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Slaves in the Viking Age: Functions, Social Roles and Regional Diversity

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Slaves in the Viking Age: Functions, Social Roles and Regional Diversity Slaves in the Viking Age: Functions, Social Roles and Regional Diversity Sarah Elizabeth Haga Master’s Thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies VMS4190 (60 Credits) Spring 2019 Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies (ILN) UNIVERSITY OF OSLO 15.05.2019 I II Slaves in the Viking Age: Functions, Social Roles, and Regional Diversity Sarah Elizabeth Haga Master’s Thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies Supervisor: Ildar Garipzanov, University of Oslo Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies University of Oslo Spring 2019 III © Sarah Elizabeth Haga 2019 Slaves in the Viking Age: Functions, Social Roles, and Regional Diversity Sarah Elizabeth Haga http://www.duo.uio.no Printer: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo IV V VI Summary Slavery in the Viking Age was a common practice throughout Scandinavia and the Scandinavian diaspora with the use of slaves socially, culturally, and economically, depending on the region in which they existed. Their different functions and roles—such as concubines, domestic and agricultural labourers, captives, rebels, and sacrificial victims— addressed different societal demands. In this thesis, such functions and roles are analyzed through the examination of the evidence from three related regions, namely Northwestern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia. These regional examinations rely on Viking Age written texts and archaeological evidence, as well as other sources that pertain to the period, such as the saga materials. Textual sources from Northwestern Europe, such as the Annals of Ulster and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, provide a Christian perspective on the Scandinavian raids and settlements in the region. The Arab writers, such as Ibn Fadlān and Ibn Rusta, provide information about the Eastern Vikings known as Rūs and their interactions with slaves. Finally, saga materials, such as Rígsþula, Laxdœla saga, and Landnámabók, along with the law codes from the end of the Viking Age—Grágás and Gulathing and Frostathing laws—provide information on Scandinavian slave practices. Previously, general studies of slaves in the Viking Age have been shaped by written evidence however by incorporating archaeological evidence, this thesis will allow for a more nuanced analysis of the social functions and roles of slaves in this period. The archaeological sites of Ballateare, on the Isle of Man, Lejre in Denmark, and Birka within Sweden are a few of the sites that are discussed and compared to the contemporary literary texts written by non- Scandinavian authors as well as later Scandinavian texts: I also compare the evidence of slaves and the social functions and roles of slavery inside Scandinavia with those within Scandinavian communities in other regions. The inclusion of archaeological materials, specifically the so-called “master and slave” burials, assists in further defining the function of slaves in the Viking Age. Such comparative analysis of different types of evidence and throughout different regions of Viking Age Europe provides an understanding that the discussion of slaves in the Viking Age cannot be limited to one specific social role or function defined by slavery as a social institution, but rather should be focused on a more nuanced relationship between this social class and the region and time periods to which they existed in. VII VIII Foreword When I first began my BA degree at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, I never would have dreamed that I would come all the way to the University of Oslo to complete an MA degree. This seven-year journey has been long, demanding and transformative. When I first began studying history I was fascinated with the Greeks, then the Romans, and finally began to truly become enthralled with medieval history. The communities that were built and the focus of religion in the period intrigued me. It was not until my fourth year of my bachelor’s degree that I finally landed on the study of Scandinavia. My interests in the field were furthered through the archaeological studies and the amazing finds that spanned across Europe and even into Canada. Scandinavia, Norway specifically has also played an important part in my life, as my grandfather is Norwegian and was always informing our family of the “Strong Viking history.” I believe that all of this allowed me to uproot my life and come to a country where I did not know the language, or any of the people and follow the history. Throughout this entire journey it was tough to finally choose on a topic that included my interests, both historically and archaeologically. Social and cultural history has always been interesting to me, and once I started reading about the relationship between masters and slaves in the Viking Age, I knew the topic was something that I wanted to discover further: who these people were, and what was the purpose of their different functions throughout societies. The work of my advisor Prof. Ildar Garipzanov throughout this entire process has been extraordinary and I will be forever grateful for the discussions, advice and critiques that he gave me throughout the entire process. I would also like to thank the rest of the professors at the University of Oslo that I have encountered throughout my journey. Many of you taught me instrumental information that I will use for many years to come. I would also like to thank the professors at Mount Royal University who helped me realize my true passions in history and archaeology. I would also like to thank Susanne Frantzen for helping me with my Old Norse translations. Furthermore, I would like to thank my Mom, Charlene Haga, Dad, Alex Burdz, and Stepmom, Tenille Burdz, for their amazing support throughout this entire process and especially during the editing and proofreading stage, which aided me more than they could know! Finally, I would like to thank my Stepdad, George Michalopoulos, Grandma and Grandpa, my brother, Stephan Haga, and my best friend Feben Abera, for their wonderful and unwavering support throughout these entire two years and all the previous ones. And finally, to all people I met along the way and made living in Oslo such an amazing experience, thank you. Sarah Haga Oslo, 15. 05. 2019 IX X List of Figures Figure 1: Archaeological sites on the Isle of Man from the Viking Age. ................................ 32 Figure 2: Skull of a young woman from the Ballateare burial, which displays the missing part of the skull from being cut. ...................................................................................................... 35 Figure 3: Map of Dirham finds throughout all Northwestern Europe, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Figure 4: Burial at Lejre. The upper, older male is depicted on the left; the lower, younger male is depicted on the right. ................................................................................................... 74 Figure 5: Burial from Stengade. The decapitated remains of older male on the right, and younger male’s remains on the left. ......................................................................................... 77 XI XII Table of Contents Summary …………………………………………………………………………………. VII Foreword ……………………………………………………………………….………… IX List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………..XI Table of Contents …………………………….......………………………………………XIII Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 i.a Scope of Analysis ......................................................................................................... 1 i.b Method ......................................................................................................................... 3 i.c Archaeological Evidence ............................................................................................ 5 i.c.1 Northwestern Europe .............................................................................................. 7 i.c.2 Eastern Europe ....................................................................................................... 7 i.c.3 Denmark ................................................................................................................. 7 i.c.4 Sweden ................................................................................................................... 8 i.c.5 Norway ................................................................................................................... 8 i.d Written Sources .......................................................................................................... 9 i.e Modern Historiography ........................................................................................... 13 i.f Terminology .............................................................................................................. 19 i.g Overview .................................................................................................................... 20 1 Northwestern Europe ...................................................................................................... 23 1.1 Written Sources ........................................................................................................ 24 1.1.1 Annals of Ulster .................................................................................................... 24 1.1.2 Anglo-Saxon Chronicles ......................................................................................
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