Social Structure

Scandinavian society was broken down into a class structure. In Gabriele Esposito’s work looks at the class structure and the organization of the military. Esposito writes, “The Scandinavian society of the Viking Age consisted of three main classes: the jarls or nobles, the karls or freemen and the praell or slaves. The jarls were distinguished by their wealth, which was measured according to their personal possessions: estates, ships and goods” (Esposito, 2021). The chiefs or kings would have been the main source of authority with the freemen under their control. Slaves during this period were comparable to indentured servants rather than legally bonded to a master. Ireland was a large target for capturing people to then make slaves. During this period, anyone could have been taken by the Vikings.

Warriors

Esposito also focuses on the warriors and weapons of the Vikings. The weapons the Vikings used were typically swords, however, they also created spears and axes as well. Esposito writes, “Most of the Viking warriors gave their weapons a name and had a special relationship with them, as they also acted like amulets protecting them from danger and evil and their symbolism was strongly linked to the very soul of their owner. Elegant shapes and rich ornamentations were typical of the aristocrats’ weaponry…” (Esposito, 2021). To reiterate, the Vikings had no formal religion, however, their belief system was still complex. The weapons being ‘strongly linked to the very soul of their owner’ plays into the importance of ancestry.

Warriors would have to not only defend settlements but ensure goods got to ports and trading cities safely. Due to the Vikings’ propensity to destroy everything in sight when entering a new place, they gained enemies quickly. The Viking warriors would have engaged in battles with threats including Irish kings in battles over settlements such as Dublin and Limerick. These battles would have been very costly on both sides and ultimately drove the Vikings out of Ireland.

Armor

Esposito also describes how swords were used among the elites, axes among the middle class, with spears reserved for the lower-class warriors (Esposito 2021). Esposito also describes how the armor was divided up among the warrior classes. Esposito writes, “The defensive equipment of a Viking warrior was completed by his helmet and armor…. only the richest individuals of the professional warriors could afford them. Early Scandinavian helmets…consisting of four iron plates nailed together by several metal strips…” (Esposito 2021). Armor would have been incredibly expensive to produce because the materials would have been mined with simple hand tools, transported to a larger town, and then manufactured into its desired shape and size. This would have been a very long process adding to the expense.