The Daily Life of Viking Pets: Cats, Dogs, and Polar Bears DOCUMENTARY

We take a look at the daily life of the Vikings and their animal companions. Get your free trial of MagellanTV and a 2-for-1 gift card here: try.magellantv.... It's an exclusive offer for our viewers: an extended, month-long trial, FREE. MagellanTV is a new kind of streaming service run by filmmakers with 2,000+ documentaries! Check out our personal recommendation and MagellanTV’s exclusive playlists: www.magellantv...
In this history documentary we explore Viking daily life as it overlapped with the animal world. We begin by discussing the history of the Vikings from their first arrival in Scandinavia up until the actual start of the Viking Age around the 8th century AD. Contrary to the common depiction of Medieval Scandinavians of this period being predominantly seaborne raiders and traders, theirs was actually a society based around farming and animal husbandry as it had been for thousands of years. This becomes readily apparent when one looks at the typical Viking longhouse which actually had a stable built into it.
We talk about the typical farm animals on a Viking homestead which included everything from cows to pigs, chicken, horses, and sheep. These might be used for labor, resources, and food. All of these animals took a lot of work to maintain. Thankfully the Vikings had two trusty companions to help them out: cats and dogs. We talk about how each of these animals first arrived in Scandinavia and worked their way into Norse mythology, culture, and everyday life. Next we turn to a discussion of the other Vikings pets which included hawks, peacocks, brown bears, and even polar bears.
If you enjoyed this episodes on Viking pets and Viking daily life definitely check out out episode on Growing Up Viking as well as the rest of our How They Did It documentary series. We produced this viking documentary to coincide with the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Stay tuned for more viking history content and Valhalla gameplay.
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
"Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga" by Smithsonian Institution Press
"Viking Age: Everyday Life During the Extraordinary Era of the Norsemen" by Kirsten Wolf
Script: Invicta
Narration: Invicta
Art: Beverly Johnson
Production: Penta Limited
Music: Assassins Creed Valhalla OST Music
#Viking
#History
#Documentary

[@casparvoncampenhausen5249]

"such bears were known as housebears" The fact that this was a common enough practice for it to warrant it's own name baffels me

[@VainerCactus0]

Skandinavia.

[@stijndemmers4591]

It seems like such a stereotypical Viking thing That it sounds Made up, but no it’s real

[@Royinszki]

I have a couple cousins named Karl and Carl, such carls are known as housecarls this naming practice is pretty common in Scandinavia

[@svensvensson1085]

@@RoyinszkiI know a Carl and his often called a househusband.

[@Kvitravn.]

Rest assured, People had bear Cubs aye but Very very very very few People, and only some of the richest and most influental, The consept of "House bears" is utterly absurd, and i cant get over the fact he didnt understand that Moose and Elk is the same fucking animal... Americans/canadians tend to say Moose, Scandinavians say Elk, Norwegians like me say Elg, its not that bloody complicated! And the twerp making the video deleted my previous comment pointing out the absurdity of some of His Statements, so im assuming its Just some feller looking Up Wikipedia Facts to try making a over the Top video for more views. The very fact so many People believe all his Statements are true is somewhat Disturbing, its almost like the swedish "scientist" that came out saying vikings were muslims. Wich was also absurd, vikings worked for some muslims as Bodyguards since they were considered some of the best warriors of the time sure but they werent muslims. Or the stupid myth that vikings had horned helmets that incredibly enough some People still believe. People didnt commonly have bears because bears break shit, bears were hard to come by bears eat a lot of food and trained or not bears had a tendency to kill People, No average Northman would ever bring a bear into their homes.

[@GacPrime]

"A cute Valkyrie will there to escort you to the afterlife." "That's cool." "Also, your childhood dog." "I AM READY TO DIE IN BATTLE!"

[@zawwin1846]

What about your childhood dog who transforms into a cute Valkyrie waifu?

[@BrunoOliveira-kl5sx]

Hahahaha

[@Shadow.24772]

BURN the heretic furry!~

[@thearchitect2112]

@@zawwin1846 NO. Just No.

[@felipevillalba9311]

time to convert to norse mythology

[@gnewsome]

Definitely the first time I've said "awww" during a video about Vikings.

