ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the structure and nature of Scandinavian societies in the Viking Age, with an emphasis on variation and diversity. The intricate networks of kinship, with its unique definitions beyond the nuclear family, were central to life in the Viking Age. Rural subsistence and agriculture are in focus here, as is the market economy of trade and exchange. The chapter also examines ships and the sea, in the technological context of a firmly maritime culture. Language, literacy, and law are considered in detail, along with the social roles of violence. Finally, the visual aspects of Viking-Age life are presented, looking at the ubiquitous art and decoration, but also at their deeper meanings.
