What Did The Viking Houses Look Like?

During the Viking age, most people lived in the countryside around the world and that was of course also the case for the people in Scandinavia. These people lived in small villages that consisted of six to seven farms.
A tight little community like this probably created some strong and close ties with their friends and family. It was a tough job to be a farmer back then, every morning they would wake up to the sound of the rooster crowing outside.
Link to the article: norse-mythology.net/viking-ho...
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Other sources:
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Farm ambience by BenBoncan - www.freesound.org
Chickens by evsecrets www.freesound.org
Horses by Ornery www.freesound.org
Dog by Ronfont www.freesound.org
Church bells by Chimerical www.freesound.org
Small crowd outside by s9ames www.freesound.org

[@jthugz001]

im here to upgrade my basic valheim houses. ✍

[@averagebrosproductions643]

Lmao same 🤣

[@vfvermeers6259]

Jup same here xD

[@jennpapineau3157]

Same 😂

[@ianh1900]

Glad I'm not alone. KZbin knew what to recommend for once.

[@hiundhallohier]

May someone make a full Bildung guide of the shown Hauses in valheim?

[@Ryan-ww7un]

Who else is here looking for Valheim building inspiration?

[@brieoshiro]

It was recommended b/c of all the Valheim videos I've been watching lol

[@georgetsoukalas1409]

you caught me

[@agluebottle]

Guilty.

[@GreenAppelPie]

Look up Stave Churches too. The op is prob wondering why all these new views

[@therealbahamut]

We've been spotted! RUN!

[@davilox07_15]

Valheimers where you at?

[@Decimus-Magnus]

Right here. I've built this same exact house in the thumbnail in Valheim twice. =D

[@Mullehus]

Valheimers ASSEMPLE!

[@ellis2888]

Here

[@ZuZux303]

IM HERE SKAL!!

[@GreenGrasshoppa]

Skal! 🍺😊

[@MrMighty147]

Valheim is gonna get this video some views.

[@gaganthegamer2709]

POV: You started playing valheim and needed house inspiration

[@ardentdfender4116]

I'm here because i play Valheim and looking for some Viking house building inspiration for my game building and Meade Hall Great House. I now understand more understand about Viking home building than I knew about yesterday.

[@phoebegraveyard7225]

I was having a bad day and then you mentioned that having a chicken house was "probably better than running around looking for eggs like it was some kind of an easter hunt". It's this kind of quiet humour that makes my day. Excellent presentation. Thanks for this.

[@thedwightguy]

Easter was every day of the year on my grandparents homestead. Those chickens just kept getting smarter and smarter.

[@melissagerber7231]

​@@thedwightguy Betty MacDonald wrote, in The Egg and I,about how her girls flew up,and, built nests in low branches. They had to climb trees,to gather eggs.

[@SageOfThunder]

I feel like the small room right in the entrance was used as an airlock like how you see in buildings in northern states/countries. You walk in and close the door to keep the cold air out when you open the door.

[@sarhtaq]

That is my thought as well, given our cold(er) weather it makes sense to keep as much heat inside at wintertimes.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

At the same time, the space is wide enough for storing outdoor shoes and cloaks in a convenient spot, as the narrator suggests.

[@manuelkong10]

exactly!!! sage of thunder

[@garethbaus5471]

You don't really need to go all that far north for that to be a common feature on houses. I live at the same latitude as parts of spain, italy, and greece and most older houses around here have a small room near the front door for that purpose.

[@TigerLily61811]

Thank you. It's ridiculous how many people don't understand that's how these double doors work and just barge through the second door without closing the first, and everyone inside gets blasted with cold air. Happens at restaurants a lot.

[@DrRippenShitten]

Looks like valheim is making people interested in some historical accuracy ;) love reading these comments bhh

[@TheLordUrban]

I would surmise that early Scandinavian churches had a distinctly Nordic look because they were built by local craftsmen. It’s the same reason why Roman churches contain elements of contemporary Roman design or Saxon churches reflect Saxon architectural conventions. Not too big of a mystery.