[@InvictaHistory]

something rarely said about Vikings so I'm glad to share that aspect of their history

[@zh2266]

The bit about elderly looking after the older dogs was so wholesome

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

Same

[@christosgiannopoulos828]

Same

[@papajay3169]

Vikings weren't savages actually. They just viewed Anglo saxons as elves and enemies of humanity. they were very friendly and traded with the natives of many areas, even native Americans. they actually didnt colonize the Americas because there were already people there

[@thomaswillard6267]

Viking Attacker: "Send in the berserkers" Viking Defender: "Send out the bear"

[@carissamace]

Dwarf Defender: “Send out the ridiculously complicated robot that explodes after five minutes”

[@Mystickrage]

@@carissamace hey that explosions the only reason why we normally keep the gate its a good thing those elvs and humans are to dumb and think its a mistake of ours so they think the next shouldnt blow up but it does.

[@Mystickrage]

@God of the Eternal light. a berserker hated the enemy so much and wanted battle so bad that death in battle was the only way to die. so they didnt give a fuck if it made them stronger faster and deadlier they took it by the handful till they couldnt even tell friend from foe

[@WretchedRedoran]

@God of the Eternal light. Bruh, only one comma?

[@Tempusverum]

“Ooga booga? He bought? Unleash ze bear”

[@violetholiday]

As someone with a Norwegian Forrest cat they're unnervingly sweet for the killers they are

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

Nice

[@JeffrGeffr]

Nouice

[@MatthewsPersonal]

Jeg elsker norsk skogkatter!!

[@Zeithri]

They're amazing fluffballs with coat of love.

[@giuliab8484]

Nuoise

[@shaniselukie369]

That baby polar bear roll tho

[@nachoolo]

8:05 "but also by their own faithful pup who had awaited them in the afterlife all these years." Thanks. Now I'm crying.

[@dergraf4681]

me too

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

Me three, my pet lizard died a few months ago so it made me think of her...

[@nandinhocunha440]

@@Amy_the_Lizard your pet is in Valhalla drinking mead with Odin and wait for you

[@nandinhocunha440]

I got a husky amd now I'm not scared of death because I know in the near future she will wait for me

[@mimilillamy3460]

yup ugly crying

[@bgt2848]

“Not only greeted by a Valkyrie with a horn of Meade, but by their loyal pup who had waited for them all these years“ 😭😭😭♥️♥️♥️

[@darraarljod8911]

*To Valhalla*

[@funnatopia704]

I can imagine a Viking shoving a beautiful Valkyrie out of the way and sprinting towards their once-lost dog, eyes filled with tears as they shout their name in pure unrelenting joy, then embracing for the first time since all those years ago.

[@marloyorkrodriguez9975]

Reject the winged thot embrace the goodest boyes

[@Sathtana]

The idea that a man's dog is just sitting around, waiting in the afterlife in Valhalla made me cry on my chicken tenders.

[@fabiocosta3830]

Not a dog. ALL the dogs that he or she owned. Imagine finding a beautiful but might valkyrie waiting for you in the gates of Valhalla with a pint of mead... And 5 or 6 dogs that lived with you till the last of their days

[@burningdiamond]

I'm wondering if that's where the modern "rainbow bridge" story originates. I mean, Bifrost is a burning rainbow bridge that stretches from Midgard to Asgard...

[@246vili]

@@fabiocosta3830 So a hot valkyrie wait for you with your first (out of countles) pint of mead in the afterlife with all your beloved dogs. And after you enter Valhalla, it's all party with mead, pork, fighting other warriors and playing with your dogs. No wonder they were so ready to die in battle.

[@QueenBee-gx4rp]

Poor chicken.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

I believe it. My own visits my dreams, sometimes -- and she can talk perfectly clearly!

[@justincarroll1836]

Bears have been the forbidden fruit of the pet world for a long time apparently

[@mme.veronica735]

They just so round and chonky, but no hug, but want hug

[@jeff4762]

@@mme.veronica735 couldn't have said it better myself

[@thomaswillard6267]

"Guest Spears, probably referring to their way of signaling when a guest arrives" Dude, we know cats. It's because they speared guests.

[@babagoogo1]

Oh yeah my cat does that all the time, the amount of times I’ve had to drag a body to the back yard cause the person spooked my cat

[@Sammie1053]

See, my first thought was the claws. Spears that only appear sometimes.

[@hreodbeorhtcheesewright4889]

Vikings get drunk... "Hey, let's wrestle the house-bear!"

[@vicenzostella1390]

He makes his way to him while the lads chant: "Bjorn! Bjorn! Bjorn! Bjorn! Bjorn!"

