Viking Families and Farms

When they were not on viking expeditions during the summer months, Norsemen were home for most of the year. Home was a longhouse on a farm in Norway, Sweden, or Denmark. A Viking's wealth was based on the size of his farm. In addition to his family, a Viking headed a small community that included extended family, freemen who worked for them, and slaves, who did the most menial work. Norse women often acted as heads of their households in the absence of their husbands.