[@BoopShooBee]

Hospitality for the guest and the limits on his stay seem to be universal. I can speculate that a guest broke up the boredom of everyday life and also passed on news and new jokes.

[@phoebegraveyard7225]

Company is like fish. After three days, it stinks.

[@Alkis05]

I think it also allowed for some small time trading. Even until recent times, before cars became common, the figure of the peddler or travilling salesman was very common.

[@jacobberry5138]

The longhouses of Scandinavia remind me of the longhouses of certian tribes of natives in the Northeast of the States. Though the Viking longhouse were more elaborate and sturdier. Fantastic video as always.

[@OxenHandler]

I heard DNA studies suggest the american Indians and the Scandinavians had a common ancestral race in Siberia. Maybe the long house goes back that far.

[@j3tztbassman123]

My guess, convergent engineering. The same idea reached by separate individuals.

[@BoopShooBee]

The long houses of the Pacific Northwest were highly decorated. A wood artist from there explained that food was abundant and the climate was benign so his ancestors had a lot of free time.

[@Zulfburht]

Dang it, I know what you’re talking about. But I can’t remember the tribes that did it up here in Canada for the life of me.

[@arminiusofgermania]

Soultreans are a pseudoscience.

[@100Jim]

I'm Gunna build the long house on Valheim

[@Crystifodere]

My man!

[@trevorwaloszyk9424]

No cap that's why I'm here... Looking for ideas

[@pocketpj2722]

Honestly everyone came here for the same reason

[@august6625]

Exactly why I'm here lol

[@GORESLAM77]

Haha, great minds think alike!

[@donaldkent4950]

That wasn't an outhouse, that was Greg's house. Everyone really hated Greg.

[@callummason6589]

Wow how bland these structures make our modern day houses seems, a pit house or long house with a roaring fire, this is the stuff of my dreams as an english man.

[@robinchwan]

@Ethan Steel 1: with the knowledge you have in this age you could get rid of more of smoky environment than they could back then 2: crowded ? and no privacy ? you have the entire woods to yourself.. go into the woods to your favorite spot that they won't find you for some time and you're good... i wouldn't think it's that crowded during the day because people are most of the time outside and use the inside for eating sleeping ... generally a shelter for the family.

[@arminiusofgermania]

And get attacked by bandits?

[@TwizzElishus]

@@arminiusofgermania Do 'bandits' not exist in the modern day?

[@arminiusofgermania]

@@TwizzElishus they are definitely still there. You deal with them accordingly.

[@johnirby8847]

If you really want a Viking house you could save up and build one or have it made...🤷🏼‍♂️

[@Ravynwulf]

I loved this video! The photos were remarkable!👍🏼

[@akapopag]

I'm from near York. Old Viking town. Love this stuff. Subbed 👍

[@melissagerber7231]

My English ancestors were from York. My True Ancestry says that I'm related to 4 Celtic gladiators,from the big burial site,there.

[@Crystifodere]

Valheim sent me here. Praise Odin!

[@2fixtv619]

valheim people coming here: "-I bet valheim made people come here"

[@athulfgeirsson]

Bring back the longhouse!

[@dierkrieger]

It would be cool to build a modern version of the long house.

[@plciferpffer3048]

We have some longhouses today. Build as replica, on the same location. And serve like a living museum. Like the Lofotr Longhouse.

[@darrelljacobjr2120]

@@dierkrieger I have designs / intentions to build a large portable longhouse / great hall for use at the Pennsic War www.pennsicwar.net/ and other SCA / Norse events. Composite posts held erect by guy lines, supporting rafters / stringers covered with layered tarps. 28'x60' common hall, separate 14'x20' kitchen, 14'x20' meeting room, with 5'x10' sleeping cubicles for 30+ people. Large upstairs bedroom / balcony for the Jarl above the kitchen / meeting room. Transportable via 3 utility trailers. I have the time, tools, and will to build it, i just need more minions...lol. j3-pro.com

[@Zulfburht]

Add some modern twists to them, such as making it out of reinforced concrete so it won’t rot, and use the Greenland style sod to cover the concrete acting as a natural insulation. Making it also more environmentally friendly. So it’s covered with a layer of plant life, and for the rustic affect make the interior wooden. Of course more modern heating sources. With the option for a better ventilated, and protected fireplace. Of course there will be insulation between the concrete shell, and he wooden walls.

