Avid Farmers
This might come as a bit of a surprise, but Vikings weren’t constantly battling and at war. Most of the Norsemen were simple farmers. Since they were constantly moving around and establishing settlements, they grew a lot of oats, wheat, and barley. They ground them to make flour, porridge, and ale. Aside from the grains, they also grew vegetables like onions, beans, and cabbages. To top it off, they raised livestock such as pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, chickens, and geese. They had a relatively domestic lifestyle. Farming was not as exciting as sea-faring, which is why Hollywood tends to mainly portray the more adventurous Vikings.
Avid Farmers
Starting Fires
While we may have many simple ways to start a fire naturally out in the wild, in the 19th century, they didn’t. Because of this, the Vikings used a fungus named Touchwood which was plate-shaped and grew by tree bark. They boiled the mushroom for several days in urine. Yes, we’re serious. They would then take the boiled fungus and pound it until its texture was like felt. The sodium nitrate in the urine would allow the fungus to smolder so the Vikings were able to take the fire with them wherever they went.
Starting Fires