[@solar0wind]

The Polish army had a bear that the soldiers would wrestle with sometimes in WWII. The bear apparently even helped fighting the Nazis and because the US army didn't let animals into their camp when a part of the Polish army "visited" there, the bear was officially taken into the army as a soldier. So one of the Polish soldiers in WWII was actually a bear, not a human.

[@vicenzostella1390]

@@solar0wind Good ol’ Woitek. Lover of oranges and cigarettes. And carrier of artillery rockets.

[@gargoyles9999]

That’s fuckin metal as fuck dude

[@ArturoLopez-ly2pn]

I love how naming your dog 'Black' or 'Blackie' trascends language and time. I'm willing to bet there is and escandinavian equivalent of 'Spot' somewhere

[@jrodriguez1374]

You might already know this but theres a theory that the greek name 'cerberus' was a play on the word for 'spot'

[@Devadas44]

I've noticed a trend for naming your dog after great generels, or gods. Because its kinda funny that Napoleon is crapping on a lawn

[@orarinnsnorrason4614]

Blettur (Spot) is a perfectly viable pet name I feel.

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

@@jrodriguez1374 it means spotting

[@derekscanlan4641]

there are records of an ancient egyptian naming his hunting hound 'blackie'. it was recorded on his tomb

[@TheAftherion]

You made a mistake there. The dogs brought to Scandinavia did NOT interbreed with local fox species, because that is completely impossible. They did breed with local wolves and many vikings also kept wolves as pets. Odin is most closely associated with wolves, as he is said to have two pet wolves Geri and Freki and he himself apparently can turn into a wolf in some variations of that folktale.

[@angelromolopez3268]

Soo it is possible?

[@garret1930]

Completely *impossible*

[@TheAftherion]

@@angelromolopez3268 No, definitely not. Made a typo there. XD

[@TheAftherion]

@@garret1930 Yes, I made a typo! XD it's fixed now.

[@piksta013]

Makes sense, is it worth mentioning the giant monstrous wolf Fenrir (Son of Loki) and his two sons Hati and Skool as a part of early wolfs in Norse mythology?

[@nobodyspecial9097]

Vikings - "Sometimes we take bears home" Poland - "Sometimes we take bears to war"

[@ravangaming1356]

Wat? Context plz

[@bradleybrazao6762]

Wojtek the artillery bear.

[@nikoslav]

Here in Russia kisa also means kitty and we also attract their attention with "kis-kis" Guess that's another viking gift to our culture that came along with Rurik.

[@bendover9813]

Lol, we use “Ks-ks-ks” to get a cat’s attention in the US, I think it’s universal

[@nikoslav]

@@bendover9813 I'm aware of that. Cats generally pay most attention to hissing sounds, so it makes sense that many cultures came up with similar words to call them up. But this video is the first time I see exactly the word "kisa" being used by a foreigner in exactly the same way russians do.

[@ina7084]

@@nikoslav In Croatian we say mic or mac lmao Far from hissing sounds Though I did notice they react best to hissing or kissing/clicking sounds.

[@nikoslav]

@@ina7084 and serbs call female cats macka.

[@ina7084]

@@nikoslav We say mačka as well, but when we call them it's mic mic or mac mac usually. Wouldn't know for our neighbours.

[@camrendavis6650]

Haven't watched it yet but I already know he's going to mention bears. It doesn't get more badass than pet bears 🐻

[@InvictaHistory]

How about pet Polar Bears : )

[@camrendavis6650]

@@InvictaHistory touche 👏

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

In Kievan Rus, bear pets you.

[@rembrandt972ify]

A trained attack bear is more badass than a pet bear.

[@RoyontheHill]

@@rembrandt972ify naw I don't want a killer I want a fuzzy goof ball that likes scratches , and that i can wrestle without getting my arms torn off

[@erikjaroy8214]

"Wait! That's not a Viking! It's a doggo! Bamboozled again!"😆

[@ОлегКозлов-ю9т]

Holy cat, "Kisa" is still a word for "cat" in Russian! And "kis-kis" is used to call for a cat!

[@davidbernemojar1542]

Well Norsemen did settle in modern day Russia at some point.

[@Kudlmon]

Still very much used in iceland as well.

