Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Viking history and culture
Vikings culture history
Viking history and culture
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Viking Death Rituals Norse death rituals or Viking death rituals are the customs that Vikings used to honor their deceased. The Vikings believed that when they died, everyone went to one of two places, “The two realms in Norse mythology that were commonly associated with the religious practices of funerals and burials were Valhalla and Helheim.” (Legendsand…). The Vikings did two things with their dead, they cremated their dead and buried them, and in some cases both were done. Many warriors were buried where they died on the battlefield and other times they were cremated on a funeral pyre. Very rarely the body of a noble was cremated, his ashes put in an urn then placed in a longboat and sent to sea. The two ideas of heaven created
believed in by the Vikings were valhalla and helheim. “the hall of the fallen”) is the hall where the god Odin houses the dead whom he deems worthy of dwelling with him. This is not a reward for moral behavior or anything of the sort, however; most of those to whom he grants access to Valhalla are distinguished warriors"( norse myth...).It was believed that when warriors died during battle, the greatest warriors went to valhalla. The warriors that are chosen by odin are there to assist him in his inevitable battle against the wolf Fenrir at the time of Ragnarok. Those who have died a dishonorable death by age or sickness can't go to valhalla, but instead sent to the realm of helheim. Also known as the underworld the norse peoples buried their dead believing that helheim resides beneath the earth's surface. This gave way for the idea of inhumation or the burying of their dead. Helheim is home and ruled by the daughter of loki, Hel. Eventually the idea of helheim gave way for the Christian hell, or the underworld.
All across cultures in history, varying groups of beliefs have come into contact with one another. As for early Muslims, military expansion and travel were key components for spreading the Islamic religion to foreign nations. However, not all exchanges were hostile or wholly based on the conquest of exotic lands. Some interactions solely were based on capturing lands to control, while allowing non-converters to remain in the area as the military continued forward gaining new territory. The primary sources, The Viking Rus, Peace Terms with Jerusalem, and The Pact to Be Accorded to Non-Muslim Subjects provide insight on how Muslims interacted with other religious groups. Early Muslims saw the expansion of Islam through conquest, travel, and trade with foreign cultures and beliefs, all while having unusual exchanges with each faith.
When we hears the term Viking an immediate image of bloodthirsty men with long beards and horned helmets is conjured up in our minds. This is the image the historical sources have given us, and it is partly true. Vikings were merciless when raiding, but they were peaceful when they traded. Their navigational technology was exceptional, and the ones who settled in foreign lands contributed greatly to the lands’ culture.
“In most human society's death is an extremely important cultural and social phenomenon, sometimes more important than birth” (Ohnuki-Tierney, Angrosino, & Daar et al. 1994). In the United States of America, when a body dies it is cherished, mourned over, and given respect by the ones that knew the person. It is sent to the morgue and from there the family decides how the body should be buried or cremated based on...
I think most of them perform the ritual because they feel they deserve it in a way. It is never really said how they were killed, but it was likely pretty gruesome. So they feel obligated to give them a human funeral, although they also blow up the rocket so that it is gone. I found this strange because with them blowing up the rocket it makes me believe they
When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an abomination to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their name or person is never to be mentioned again.
The malevolent necromancer strived to perform two demonic acts: poison the town's mayor and manipulate the town's police officers to arrest everyone.
What did the afterlife meant to Roman and Norse society? Back in the days, ones afterlife was essential since it set the behavior in ones normal life. While the Romans adapted a similar culture of the Greeks, the Vikings worshiped a pantheon of gods and goddesses, each one representing a different aspect of life.
Deaths were a form of social event, when families and loved ones would gather around the bed of the dying, offering emotional support and comfort. Myth, religion, and tradition would combine to give the event deeper meaning and ease the transition for all involved. The one who was dying was confident in knowing what lay behind the veil of death, thanks to religious faith or tradition. His or her community held fast to the sense of community, drawing strength from social ties and beliefs. (“Taboos and Social Stigma - Rituals, Body, Life, History, Time, Person, Human, Traditional Views of Death Give Way to New Perceptions" 1)
The Norsemen were feared for hundreds of years. They came from Scandinavia and raided both the known and unknown world. They were great warriors, raiders, shipbuilders and leaders. The Norsemen were pagan, their obedience to the gods and their leader Odin. Religion was an important part of their life and death. In life, the Vikings strived for is Valhalla (the great mead hall of the gods and fallen warriors) in Asgard. Only the most honorable warriors, who dies in battle or if executed by the way of blood eagle (the victims will be on his knees and held up by two hooks and they take an ax to his back to break away the ribs, then take his lungs and place them on his shoulders) without making a sound, will go to Valhalla. Their social behavior was based on an unwritten system of honor or code of ethics. Their moral code was determined by the gods but rather honor. Honor went a long way in Viking culture, it was the most defining attribute a man could have. A man of honor was a principled man, he gave moderation, was generous and hospitable, he would offer a helping hand to a friend in need. This included allying himself with his friends against his friend’s enemies. A man of honor also never forgot to be a foe to his enemy. A Viking never wanted to be a man of disgrace. This is the opposite of a man of honor, and because every man lived his life as a member of an extended family-circle, he could easily bring disgrace to his entire family - including his forefathers. Therefore, it was intolerable for a free man to live in such a fallen state. If he was disgraced, he could only restore balance in his social system by confronting the source of his fall from an honorable status. Thus, revenge was a key component of this social system, ...