[@bashkillszombies]

Ah it's that guy who cucked on the most important issue of our age.

[@podrick11]

Thank you so much for making and sharing your Video. Very Educational and enjoyable.

[@SpiritForest]

Nice job on the ending with your new graphics and music. Thanks for sharing some history.. always fun to learn more.

[@Skjalden]

Thanks Spirit Forest :)

[@dugclrk]

I was thinking of your Viking tent while watching this. I think you should look into building one of the smaller houses one day if only for safe keeping of supplies and tools.

[@SpiritForest]

@@dugclrk I should build a viking house. You never know what the future holds.

[@Citiglobal88]

Thank you for making this film.

[@hamm-5225]

Cannot get that beautiful curve in Valheim, very frustrating. Building in a game got me here, your passion for history made me stay. Awesome video man, I learned a lot. :)

[@georgeohwell2270]

Great work my friend,very interesting!

[@Skjalden]

Thanks George :)

[@valterspatriks8752]

I've been in such longhouse, with long fireplace in the middle. The longhouses were high, and all the smoke (which suprisingly wasn't much) stayed close to the roof (since smoke doesn't stay low but rise) before exiting. You didn't inhale any smoke in the longhouse, albeut there was the smell of firewood. It was perfectly ventilated, which I was also suprised about since the openings bythe roof didn't look large.

[@PaulJerard]

Thank you for this informative video!

[@jeaniechowdhury6739]

This is a terrific one. Thank you!

[@JoanStewart1]

Nice piece of history thanks.

[@goodshepherdcat]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Viking architecture has always fascinated me, as well as their culture and clothing. This episode was just what I'd wanted. In Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, I've always thought the Rohirrim are a lot like Vikings, at least in their architecture and some of their social habits. Thanks again for an interesting and informative video to enjoy.

[@Skjalden]

Thanks for watching and I am glad that you enjoyed the video Cathy :)

[@forgiven36511]

I believe I read somewhere that Tolkien based his Rohirrim on the vikings that used horses instead of ships... Vikings of the plains if you will...

[@goodshepherdcat]

@@forgiven36511 I've thought that ever since I read the books, oh these 52 years ago, and seeing the interpretation of them in the movies and in the game I play, Lord of the Rings Online, only backs up that mental image. Their architecture, clothing, culture, all remind me of the Vikings.

[@otptm]

Thank you for sharing!

[@PossumMedic]

Thanks for the great video! :D

[@daddypoil]

Excellent as always !

[@Skjalden]

Thanks Roll Mops :)

[@leespiderpod]

It’s known that smoke in the houses also helped kill parasites

[@KidcessoryHaven]

I love the things I learn on your channel.

[@elizabethshaw734]

I just stumbled over this channel in my recommended and have subscribed after seeing one video. :-)

[@jamesellsworth9673]

This is a fine explanation of Viking-era buildings. A strong point is that the images are held on the screen long enough for us to study them in a little detail.

[@KenseiSwords]

Very good video, congrats on the promotion.

[@jaredcoombs8489]

Thank you for the video! I very much enjoyed learning about Viking Age houses. I am a heathen in the US, and am always looking for information to rebuild our religion.

[@ScottJB]

I went to the Viking village in Ribe, Denmark this year. Very cool to see the longhouses. And yes, very smokey.

[@goblondie]

thanks for great work again, love your vids. Know the longhouses , I lived in Ribe for many years and were a regular visitor in Ribe Vikingecenter. Amazing place. In Faroe Island where I live now my house is few metres form an old viking house they found in the 50´ties.

[@jaredcoombs8489]

That's amazing. Happy for you. :)

[@edjohnson9494]

This a wonderful lesson! Thank you!

[@blktauna]

If the roof is thatched, you wouldn't have a hole in the roof. The smoke would rise above head height, if the roof was high enough, and you could hang meat to smoke up there.

[@humanlifeforce]

Thank you. Very enjoyable.