[@orarinnsnorrason4614]

Kisa is a cat in Icelandic so there you go :)

[@RiFioz]

Also in Finland "Kissa" means cat aswell

[@orarinnsnorrason4614]

@@RiFioz That is funny. Over here kissa is a verb. Meaning to kiss someone :)

[@ArturoLopez-ly2pn]

8:02 Nevermind I'm gonna go cry for a bit, be right back

[@robertarden2208]

All dogs go to heaven, and they will always wait for you

[@Altarahhn]

Damn, my mom would *freak* to hear they had pet Polar Bears, she *Adores* them! 😊

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

So would my brother. He adores polar bears.

[@Altarahhn]

@@mirandagoldstine8548 Cool! 😊

[@DahvPlays]

I think I found a name for my new kitten lol. Kisa!

[@pineapplethief4418]

Kisa literally is one of the words for "kitten" in russian, which is weird and interesting

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

@@pineapplethief4418 In Finnish "Kissa" is the word for cat.

[@Papanda1995]

Well, I don’t know what happened between then and now, but today, “Kissa” means pee 😂 (in Swedish at least)

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

@@Papanda1995 Odd, Finnish it´s "Pissa."

[@Papanda1995]

@@Taistelukalkkuna I looked it up and it’s ‘Pissa’ in Icelandic and Finnish, ‘Tisse’ in Norwegian and Danish, and of course as I mentioned ‘Kissa’ n Swedish

[@KarinShah]

Me: That looks like a Norwegian Forest cat. I bet they’ll mention the Norwegian Elkhound too. Also me: Smug vindication. 😂

[@FordyTheConeSmoker]

The fact they had pet Polar Bears is both amazing and terrifying. Since polar bears actively hunt humans. Documentary film crews who film them have to have people watching at all times in case of attack. David Attenborough was talking about it.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

I've always understood that the Vikings were particularly fond of ginger cats. It is said that, to this day, Viking settlements in Britain can be identified by the prevalence of gingers in the area. I have no idea if this is true or not, but if it's a lie, it's a charming one.

[@1971JamesHill]

Even if it's fiction, it's understandable - ginger cats are awesome! Slightly related- I want to say that a very early example of English writing was a prayer to "save us from the Danes and their dogs." I may have it wrong though. I would have taken that class about 30 years ago!

[@annalieff-saxby568]

@@1971JamesHill The only things I remember from school about Danes are 1 The Danelaw & 2 "Once you pay 'em the danegeld, You never get rid of the Dane!" (Kipling, I think). Interesting to know about the dogs, though. I shall look that up! Thanks.

[@Catlily5]

I read that ginger cats didn't survive well in the wild but the Egyptians loved the color (like the sun they worshipped). So they bred a bunch of them to keep as pets and for sacrificing to the cat god.

[@StrunDoNhor]

This series, and specifically this video, might just be _the most_ humanizing look at ancient people I've ever seen. Yes, we have documentaries, historical fiction TV series, etc., but those all tend to take on very "larger than life" presentations, with focuses on pivotal wars from the POV's of kings and generals. This has been a remarkably refreshing change of pace.

[@peurtoricanhoor1420]

How to train your dragon 3 : Mom the couch is on fire

[@gwynedd4023]

69

[@AnaSofia-xe2wg]

*actual httyd 3 raging noises*

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

A variation of Kisa is still used today in Denmark, Kisser.

[@SigmarJuffe]

Kissa literally means Cat in Finnish.

[@fullmetalalchemist9126]

Interesting

[@TheBarser]

Kisser-misser 😅

[@karl-erikmumler9820]

Kisse in Swedish. kisse-missen, kisse-katt, ect.

[@TheBarser]

@@karl-erikmumler9820 do you also sometimes say kissemisse in sweden when people are making out?

[@deirdregibbons5609]

Excellent segment! I really was looking forward to this daily life aspect of Old Norse life. Your artists all were amazing with showing the love between humans and their companions. Nice to see the Norwegian Forest Cat, Norwegian Elkhound, Icelandic sheep dog and the white gyre falcon getting recognized. I liked the description of longhouses, too, with the place for animals living close to people. I remember a horseback riding trip I took in Iceland many years ago in the highland back country. One of the places we stayed was a simple mountain hut that was divided into a place for the people to sleep and a place for the horses to sleep. We made sure the horses were fed and resting before we had dinner. It was like a bit of remembering the olden days to stay in such a place. I'd personally also be really interested to see a segment about the connection horses had in Old Norse/Viking society, religion, warfare and legends. Iceland, particularly, was a place where horses were vital to the survival of Viking settlers, and they played a huge part in daily life through modern times.