There are numerous cultures in this planet today; however the Jewish view of death makes this culture unique from the rest. Jewish death and mourning rites have two basic principles: kevod ha-met, respectful treatment of the dead, and kevod he-chai, consideration for the feelings of the living. These two principles are highly regarded by the Jewish community (Kolatch 7-8).
In the Jewish faith, death is seen as a natural process. Jewish rituals surrounding death focus on showing respect for the deceased and consolation for the living. After death, the body is never left alone. The body is laid on the floor, covered, and candles are lit with the “shomerim” meaning “guards” watching over the body. Many Jewish communities have a burial society, called the chevra kaddisha (holy society), that clean the body and wrap the body in a plain linen shroud. The body can not be cremated or embalmed and autopsies are discouraged. Coffins are not required according to Jewish customs, but if one is used, there must be holes drilled into them, so they come in contact with the ground. The dead are placed in a plain casket and buried within 24 hours, before sunset, on the day of death. Jewish mourning traditions begin grief with the tearing of one’s clothing (Rich, 1996). Mourners “cut their clothing with a razor- on the left for a parent; on the right for a spouse, child, or sibling- to symbolize the tear in life that death has produced (cite textbook, pg 358).” After burial of the deceased, a healing meal is made for the family, which is followed by the next phase of mourning, known as shiva. Shiva is a seven day ritual in where mourners sit on low stools or on the floor, do not wear shoes, do not shave, do not work, do not bathe, have sex, or eat meat, and remain in the same clothes they tore at the time of death. Following shiva, mourners do not attend social gathering for 30 days, this is known as shloshim. If someone is mourning a parents death, the “shloshim” is expanded to one year (Rich, 1996).
They would not leave the body alone until it was properly buried. Their close kin would sit by their fire or outside of their tent to ensure that the body would not be touched or harmed. The men of the clan did not eat for a couple of days after the death had occurred, but they did all drink with each other. The other Rom of the band would make sure that the other bands that were traveling around them knew of the death and some of them would join them for the funeral. When one died, the gypsies would perform rituals in the hopes that the dead would forgive them. “When one left for the Nation of the Dead, all emotional ties with the living should be consciously severed over a period of time, including unspoken or half-forgotten jealousies. It was also bad to think of a departed person with bitterness, regret or contempt.” (The Gypsies, Yoors, pg. 234). When the coffin is lowered into the ground, the gypsies throw handfuls of gold and silver on it. As they walk away from the coffin they all say “Akana mukav tut le Devlesa” (I now leave you to God). After one’s death, the band of gypsies all gather together to eat a feast they call the Pomana, or the feast of the dead. The Pomana was repeated after nine days of the death, then again after six weeks, after six months, and on the anniversary of the death. At the Pomana, the close kin of the person who died would decide if they were going to end mourning for this person or if they are going to continue to mourn. However, after a year goes by, the Gypsies are no longer allowed to mourn for this particular person, they believe life must go on. They prepare masses of food for this meal because it is the first meal most of the gypsies have eaten in days. After sitting down for the meal the Rom say “May this food be before you, Tshukura, and in your memory, and may it profit us in good health and in good spirit.” (The Gypsies, Yoors, pg. 235).
1. Viking death ritual would be to burn or bury their possessions with them. *the reason why they would do that was to show respect and loyalty towards the Vikings that was important. 2. Vikings were very hygienic.
Sky burials are a form of funeral practice performed by Vajrayana Buddhists in Eastern Asian countries, mainly Tibet. The Tibetan word “བྱ་གཏོར” literally translates to “bird-scattered” in English. In the burial, a human corpse is broken down and laid on top of a mountain, where it is expected to be eaten and carried off by a griffon vulture or decompose due to prolonged exposure to nature. It is known to be a form of excarnation, and is predicted to have evolved from defleshing practices that were performed in ancient times, as evidenced by archaeological finds in the area. On the day of the procedure, Buddhist monks will chant and light juniper incense.
While researching the Vikings and what made them such fierce warriors, I learned that the cause of their behavior came from their code of ethics as well as their ideals and religion.