Lecture 2 from The Vikings, a class from Continuing Education at the University of New Mexico's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

1. Symbols of Viking gods: left—a figurine of Odin with two ravens above
his head and a sword and spears in hand, from Uppland, Sweden; right
—a hammer amulet representing Thor, from Bornholm, Denmark.
Images from Vikings: the North American Saga, edited by Fitzhugh
and Ward.

2. Symbols of Viking gods: left—a figurine of Freyr, god of fertility, with
erect penis, from Södermanland, Sweden; right—amulets representing
Valkyries, the furthest right carrying a horn of drink to welcome the
heroes to Valhalla, from various sites in Sweden. Images from Vikings:
the North American Saga, edited by Fitzhugh and Ward.

3. Viking religious beliefs: a depiction of Yggrasil, the World Tree, in the
Överhogdal Tapestry. The threat dates from the Viking Age. On
display at Jämtlands Läns Museum, Östersund, Sweden. Image from
Vikings: the North American Saga, edited by Fitzhugh and Ward.

4. Viking religious beliefs: left—a stone depicting a Viking ship (below)
and an image of the afterlife (above) with Odin riding Sleipnir, from
Tjängvide, Gotland, Sweden, 9th
century; right—Thorvald’s cross slab,
depicting Odin (right bottom side) with ravens on his shoulders and
being devoured by Fenrir, Isle of Man, 10th
century. Images from
Vikings: the North American Saga, edited by Fitzhugh and Ward.

5. Left—the Viking lands in relation to Europe circa 813.
Right—growth of power of Danish kings circa 800. Maps
from Robert Ferguson, The Vikings: a History.

6. Contact between Scandinavia and Western Europe:
left—Ranvaig’s casket, Irish in origin but owned by a Scandinavian woman
named Ranvaig who carved her name into the casket; center—replica of a 9th
century Irish penannular brooch from a Viking cemetery in Kilmainham, Ireland;
right—the Helgö Crosier, also Irish in origin, but found in Helgö, Sweden.
Images from Vikings: the North American Saga, edited by Fitzhugh and Ward.

7. Contact between Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East:
left—8th
century bronze Buddha statue found in Helgö, Sweden; top
right—late 8th
century quartz beads from the Caucasus found in Birka, Sweden;
bottom right—an Abbasid dirham of 786 found in Staraja Ladoga, northern
Russia. Images from Vikings: the North American Saga, edited by Fitzhugh
and Ward.

8. The Oseberg Ship, built c. 820, buried c. 825,
excavated 1904.
The Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway
• 72 ft long
• 16 ½ ft broad
• Crew of 30 men
• Used to bury two
women, one possibly
a queen, the other
her slave.
• Buried with a horse-
drawn cart, buckets,
barrels, and a
tapestry depicting the
funeral procession.

9. Viking ships: left—a close up of the Oseberg ship prow, with oar hole
(used in preference to oar locks); right—a modern replica ship, Saga
Siglar. Images from Vikings: the North American Saga, edited by
Fitzhugh and Ward.

10. The Gokstad ship, built c. 870-890, buried c. 900,
excavated 1880.
The Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway
• 76 ½ ft long
• 17 ft broad
• Crew of 32-35 men
• Used to bury one man,
over 6 ft tall and bearing
multiple injuries, including
a stab wound close to the
femoral artery.
• Buried with shields, dogs,
horses, and a peacock,
among other objects.

11. 11th
century Viking-style ships depicted in the Bayeux
Tapestry, on display in Bayeux, Normandy, France. The
tapestry records the events leading up to the Norman
conquest of England in 1066 at the battle of Hastings.

12. Illustration of a Viking bearing-dial, based on a bearing dial
recovered in Iceland. Illustration from Gwyn Jones, A
History of the Vikings.