[@dariustiapula]

Good boys go to Valhalla. Bad ones forever chase a phantom bone.

[@nightmaremono7363]

There are no good boys, only results.

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

@zikkimeister the point stands.

[@lyndsaybrown8471]

Or chase their tail for eternity

[@a-bird-lover]

pf. Everyone knows all dogs are good boys (or girls)

[@kboombite]

I have never met a bad doggo, only mean kisa

[@CivilWarWeekByWeek]

Oh, Viking"s pets not a pet Viking I get it

[@ilikegliding]

Cesar Milan - The Viking Whisperer?

[@ThorTheGiant]

I see what you did there

[@coreystockdale6287]

This is a surprise but a welcome one

[@CivilWarWeekByWeek]

@@coreystockdale6287 Hi, its also a welcome suprise to see you again

[@stugiii3220]

I hate it when my pet Viking keeps on raiding Lindisfarne. Does this also happen to you?

[@PNWBabe]

That's funny. Kis-kis is actually a sound that we make to call a cat. When the video said this my Idunn came running LOL!

[@dingliedangliedoodle9261]

They are awaited by their dogs? So all dogs do indeed go to Valhalla!

[@Macharius89]

all dogs goes to heaven, no matter what religion. Except the chihuahuas.... that pest goes to hell where they belong

[@Ackalan]

@@Macharius89 If it fits in the microwave it's not a dog.

[@ladythalia227]

@@Macharius89lol. My mom owns one. He loves people and people love him. Except me. I prefer dachshunds 😂

[@deltas.7981]

Kittens for a bride were symbols of fertility and a happy marriage because of their association with Freya. They were usually given by her in-laws. I love how close the family units always sound in older cultures. ☺

[@MCorpReview]

It’s crazy yo. Bringing pets to a raid. (Troy...) menelaus: are you really bringing that home? Helen: ah c’mon, what harm can it do?

[@ОлегКозлов-ю9т]

This animation is so adorable I keep thinking of Disney classics

[@obiwankenobi5769]

Norse mythology has always been my favorite and the detail about your dog waiting for you just made it more special

[@willy-yum5820]

I had a Norwegian Forest cat, her body was small but her fur was HUGE, loved killing mice too. I’d say it’s more the fur that makes them Big rather than them actually being physically larger than other domesticated cats

[@MrsVrba]

I’ve always been interested in the history of the human-animal bond, and really enjoyed this video. Thanks so very much!

[@ancientbuns6770]

Wow an actual channel with historical back-up about my people, thx for presenting it so well. Thank you

[@Zeithri]

My old Norweigian Forest Cat I call the Protector of this little town. He had a Warrior's Name! Kisse. Which means Kitty in Swedish. WARRIOR'S NAME! He became like 21 years old ^_^ Loved this episode. It's always fun to hear stuff about my own history.

[@HySteria909]

usually don't think of the word "adorable" when watching invicta, props to your animators

[@majorfallacy5926]

Super cute drawings!

[@cmae03]

"Elk, Moose and even Bears" Ummm...in Scandinavia an Elk (Elg/Älg) *is* a Moose Did you mean Reindeer?

[@AyarARJ]

Wapiti, moose, and maskwa maybe. In royalist english. elk is elk is moose too.

[@3asianassassin]

There were wapiti in siberia, so it counts

[@cmae03]

@@3asianassassin Siberia isn't Scandinavia though. Can't even make an argument for the Rus Vikings, because they weren't in Siberia either.

[@3asianassassin]

@@cmae03 true, but they might have set foot into siberia enough to see them

[@cmae03]

@@3asianassassin ...I doubt the Scandinavian vikings would have walked into Siberia. You realize how far away Siberia was to even the Rus Vikings, let alone the Scandinavian ones?? Hell,for most of history, Siberia wasn't even Russian territory. It was CENTURIES after the Rus Vikings when Siberia was even occupied by major nations. It was a nearly inhospitable place occupied by nomadic people's not unlike the Inuit groups in modern day Greenland and Northern Canada.

[@BrunoOliveira-kl5sx]

9:22 smooth animation also you should do a vid about pets in the middle ages. Looking a different places like europe : (West,central,east) North africa Asia (Near,central,far)

[@nopeno9130]

The art is amazing, it's incredibly charming, cute, and full of personality. And simply good. I don't know who's doing it, but it definitely sets this apart from other info-based channels. Keep it up.

[@Geostationary0rbit]

Credits say penta limited so I guess it’s a outsource studio?