[@BrianMillerCEO]

Valheim 'bout to blow this shit up!

[@tinnman6758]

Well done. thanks for the great info,

[@Trailerglotzer]

Great video is always. What sources can you recommend to look for details about the buildings? I dream of building a small viking village on my family's land.

[@garychynne1377]

revisiting. very enjoyable. thank yew

[@randywilliams6248]

That Viking was sure having a hard time pushing those emojis out. Perfect!

[@lkkjhtemmexv1838]

this video is just bullshit, there are no vikings house, they didnt survived till today, and viking were never in americans, its all a lie,,, portuguese were there befor 1500 and that is history...check the proves and the old books.

[@Durnelis8148]

@@lkkjhtemmexv1838 I kindly ask you to stay in history class

[@henrylarson6970]

Happy this channel blew up, I play Valheim but I think I’m the only person here now who came because I was genuinely interested in history

[@donquijote7463]

THEIR HOUSES WERE BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED WITH THEIR LOOTS.

[@slyaspie4934]

Fascinating stuff thanks

[@YanPagh]

Great channel

[@user-vy3rc4yn1c]

very nice video i always learn more when watching, i have an off topic question but were there any estonian viking villages?

[@chazsutherland]

Benjamin Franklin must've had a Viking spirit... He's been quoted as saying, "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days."

[@thedwightguy]

Up on top of Todd Mountain BC on private ranch property there are two dovetail notched log homes, but what was really interesting to me was the small barn layout was exactly like my Norwegian grandfather built; the design must have been several thousand years old. You could park your horse teams on one of the three stalls today, along one side. The other side was for the cows/maybe an Iceland sheep group, and where the dog slept. Hay went above the walkway.

[@HeadHunterSix]

Thank you for the video. I'll be picking up a copy of The Hávamál soon. Skål!

[@lloydirland7006]

Great stuff. My grampa came from Uppsala area and grandma from Hudiksvall. My brother has their Swedish trunk with wonderful painted decoration on it. LCI

[@sdev2749]

Great video - ty

[@johnnyhighwoods1780]

tusen takk for video. very good to hear what our ancesters did . min bestafar built the house l live in over 100 years ago, but it still Norsk built.

[@thetrex9902]

Why is this in my recommendation? Is it because I've been playing too much valheim lately?

[@WorldPeace-AdamNeira]

Very interesting documentary. Thank you. The TV Series "Vikings" (Canada 2013) brought me here.

[@richdobbs6595]

Something doesn't seem right about a turf house being attributed to one of the original settlers of Iceland. Although Iceland became deforested, when it was first settled it had forests. It only became apparent later that the rate of tree growth in Iceland wasn't adequate to keep up with usage, unlike in Scandinavia. Turf houses would only have come into use after all of the land was occupied -- no sooner than after the second generation. My guess is that house was a replacement for the orginal dwelling on that farm.

[@Orphen42O]

Your theory makes sense. The first settlers would be inclined to make dwellings reminiscent of the homes they left. The harsh climate would cause the original dwellings to deteriorate, and the subsequent turf dwellings might have been a response to the shortage of wood. In their travels, the Vikings might have seen turf houses in other parts of the world and decided that they were a practical housing solution for the climate.

[@user-ys1tz6vz7u]

Thank you so much! 🤠👍

[@marcswanson7066]

Thank you!

[@waynebrown1609]

great video .

[@Skjalden]

Thanks Wayne :)

[@barnabasnemeth2048]

Nice vid. What's the music called playing from 04:45-ish? Also at the very end credits? Thx.

[@Shayce]

Valheim: im going to completely ignore structure integrity

[@sandravegavera2954]

Muy interesante su cultura. Ojalá algún día tenga la oportunidad de viajar y conoccer estos lugares de primera mano.

[@sylviarichter6421]

Very interesting!!!

[@dubuyajay9964]

Vid on Great Halls, Temples, and possibly early keeps/castles in Scandinavia?

[@spelcheak]

Are the country graphics/descriptions like Canada's at 16:00 bespoke for this video or is there a collection of those somewhere?

