| Childhood Life as a viking child was tough. They were expected to work from a young age. Their tasks included cooking, tending the fire, caring for animals, working in the field, gathering firewood, and picking berries and other fruits in the woods. Even with this long list of chores viking children still found time to play with their toy ships, swords, dolls, and animal figurines. Childhood toys reflect the value placed on certain aspects of society. For example a spinning top taught children the movements involved in spinning thread, and a wooden sword could be used for early training. Clothing There is only fragmented knowledge of viking attire. Very few accounts and images were made of their garments, and archaeological evidence is limited. Thus leaving a lot of room for interpretation. Men typically wore tunics with long skirts, and trousers. Women wore a long shift with a suspended overdress. Both men and women wore long cloaks or jackets to keep warm. Female Roles Women did not participate in trading or raiding parties (although they clearly participated in journeys of exploration and settlement to places such as Iceland and Vínland). Women's responsibilities were clearly defined to be domestic. On one hand, a woman was, by law, under the authority of her husband or father. She had only limited freedom to dispose of property belonging to her. She was prohibited from participating in most political or governmental activities. |