THE VIKING HOUSE
Only a few Vikings lived in towns. Most Vikings were farmers and lived in hall-like houses in small countryside villages near fjords or in valleys further inland. The Viking farm was very often placed on a hilltop with a very good view of the surrounding area. In this way they were able to quickly see friends or enemies who had arrived.
The hall-like houses could be 10 to 100 feet long. (3 to 30 meters). The largest were sometimes up to 250 feet long. (83 meters). Often, the Viking house had only one room, but it could also be divided into a living quarters and a stable for the animals. In Norway, the Viking houses often were built of wood. When they used stave-construction technology, the walls would consist of upright planks, timber or staves standing side by side, with their ends sunk into the ground. However, in areas where little wood was available they also would use stone, earth and turf as buildings materials.
Along the walls inside the house there were sitting and sleeping benches covered with fur or cloth. Beds were only used in rich families. A fireplace located in the middle of the room was the main source of light and heat. The smoke was vented through a hole in the roof. If they needed extra light they might use a lamp such as that shown to the right. These types of lamps were fueled with wax or blubber.
Some Viking houses also had running water in them. They directed water from a river or a pond into a small channel which ran underneath the house. Inside the house the channel was covered by slabs of rock. When they needed water they just lifted up one of the rocks.
Most Viking farms had a separate bath house which they used every Saturday – the Viking’s bath day. If they lived near the sea they also had a ship-house, called “naust” in Norwegian, for their ships and small boats.