[@thedwightguy]

my job at age five was stacking firewood for the minus forty five below winters. only grandma went into the large chicken coop, as the rooster was the same size as us kids, and would not take any guff from anyone except grandma. but she also carried an axe all the time. Yeh, She's pure Swedish. (the only b^w photo I never took was grandma with her axe. She looked just like granny on the Beverly Hillbillies and was always doing something.

[@jakdorosnezostanewikingiem2817]

May I ask about photos in 11 minute? Have they been taken in Borg, Lofoten?

[@karl2313]

Ye, I was one time with the scooters and we were going to sleep over in a long house, and wow it was so smoky so you could not even breath.

[@nikobitan7294]

I keep seeing those dragonhead decorations on the edges of the roofs, but they seem to be based on stave churches. Is there anything attesting to them (or similar decorations) being used before that on houses?

[@Mr.mopar71]

Don't know if someone else mentioned this but Tolkien did get his ideas for LOTR from norse mythology.

[@CarlosSanchez-my7zg]

And another book called the worm oroborus.

[@ivan55599]

20:15 Where is that small building, and/or does it have a specific name?

[@halfabapandmusket]

I hope you don’t mind me posting your stuff on “Real Pagan Vikings” on Facebook, I’ve over 10,000 followers so hopefully it gets a few more views.

[@Skjalden]

Thank you for sharing the video, I appreciate it :)

[@bashkillszombies]

The very name of that is cringe. God Facebook is the bastion of smoothbrains.

[@badusername9903]

@@bashkillszombies im gonna start using the phrase "the bastion of smoothbrains" now thanks

[@Zulfburht]

As a person that has visited Newfoundland, I just wanna let you know that it’s not pronounced as it’s spelled. Locals talk really fast and it’s often pronounced newf’nland. Just a friendly fact.

[@pocketpj2722]

Thats how we in america pronounce it as well

[@NorthernChev]

Well done. Enjoyable.

[@Flyguy6025]

I'm here to upgrade my Valheim house

[@jeaniechowdhury6739]

I’d love to see a episode about what they brought back from trading and invading.

[@ricwalker6600]

Oh my Gosh! i cant believe how you butchered Hedeby! until the worldmap i could not have recognized what settlement you have talked about. But anything else, awesome indepth video.

[@1d1ane]

- visited Hedeby / Haithabu in 2000 Congrats.

[@SmeefSauce]

beowolf was my only reference for historically accurate longhouses

[@robertbaldwin5308]

awsome!!!!!

[@holgualoxford3871]

Valheim graphics looked alot different last year

[@heathen637]

Hail from a Northern California Heathen...may the God's be with us all.

[@Skjalden]

Greetings from Denmark, I wish you a welcoming spring :)

[@DC47sdfsdf]

Hej Skjald, fine præsentationer, der er interessant for mig som bygningsarkitekt, der interesserer sig for vikingetiden. /Frank/Gentofte PS Hvem er Skjalden?

[@akatosh2795]

Were these images taken from a living history exhibits? Do you have websites/names for them?

[@Skjalden]

They are all taken from places that you can visit. If you go to my website: norse-mythology.net/viking-houses/ You can see the name of the places under the images.

[@user-uy1rg8td1v]

Just a suggestion to make the voice narration louder and the background sounds more quiet.

[@justinr7765]

Damn I named my guy after Erik the Red, Now im even more proud to hold his name.

[@pallijonson7680]

I like this video

[@jasonlongsworth4036]

This channel becomes so much more passive-aggressive if you assume the narrator hates "people from the south" and loves anything danish, like old Hedeby. There are so many slights like the one for losing Holstein and the whole bit about the Vikings being wise in accepting guests and travellers, though they "recognised that a guest always should leave again" 😂😂

[@TheDanishPartyGirl]

Nice vidio! I sence a danish accent? Keep up the good work

[@Skjalden]

Yes, I am Danish :)

[@Hallinwar]

I'm not from Valheim Trying to get a closer look to viking architecture, because I'm running dnd in a setting with nordic flavor

[@TheDrakanMaster124]

What kind of house is that in the thumbnail

[@jeremiahr7585]

I’m secretly building a Viking house in the woods right now.