[@ramennight]

I love your everyday life video's. You do an excellent job of keeping it clear that we have terrible records so its hard to know for sure, but this is probably what is was like. Thanks for making htem.

[@InvictaHistory]

Thanks for showing your support and appreciation, it means alot

[@nakenmil]

8:28 Kind of a small thing to point out, but,: in the Scandinavian context, an elk IS a moose. This is common in some other parts of Europe as well. (The Latin name for moose is Alces alces, hence "elk").

[@jackcocker545]

Exactly. Theres a reason the european version of the moose are called "european elk." Despite them being the same species, they have still been separated for thousands of years

[@busnello1987]

I Love theese pet episodes. So wholesome.

[@gulapa8920]

Here in Sweden i have always called cats kis kis when I want one to come. Didn’t know it had such ancient history

[@dentonstalesofthevikingage8945]

Great video, and very nice to see, most documentaries concentrate solely on the Viking raids, ignoring their trading, settling, exploration and everyday life, seeing them as doing nothing but sailing around as 'Vikingr,' looting and burning everything in sight (and getting the term 'Viking' wrong as well). There was so much more to them than just raiding, so I really enjoy seeing a video like this that looks at the everyday life of the Old Norse. Well done.

[@jackr.4953]

Did my man just say they bred with "arctic foxes", then show a picture of a wolf? It's worth noting that it's impossible for dogs to interbreed with foxes.

[@gargoyles9999]

Not with that attitude

[@LinniFight]

Lol yes exactly wtf

[@user-bo3mp8un6c]

Modern dogs, but perhaps not prehistoric dogs.

[@jackr.4953]

@@user-bo3mp8un6c It is taxonomically impossible. Both now and literally forever. Dogs, wolves, and coyotes have 78 chromosomes. Foxes have 32-42, depending on species. It is therefor impossible for any of these species to breed with foxes.

[@user-bo3mp8un6c]

@@jackr.4953 Ah I see, thankyou, that's actually pretty interesting.

[@leas7830]

These short documentaries about the daily life are best! I especially enjoyed this one.

[@dressler666]

I have a elkhound, awesome dogs!

[@SquirrelGrrl]

Dude, I absolutely love these regular life of the past videos. Especially the pets! The Roman dog one made me cry!

[@F_-og6fe]

"Apparently it was not uncommon for cubs to be trapped in the wild and brought back to civilization where they might be raised with a degree of domestication" *I KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO TODAY*

[@jchen8792]

heartwarming, as always, Invicta friend. Your content always shine the light into the often overlooked subjects, which is awesome!

[@emilyrose7541]

I freaking love these pet videos!! It’s fascinating to look at how people interacted with nature

[@ette_ca]

I LOVED watching this history of Viking pets!! 💗🐈 It's pretty hilarious imagining my Viking ancestors bringing their cats along on ships and raids! 😂 My baby kitty's name is Lilla (pronounced Lee-lah) which means "little" in Swedish, because she was the runt of her litter and is still pretty smol and hyper at age 10. 💗 She comes along on lots of "raids" (aka walks and car rides lol, as far as 12+ hr road trips!) 🤩 I guess singing to cows and adoring longhair cats is just in my blood. 😍 It's also pretty beautiful how dogs and cats essentially domesticated themselves. They were drawn to humans because we would leave scraps of our hunts behind, and we let them stay because they were nice to have around for hunting companions and rodent control. Arguably the best symbiotic relationship in history! 💗

[@cerberaodollam]

What the heck, my name is Lilla too :D

[@ette_ca]

@@cerberaodollam I’m so curious, how do you pronounce it?

[@cerberaodollam]

@@ette_ca the same way, lee-lah

[@ette_ca]

@@cerberaodollam no way! Cool :)

[@thegreenishfire]

7:46 Now that's the weirdest arctic fox I've ever seen! Joke aside, you probably mean wolf since dogs and foxes can't interbreed.

[@abrahemsamander3967]

I remember your “dogs in Ancient Rome” video and that’s how I got into your channel. Now you guys made it about the Vikings pets! Can’t wait!

[@Mosin.N]

This is really amazing for the reason you just said. It's really. Refreshing to see history content that doesn't involve fighting and all that is connected to it. 🙏

[@Bald-Cypress]

whoever does the art for this channel makes the cutest smiles

[@qweadd6987]

HOW THEY DID IT: Going to the restroom in Medieval Europe.

