Viking Weddings

Viking Weddings Then

Not a lot of evidence survives about weddings, and what individual weddings would have looked like would have depended on where they were, when in the Viking period they took place, and also the wealth and social status of the families involved. The nature of the historical record is that we have more information about the elite than we do about the common person.

Marriage was an institution that was at the heart of Viking life, so weddings were important events that marked the change in social allegiances and status precipitated by the marriage. They united not only the bride and groom, but it allied both of their families.

While there were always exceptions to the rule, Viking marriages were not generally love matches. It was actually a way of bringing together two families to enhance each other’s status and wealth, and a way of controlling reproduction to secure inheritance. While the feelings of the young couple were probably not completely disregarded, financial considerations and alliances would have taken priority.

Because marriage was largely a business transaction, it is not surprising that they required quite a bit of negotiation. Marriages had long-lasting legal implications in relation to property and inheritance. The ceremony itself would not start until the bride’s price and dowry were officially exchanged in front of witnesses. Only when business was done could the ceremony begin.

Weddings usually took place on a Friday, otherwise known as Frigg’s (and Freya’s) Day. Frigg (wife of Odin) is the Goddess of fertility, household, motherhood, love, marriage, and domestic acts. To hold your wedding on any other day would have surely been seen as a bad omen.

It could take quite a lot of time to plan a big wedding to ensure there would be enough food and mead for all the guests. Some sources suggest that weddings might take up to a year to plan.

No evidence survives for the bride or groom wearing specific clothing, but there seems to be traditions around the hair of the bride. A maiden would have worn her hair long and flowing, enhanced by a bridal crown made from leaves and flowers. In the later Scandinavian period, these were replaced with silver crowns that were usually heirlooms kept withing the family.

They would begin by summoning the attention of the Gods to bless the union with a sacrifice. It was traditional to sacrifice a goat to Thor, a sow to Freya, or a boar or horse to Freyr. Whichever animal was sacrificed and later eaten at the feast, the blood was drained into a bowl and consecrated in some way. A bunch of fir twigs was then dipped in the blood and used to splatter the couple with blood, conferring the blessing of the Gods.

The ancient role of groomsmen and bridesmen was to guarantee the safety of both the bride and groom. In those days, anything could happen. Ambushes were commonplace, hence the need for three men to protect the groom, and another three to guard the bride. Furthermore, these men also acted as witnesses, and could be called upon in the event of a legal dispute between husband and wife.

Rings were exchanged during the ceremony, but also swords. The wedding rings were put on the hilt of the swords, so in this way they were exchanged too. The bride and groom placed the oath ring on their own fingers. This was done because the Norse saw the rings as oaths, and they believed that one could not place an oath on anyone else. The groom would present an ancestral sword to his bride, with the intention for it to be passed on to future sons. The bride would also gift the groom an ancestral sword to symbolize the transfer of a father’s protection of his daughter to the husband. The common Viking probably skipped these rituals however, or engaged with them on a significantly more modest scale. Most Vikings would not have been able to afford a sword, as they were expensive both in terms of material and craftsmanship.

After the ceremony, there was, of course, the party, which the family of the bride and groom would host jointly for their families and community. It would be the first time that the group would come together under the terms of their new social alliance.

There are some stories that the parties of the bride and groom had to race to the location of the feast, and that whoever arrived last had to serve the other party drinks for the rest of the night. While the specifics of the games may have varied, innocent competitions like this were probably common.

Big weddings that would have been held by the elite would have included several days of feasting. And even more modest weddings may have run for several days if family and friends traveled some distance to attend, and would therefore stay for a while.

At some point during the feast, Thor’s hammer would be called upon to bless the union and the new social arrangement. In some circumstances, a simulacrum of Mjolnir may have been brought forth for the purpose, while in others, the calling of the hammer would have been purely metaphorical.

The one thing that was common at all wedding feasts was a significant amount of drinking for at least a few days.

The bottom line is that a Viking wedding was an elaborate and meticulously planned event, from the opening of financial negotiations to the ending bestowment of the morning gift from the groom to the bride on the day following the wedding ceremony. This often times would be a ceremonial key. The key was given to symbolize the fact that he trusted her to look after the home and take good care of the household.

Viking Weddings Today

Planning a Viking themed wedding can be lots of fun, but not everyone attending your wedding will be familiar with Norse culture. So, to help your guests better understand what will occur, consider including information about Norse wedding customs and traditions in your wedding program. Get creative with your invitations, and also ask your guests to dress up in Viking garb.

If you really want to have a traditional Viking themed wedding, and you want to recreate the Norse culture as much as possible, then you and your partner will need six men to act as your groomsmen and bridesmen (as previously mentioned). There were no bridesmaids.

A great way of bringing the Viking ritual of sacrifice into your wedding without actually having to sacrifice anything or anyone is by making an offering. This could be anything from a garland of flowers to lighting candles, and is a way of offering something to the earth, a high power, or simply yourselves for a positive future and a long-lasting union.