Comparing the lives of Anglo Saxons and Vikings

We collaborated on a Compare and Contrast Map comparing the lives of the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings

Summary by Eliza

The Vikings were a group of people from modern-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden, who began to settle in Britain during the eighth century. The Vikings shared many similarities with the Anglo-Saxon people, who had invaded and settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans.

The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons both wore clothing made of natural materials such as wool and linen. Viking men wore trousers, long sleeved tunics and a leather belt tied at the waist. Anglo Saxon men similarly wore tunics, but would also wear brooches, pins and buckles to secure their clothes. Viking women wore full length dresses with an over dress and a headband. In much the same way Anglo-Saxon women and girls wore long dresses and head cloths.

The Anglo Saxon and Vikings both built their homes from wood and straw. Anglo Saxon homes were often small wooden huts with a straw roof and had just one room in which the whole family lived. Viking homes however were long and rectangular but still made of wood. They were large so they could keep their animals safe from cattle thieves.

Some of the words we use today can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. The word ‘Wednesday’ is believed to come from the Anglo Saxon ‘Wodnesdoeg’ which was named for the god Woden – it mean’s ‘Woden’s day’.  Vikings gave Thursday to us. Thursday is named after Thor (Thor’s Day) the god of thunder.

The Vikings believed in Christianity after the Anglo Saxons. A monk called Augustine convinced the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelbert of Kent to convert to Christianity and slowly the rest of the country followed. Before Christianity the Vikings believed in their own gods Odin (God of War), Thor (God of Thunder) and Frey.