[@pambronson4467]

Step 1) urinate and deficate into chamber pot. Step 2) empty contents of pot out window into street.

[@jonajo9757]

@@pambronson4467 Meh, I'm not sure how common tossing contents onto the street were, as sometimes there were punishments involved for acts like it, it kinda conflicts with their belief of bad smells leading to disease which there were extensive measures to prevent, would it he done in single story homes, and more. Oh, also out houses, and or surprisingly using sewer systems left over from the rule of Rome.

[@alicegunneras3516]

A tiny little out house with a seat with a hole in it. Under the hole is a bucket emptied out regurarly. I think

[@jonajo9757]

@Lusus Naturae Also it seems unfair to summarize all of medieval Europe as the same good ol' stereotype of the medieval era. What's even worse is that most "facts" probably originated from 19th century historians that shared the same biases as the people in the enlightenment era did. Hell, one said that they didn't bathe in a thousand years.

[@ep8246]

@@pambronson4467 nah thats 200 years after. They had plumbing and dirt carts for trash. Then they burned 2 mil books and the renicanse ara began and it just kept getting worse from there

[@mvw9078]

Its always fascinating to be reminded of these extremely human and relatable practices that we shared with people from thousands of years ago. There is something deeply human about pets and our love of them, and I feel it gets overlooked far too often when talking about history in general. To think that a man, not too unlike myself, but almost 2000 years in the past was sitting at his hearth petting his cat, just like I'm doing, is a strange but comforting thought. Almost a funny reassurance that if you were put into the same room, and could somehow communicate, that you would at least have one thing in common to talk about. And all dogs going to Valhalla? To die would be an honor at that point.

[@alexanderishere6205]

When are you going make part 3 of “what if caser survived”

[@casparvoncampenhausen5249]

I think it's gone the way of Evolution of the Roman Army

[@____________838]

These animations have been adorable!

[@yoimmablob]

7:47 Arctic fox? The picture is of a wolf, and dogs can't interbreed with foxes.

[@garlandstrife]

The worst is not acknowledging his mistake.

[@OmegaPaladin144]

Ah, @Invicta . Making the people of history feel like neighbors. Beverly Johnson is an amazing illustrator who just brings scenes to life. I hope there is an Invicta in the future to remember us! "Pets and Home Life on Turn of the Millennium Earth"

[@seanpoore2428]

The art in this episode is particularly charming! I wonder why 😅 great work!

[@meagancx6987]

I can't imagine a viking seeing a little kitty for the first time like "what is that precious creature I must have it"

[@voodooozo3755]

Greek cat: Who are you? Viking cat: Im you but with more thiccer and fluffly hair.

[@cleoldbagtraallsorts3380]

Egyptian cat ( mau ): Where did you two say you were from again?

[@talknight2]

7:12 damn, that's amazing, because that's exactly how you call a cat in modern Russian (and probably other Slavic languages).

[@1q2w3e4r404]

One must not forget Odin's 2 wolves and 2 ravens and his black stallion.

[@ah5721]

The black stallion slepnir being Loki's child btw...

[@nemzizlamont9083]

Talking about older breeds of animals we got the Icelandic chicken whom still exist today who can trace their oregin to the migration from Norway to Iceland and they are beautiful chickens whom are great egg and meat animals. There is several others and I would recommend any that is interested in viking daily life to check out especially Icelandic breeds sense they often have a direct historical link before being brought to Iceland.

[@joshuar117]

Not gonna lie, I own a Norwegian Forest cat and can confirm, they’re massive!

[@mrsmilkandhoney3981]

The cat in this video is EXACTLY what my Norwegian Forest Cat looks like!

[@kevinwahl5610]

In Levantine Arabic, we use the word "qutta" and it sounds like kisa so maybe it was a shared word

[@deirdregibbons5609]

I have read in books about cats that the English and possibly other Germanic words for cat might come from the word "qutta."

[@fullmetalalchemist9126]

No

[@kevinwahl5610]

@@deirdregibbons5609 that’s really interesting

[@kevinwahl5610]

@@kesorangutan6170 it could be a coincidence but given its origin in the Near East (it wouldn’t be that shocking. Plus, there are more shocking Semitic-Norse connections such as the Phoenicians script (which created the Greek script->Old Italic script->Runic script)

[@brute9867]

This is so beautifully drawn, it's mesmerizing. Thank you

[@MarztheStoic]

I like how they drew smiles on polar bears and brown bears. Alternatives to there latent ferocious nature.

