When you think of Viking societies, brutal violence might come to mind, but a new study reveals stark differences between the Vikings of Norway and Denmark. It turns out that Norway’s Viking Age was much more violent.
Researchers have found evidence suggesting that interpersonal violence in Norway—combat, feuds, and even murders—was far more common than in Denmark, where violence was more controlled and tied to official executions. These findings challenge the long-held belief that Viking societies across Scandinavia were similarly violent.
Advertisement
More Violence in Norway Than Ever Suspected
For years, historians believed that Viking Age Norway and Denmark were on equal footing when it came to violence. But a groundbreaking study has uncovered new evidence showing that Norway’s violent culture was distinct, marked by constant combat and deadly disputes. David Jacobson, a sociologist from the University of South Florida, alongside an international research team, has brought these differences to light through an analysis of Viking skeletal remains.
From the Viking skeletal study: A skull displaying blunt force trauma with radiating lines. Photo by Lisa Mariann Strand
Their study, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, revealed that Norway’s Vikings had far more traumatic injuries than their Danish counterparts, likely due to everyday conflicts and a deep-rooted warrior culture.
Advertisement
Norway: A Society Built on Swords and Skulls
Norwegian graves tell a story of a warrior society where violence was the norm. The researchers found that 33% of Norwegian skeletons bore signs of healed injuries—clear evidence that violence was part of daily life. Even more startling, 37% of the skeletons showed signs of lethal trauma, suggesting that many Vikings met their end in brutal clashes.
Weapons, particularly swords, were key markers of social status in Norway. Over 3,000 swords from the Viking and Late Iron Age periods were unearthed in Norway, compared to only a few dozen in Denmark. These weapons not only indicated a warrior identity but also highlighted the culture’s deep connection to violence.
Denmark: Violence with a Purpose
In contrast, Denmark’s Viking society was more controlled, with violence occurring under the watchful eye of a central authority. Unlike the chaotic violence in Norway, Denmark’s violence was organised—mostly in the form of official executions.
From the Viking skeletal study: Weapon related lesions identified on sacrum side and tibia. Photo by Lisa Mariann Strand
Danish graves showed far fewer weapon-related injuries and much clearer evidence of decapitations, suggesting that many deaths were the result of formal punishment rather than personal disputes. About 6% of Viking Danes died violently, but most of these deaths were carried out through legal channels.
Advertisement
Why Were the Vikings So Different?
The key difference lies in the structure of their societies. Denmark’s more rigid social hierarchy and centralised power meant that violence was kept in check by rulers who held a monopoly on the use of force. Meanwhile, Norway’s more decentralised society experienced more peer-to-peer violence, driven by personal disputes, feuds, and a warrior ethos.
“The findings of these patterns suggest that we are talking of distinct societies in the regions of Norway and Denmark,” Jacobson explains. “This is quite striking, as the assumption has been that socially Viking Scandinavia was largely a singular space.”
This study isn’t just about Viking violence—it also shines a light on how social structures influenced conflict in historical societies worldwide. Similar patterns have been observed in regions like the Andes and North America, where societies with less centralised authority experienced more frequent, deadly violence.
Advertisement
As Jacobson puts it, this research is a “step toward a new explanatory model” that reveals what history hides, especially when written records are scarce.
The article, “Violence as a lens to Viking societies: A comparison of Norway and Denmark,” by Jan Bill, David Jacobson, Susanne Nagel and Lisa Mariann Strand, appears in Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. Click here to read it.
Top Image: A grave find from Nordre Kjølen farm in Solør, Norway: a skull of a woman, a sword, a spear, an axe, and arrows. The woman, 155 cm tall and 18-19 years old, may have been a female warrior. The grave is from the late 10th century. Photo taken on February 26th, 2020 at the VÍKINGR – Viking Age exhibition, an exhibition in the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway. Photo by Wolfmann / Wikimedia Commons
When you think of Viking societies, brutal violence might come to mind, but a new study reveals stark differences between the Vikings of Norway and Denmark. It turns out that Norway’s Viking Age was much more violent.
Researchers have found evidence suggesting that interpersonal violence in Norway—combat, feuds, and even murders—was far more common than in Denmark, where violence was more controlled and tied to official executions. These findings challenge the long-held belief that Viking societies across Scandinavia were similarly violent.
More Violence in Norway Than Ever Suspected
For years, historians believed that Viking Age Norway and Denmark were on equal footing when it came to violence. But a groundbreaking study has uncovered new evidence showing that Norway’s violent culture was distinct, marked by constant combat and deadly disputes. David Jacobson, a sociologist from the University of South Florida, alongside an international research team, has brought these differences to light through an analysis of Viking skeletal remains.
Their study, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, revealed that Norway’s Vikings had far more traumatic injuries than their Danish counterparts, likely due to everyday conflicts and a deep-rooted warrior culture.
Norway: A Society Built on Swords and Skulls
Norwegian graves tell a story of a warrior society where violence was the norm. The researchers found that 33% of Norwegian skeletons bore signs of healed injuries—clear evidence that violence was part of daily life. Even more startling, 37% of the skeletons showed signs of lethal trauma, suggesting that many Vikings met their end in brutal clashes.
Weapons, particularly swords, were key markers of social status in Norway. Over 3,000 swords from the Viking and Late Iron Age periods were unearthed in Norway, compared to only a few dozen in Denmark. These weapons not only indicated a warrior identity but also highlighted the culture’s deep connection to violence.
Denmark: Violence with a Purpose
In contrast, Denmark’s Viking society was more controlled, with violence occurring under the watchful eye of a central authority. Unlike the chaotic violence in Norway, Denmark’s violence was organised—mostly in the form of official executions.
Danish graves showed far fewer weapon-related injuries and much clearer evidence of decapitations, suggesting that many deaths were the result of formal punishment rather than personal disputes. About 6% of Viking Danes died violently, but most of these deaths were carried out through legal channels.
Why Were the Vikings So Different?
The key difference lies in the structure of their societies. Denmark’s more rigid social hierarchy and centralised power meant that violence was kept in check by rulers who held a monopoly on the use of force. Meanwhile, Norway’s more decentralised society experienced more peer-to-peer violence, driven by personal disputes, feuds, and a warrior ethos.
“The findings of these patterns suggest that we are talking of distinct societies in the regions of Norway and Denmark,” Jacobson explains. “This is quite striking, as the assumption has been that socially Viking Scandinavia was largely a singular space.”
This study isn’t just about Viking violence—it also shines a light on how social structures influenced conflict in historical societies worldwide. Similar patterns have been observed in regions like the Andes and North America, where societies with less centralised authority experienced more frequent, deadly violence.
As Jacobson puts it, this research is a “step toward a new explanatory model” that reveals what history hides, especially when written records are scarce.
The article, “Violence as a lens to Viking societies: A comparison of Norway and Denmark,” by Jan Bill, David Jacobson, Susanne Nagel and Lisa Mariann Strand, appears in Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. Click here to read it.
Top Image: A grave find from Nordre Kjølen farm in Solør, Norway: a skull of a woman, a sword, a spear, an axe, and arrows. The woman, 155 cm tall and 18-19 years old, may have been a female warrior. The grave is from the late 10th century. Photo taken on February 26th, 2020 at the VÍKINGR – Viking Age exhibition, an exhibition in the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway. Photo by Wolfmann / Wikimedia Commons
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse