[MR] At last - an interesting discussion on Vikings!

[ldmolly at md.metrocast.net]

M'Lady Bera...you bring up a good and true point, it IS easy to become
confused when there are so many different perspectives on Norse life.
Slaves are part of that life, but they are a resource to be managed like
any other. There were not households with hundreds of servants standing
around in the parlor...your typical household (IIRC) might have 3-5
servants (being typically middle class). Keep in mind that much of the
Norse lifestyle (especially anything involving women) was an agricultural
one, heavily dependant on subsistance farming. When you are farming in
that method, you and your family are ALWAYS battling to keep the wolf from
your door. There is scant little "down time" for a subsistance farm. Even
in the winter, the is butter and cheese to be made (if you're fortunate
enough to be able to keep some livestock fed through the winter). Textile
production was an ongoing process throughout the seasons. Then there are
repairs to the home/land, ensuring enough meat is added to the vegetables
you've stored away at harvest. There is grain to be processed and cooked.
With poor harvests, farmers often could not support a big household...and
a poor harvest also would impact the ability of conceiving & carrying a
child to term (often with tragic results for the mother). Nursing takes a
lot out of a woman, and poor health & nutrition would certainly play a
factor in being able to nurse your child through infancy (wether you're a
slave or freeborn woman).

If you have not read them, I'd suggest any of the "Life in a Medieval
Village" books. I think there might also be a "Life on a Medieval Farm"
book, but I may be mistaken. While not all-inclusive, they're useful for
getting the flavor of how things worked back then. They're light & easy to
read for enjoyment's sake. After that, I'm sure folks can recommend more
in-depth readings to continue expanding your level of knowledge on the
fascintating topic. I'd also suggest looking at the A&S links on the
Kingdom webpage, particularly under animal husbandry or farming for more
information. It will really help you to understand the amount of effort
that went into surviving back in the Dark/Middle Ages.
Molly
(Mary Isabel of Heatherstone)