept long and flowing. This crown was an elaborate article,
decorated with silver and rock crystals, crosses and even leaves.
The bridegroom also didn’t worry too much about his outfit,
but might carry a symbol of Thor to indicate his mastery of the universe. This
symbol also ensured a fruitful marriage. It seems this was their main consideration,
producing offspring. Sometimes the religious ceremony began with a sacrifice,
probably to the gods of fertility. A poor hapless goat might be slaughtered and
his blood collected, and then sprinkled on the happy couple, so ensuring the
pleasure of the gods. Another fact that surprised me was to learn that the
couple traditionally exchanged rings during the ceremony.
Find lots more on Viking wedding rituals here.
Fact two—Vikings were good seamstresses. Their thread was
usually the same texture as the woven cloth they were stitching together. I
have always wondered how their clothes were made, as when you see pictures of
them, either during everyday activities or in battle, it is obvious their
outfits must be stitched by someone.
They were pretty handy with a needle, actually using different stitches
for differing fabric thicknesses, such as silk, wool or leather. Because their
traders travelled far and wide bringing back silks and treasures from perhaps
Byzantium, Cordoba or Alexandria they were never short of fabrics to work with.
A coin dug up in Jorvik (York) that was from a town near the Himalayas
signifies how far they travelled. Anything about the Vikings’ decorating of
their garments technique is sketchy but they possibly liked gold thread.
My thanks to this site for the above information:
Fact three—Viking burials. A lot has been written about how
the warriors and chieftains were buried with their slaves, all their weapons
and jewellery etc. and how they were sent off to Valhalla in their flaming
ships, but I was more interested in learning how the ordinary folk were sent on
their way. It seems that most were cremated on a funeral
pyre, and then their ashes buried. Some of the wealthier would have been buried
along with a wagon, perhaps for transport to wherever they were going in the
afterlife. Not a lot is written about the lower classes so we are left to
presume they were cremated along with any meagre possession they might have
treasured.
Find more here:
If, like me, you enjoy learning new facts then have fun, as
I do, while exploring the wonderful WWW. And, if like me you are fascinated by
the Vikings or reincarnation, then keep an eye out for my next release,
Powerful Destiny.
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