Viking life
Viking houses
Most people lived on farms. Their houses were built of wood, stone or blocks of turf, with thatched or turf roofs.
Jorvik (modern York) was an important town in Viking Britain. Its houses were built of wood or wattle, crowded close together along narrow streets.
Men, women and children
Men worked on farms, or as craftsmen or traders. They handled boats for fishing or travelling. Sometimes a man had to fight to protect his family or to support his king or local chieftain.
Women did all the household jobs. They also helped on the farm, milked the cows and made cheese. They spun, wove and sewed all the family's clothes.
Children did not go to school. They helped their parents at work, and learned about history, religion and the law from stories. They became adults at the age of 15 or 16.
Feasting
Weddings, funerals and religious festivals were celebrated with a big feast for many guests. Some feasts lasted over a week!
Law and order
Most Viking countries were ruled by kings. Earls and chieftains were also powerful: some had their own armies and warships. Most farmers and craftsmen were ordinary freemen. There were also many slaves.
A thing or assembly was a gathering of local freemen. They met together regularly in the open air to make and discuss laws and to decide punishments for criminals.
Many Viking families got caught up in violent blood-feuds. Any argument might end in a fight. If someone was killed, the dead man's family saw it as their right to take revenge. Blood-feuds sometimes ended by one side paying 'blood-money' as compensation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/vikings/life/index.shtml