[@Tempusverum]

Polar Bear cubs do smile! So do puppies, in their own way

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

@@Tempusverum I can confirm dogs do smile, especially the bullmastiffs. They have such expressive faces as do beagles and Samoyeds. The beagles I have met are known to have very charming smiles and Samoyeds are known as the smiling sammies.

[@maltanicw899]

No one: Vikings: Come here my little bear cub, we're going hunting

[@SageThyme23]

How are the pets in these videos always so adorable

[@phoenixblued9625]

This is the first video I have seen of your channel and I am very impressed and happy to have found this. It explained calmly but with passion and funny quips. I feel like I could draw to this, or get inspiration, or experience wonder and fascination, or just vibe. I have decided to do a puzzle and relax. You have received a like and a sub. I will be watching much more of this, I will indeed.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

7:44 I think you mean native arctic _wolves_ as not only is that a picture of a wolf, foxes and dogs can't breed.

[@sergeantsaturn]

*It's late, I need to wake up early tomorrow, but I just couldn't stop listening, it was random but interesting, what have you done to me, KZbin recommendations.*

[@emilbertelsen3516]

Also interesting; in the oldest surviving danish law "Danske lov", we find that owners of bears, and wolfs were bound by no-fault liability. Telling of the scope of domestication.

[@chabrolio]

I saw the thumbnail and immediately recognized the artist behind the art! Beverly Johnson is one of my favorite artists ever! I’m so glad to see her art here!

[@nealdolphin]

Well done! You might want to swap out your description of a picture of a white wolf being an "Arctic Fox"... Dogs might breed with wolves, but definitely not foxes... :)

[@jesperohlrich7090]

My dog would try

[@chinashorts1491]

The artist who did this is fantastic!

[@turkeybeard2010]

7:45 I think you ment wolves, and elk is another word for moose in Scandinavia so red deer would be more accurate.

[@jackcocker545]

I think people confuse red deer for elk a lot due to their similarities with the american elk. Most north americans are suprised that Europeans call them elk instead of moose

[@turkeybeard2010]

@@jackcocker545 the word moose is of Algonquin origin, and means something like strips off bark or twig eater.

[@argella1300]

8:02 aww so the Vikings had their own version of Cerberus! That’s so cool!

[@Ackalan]

Indeed, his name is Garm/Garmr.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

"Hey Bjørn! your bear ate my wife! AGAIN!" "Not this excuse again, listen Erik, it's not MY fault you've been married 11 times"

[@ProvokedCoffee]

There is a dog in the burning of Njál named Sámur, Who was gifted in a way he could tell who was out to hurt you. The dog was a gift from Ólafur who got the dog in Ireland and gave it to one of the main characters Gunnar Hámundarson. Its always nice to hear about pets in old stories.

[@e.k.a98]

I grow up with Finnish spitz's , Schiller hounds , Swedish and Norwegain elkhounds all my life. In my opinion there is no nicer dogs ❤

[@AmyStache]

When he has saying the dog names The dog licking the girl's cheek made so happy for some reason

[@kahn04]

Really well done, however we do need to consider the difference between pets and working animals, the same dog that you take hunting would likely not be the same cuddly thing that you keep by the fire and let your kids play with. There is evidence in the form of price estimates that show even in the time there was a difference between “lap dogs” and those meant to assisting daily life.

[@KNic0lson]

Thank you that was really informative and beautiful - maybe you should consider having some videos converted to illustrated books

[@mysteriouswolven]

Foxes cannot interbreed with other members of the canid family. You also showed photos of arctic wolves, not foxes. Wolves can reproduce with dogs.

[@stephaniegarcia7294]

I think they meant to say Wolf which would explain the picture

[@mysteriouswolven]

@@stephaniegarcia7294 I think so too, but wanted to clarify in case anyone takes what they said at face value.

[@Aethuviel]

Don't forget the Swedish vallhund, or Västgötaspets (West goth spitz, from the area it is from)! Commonly known online as "Swedish wolf corgi", it's a grey-coated relative of the corgi, and works as a cattle dog in Sweden for over a thousand years. While the Västgötaspets has no wolf blood, most Scandinavian breeds do. The elkhound breeds (Swedish and Norwegian), the three lapphund breeds (former reindeer hunters, now reindeer herders, Finnish, Swedish, and Lapponian), and I think some more, have female wolf DNA from between 600-2000 years ago.

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

Those vallhunds are really adorable.