We take a look at the daily life of the Vikings and their animal companions. Get your free trial of MagellanTV and a 2for1 gift card here: https://try.magellantv.com/invicta. It's an exclusive offer for our viewers: an extended, monthlong trial, FREE. MagellanTV is a new kind of streaming service run by filmmakers with 2,000+ documentaries! Check out our personal recommendation and MagellanTV’s exclusive playlists: https://www.magellantv.com/explore/hi...
In this history documentary we explore Viking daily life as it overlapped with the animal world. We begin by discussing the history of the Vikings from their first arrival in Scandinavia up until the actual start of the Viking Age around the 8th century AD. Contrary to the common depiction of Medieval Scandinavians of this period being predominantly seaborne raiders and traders, theirs was actually a society based around farming and animal husbandry as it had been for thousands of years. This becomes readily apparent when one looks at the typical Viking longhouse which actually had a stable built into it.
We talk about the typical farm animals on a Viking homestead which included everything from cows to pigs, chicken, horses, and sheep. These might be used for labor, resources, and food. All of these animals took a lot of work to maintain. Thankfully the Vikings had two trusty companions to help them out: cats and dogs. We talk about how each of these animals first arrived in Scandinavia and worked their way into Norse mythology, culture, and everyday life. Next we turn to a discussion of the other Vikings pets which included hawks, peacocks, brown bears, and even polar bears.
If you enjoyed this episodes on Viking pets and Viking daily life definitely check out out episode on Growing Up Viking as well as the rest of our How They Did It documentary series. We produced this viking documentary to coincide with the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Stay tuned for more viking history content and Valhalla gameplay.
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
"Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga" by Smithsonian Institution Press
"Viking Age: Everyday Life During the Extraordinary Era of the Norsemen" by Kirsten Wolf
Script: Invicta
Narration: Invicta
Art: Beverly Johnson
Production: Penta Limited
Music: Assassins Creed Valhalla OST Music
#Viking
#History
#Documentary