Archaeologists study ancient burials because they provide a great deal of information not only about religious beliefs, but also about the social customs and important values of the time. Funerals are, after all, for the living and serve to reinforce the common values of the society.
During the Viking Age in Europe—an era which is generally seen as beginning with the attacks of the pagan Vikings on Christian monasteries in 792 and which ended in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings—Norse (Scandinavian, Viking) burials emphasized the importance of ships even though the people lived on small farmsteads.
During the pagan Viking era, there was a feeling among the Norse that the dead should be buried in boats. For poor people, this meant a small fishing boat. For those who couldn’t afford a boat, a boat-shaped curb of stones was erected around the tomb so that the dead would at least feel they were in a boat for their journey to the next world.
The Oseberg Ship Burial:
One of the most famous Viking ship burials was found at Oseberg on the banks of the Oslo Fjord in Norway. It is only one of several ship burials in the area, but it is one of the richest. As with burials throughout the world, such as those in Egypt, the grave had been looted at some point in antiquity. When the archaeologists excavated it in 1904-1905, they found no precious metals, but they found grave goods which revealed a great deal about Norse life.
The Oseburg Ship contained the bodies of two women. One of the women was 60-70 years of age and was crippled with arthritis. She was suffering from cancer and this is probably what killed her. The other woman was in her 20s. Interestingly, an analysis of her skeleton showed that the younger woman was not local: she had been raised in the Black Sea area.
Both women had a diet composed mainly of meat, another luxury when most Vikings ate fish. This suggests that they were from the upper class of Norse society, possibly royalty. In addition, a peacock was also buried with the women. Peacocks are, of course, native to hot climates and Norway at this time cannot be considered to be hot. This bird was probably brought back from the Near East or Southwest Asia. Again, a peacock at this time was a symbol of high status.
Buried with the women were four elaborately decorated sleighs, a richly carved four-wheel wooden cart, bed-posts, wooden chests. More mundane items such as agricultural and household tools were also included in the burial. Archaeologists also found textiles in the grave, including woolen garments, imported silks, and narrow tapestries. While the woolen garments were local—Norse women spent a great deal of their time weaving wool—the silk would have been imported from Asia and shows the extent of Viking trade during this era.
The Oseberg ship was not a warship, but a pleasure yacht. It was over 70 feet long, 17 feet wide, and nearly 5 feet deep. In addition to a sail, it was powered by 30 oars. The ship had been constructed in 834. The date of construction was obtained through dendrochronology which showed that the tree which formed the ship’s keel had been felled in 834.
Who were the women who were buried at Oseberg? Many archaeologists feel that the ship held the body of Queen Åsa, the woman who helped to establish the Norwegian royal dynasty. She was not from Norway, but had been captured, raped, and installed by her rapist as his queen. After the birth of her child, she waited until her husband was drunk, had him killed, and seized the throne. According to the Viking Sagas, she was buried in a ship at Oseberg sometime after 800.
The Gokstad Ship Burial:
The Gokstad ship burial contained the body of a very large, powerful man in his 40s. His skeleton reveals that he spent a great deal of time on horseback. He also had a pituitary adenoma which gave him the characteristics associated with gigantism. He died a violent death. He died in conflict with two or three assailants. He took a sword blow to his left leg, just below the kneecap. This would have made it impossible for him to stand. Then the left knee was shattered with the blow of a club-hammer. He was then stabbed in the right thigh, close to the main artery.
A tent-shaped grave chamber had been built on the ship to hold his body. This was built using notched logs. A dozen horses were buried with him, along with 6 dogs, a peacock, five beds, 3 small boats, a bronze pot, a barrel, buckets, and 64 shields which had been fastened on the outside of the ship’s rail.
Like the ship at Oseberg, the Gokstad ship was built primarily out of oak and was similar in size. The ship was built to carry 32 oarsmen and could have carried up to 70 people. With its square sail it is estimated that it could sail at a speed of more than 12 knots. Dendrochronology suggests that the ship was constructed about 890. The ship is currently on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.
The Burning Boat of the Rus:
One of the Hollywood stereotypes of the Viking ship burial involves placing the body in the boat, setting it on fire, and then pushing it out to sea. While this makes for interesting movies, it’s not really accurate. There were times when the bodies of Viking sea kings were cremated in their boats, but not in the way Hollywood has envisioned.
Vikings from Sweden were voyaging down the Russian Rivers, such as the Volga by the 8th and 9th centuries. Here they settled down, married into the local people, and eventually became known as the Rus, for whom Russia is named. Norse continued to be spoken in Novgorod until the 13th century.
There is an account of a Viking (Rus) funeral on the Volga River recorded by a Muslim observer. Immediately after the king had died, his body was put into the ground to keep it cold and preserved until his burial ship could be prepared. The ship was dragged up on the shore of the river and put on a huge pyre of logs.
The friends of the king walked among the women—the slave women who had served the king—and asked who would go with the king. One woman agreed, was separated from the others, and kept groggy with intoxicants.
There was great feasting in honor of the dead king. One third of his wealth was then placed on the ship. The body was carried up on the ship and placed in a little improvised cabin. His favorite horses were then killed and placed on the ship. Once the woman had been sacrificed and her body placed on the ship, it was set on fire.