This document provides information about Vikings and discusses several common myths and facts regarding aspects of Viking culture. It begins with asking the reader what they already know about Vikings and having them guess whether several statements about Vikings are facts or fiction. It then explains the answers, discussing that Vikings bathed regularly, did not typically wear horned helmets, lived on farms not in towns, did travel to North America, were not unusually bloodthirsty, and created sophisticated weapons. The document also notes Vikings built fast longships for raiding and trade. It concludes by discussing the Viking alphabet of runes and providing a link to convert a name to its Viking runic equivalent.

1. Vikings

2. Brainstorm:
What do we already
know about Vikings?

3. Share

4. Chances are, when I say
Vikings, you think of…

10. no?

11. Fact or
Fiction?

12. On your paper, guess
Fact or Fiction?
1. Vikings were dirty, gross and never took a
bath
2. Viking helmets had horns
3. Vikings lived in towns
4. Vikings came to North America
5. Vikings were bloodthirsty barbarians
6. Vikings were hated by everyone
7. Vikings had lame, unsophisticated weapons
8. Vikings had fast ships built for trading and
raiding

13. #1: Vikings were dirty, gross, and
never took baths
{FICTION}
- In the Viking world, Saturday was bath day (this basically
made them “clean-freaks” as bathing that often in Viking
times by other groups was unheard of
- Vikings made their own soap for cleaning AND to bleach
their hair blonde (seen as desirable in Viking times)
- Vikings had many tools for grooming such as combs which
they used for hair and beards
- Washed their faces and blew their noses each morning

14. #2 Vikings wore horned helmets
{FICTION}- The image of Vikings wearing horned helmets is a myth;
their helmets never had horns.
- If worn at all, helmets were more like leather hats, and some
times metal head protection (see below)
- Helmets or hats with wings were worn more for ceremonial
purposes (sometimes)

15. #3 Most Vikings lived in towns
{FICTION}- Most Vikings lived on farms
- Viking houses were like long houses, and had just on large
room for the entire family to share. Wealthier Viking homes
sometimes had an entry hall, but that was rare
- Houses were built of wood, stones, and blocks of turf

16. #4 Vikings came to North America{FACT}
Plot these 7 important Viking locations on your map

17. #5 The Vikings were unusually
bloodthirsty and barbarian
{FICTION?}True, Vikings were pretty ruthless (and bloodthirsty, and
barbaric) BUT not unusually so for this time period. This was
a violent age.

18. #6 The Vikings were hated
EVERYWHERE
{FICTION}
Vikings were respected by many of their peers.

19. #7 The Vikings used crude,
unsophisticated weapons
{FICTION}- Vikings were actually skilled weapon smiths
- Using a method called pattern welding, the Vikings could
make swords that were both extremely sharp and flexible

20. #8 The Vikings built fast ships for
raiding and war
{FACT}
-These ships were “longships” and “dragonships”
- The Vikings also had slower
passenger and cargo ships called
knorrs. They built small boats for
fishing or short trips.

21. Read & Write
like a Viking

22. • The earliest Viking alphabet (or futhark),
was made up of 24 runes

23. • The later Viking Futhark had between 26
and 33 runes

24. • The futhark matched to our modern
English alphabet

25. Before you can write like a Viking,
you need a Viking name
http://gorm.com/name/convert.htm

26. Miss B = Heather Fairhair
in runes, that is:
H E A T H E R
F A I R H A I R

28. Plot these 7 important Viking locations on your map

29. • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/

30. • web quest
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/