In my novel, Higher Resonance, Regina Griffin travels back in time to Gudvangen, Norway in 890 AD. She is sent to this time to prevent a death and to gather the necessary energy needed so she can meet with the being Thoth. Regina finds herself butting heads with a Viking warrior, as they tend to not see eye-to-eye on child rearing. Writing these scenes had me delving further into Viking history and I thought to do an article on Viking drinking vessels.
When we think of Vikings many of us picture the drinking horn, which is often made with the horn of a bovid (an animal with a cloven hoof). This includes bison, buffalo, antelopes, goats, sheep, muskoxen, domestic cattle, and more. Drinking horns were known to exist in Classical Antiquity and remained in use for ceremonial purposes throughout the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, but for the purpose of this article I will focus on the Vikings, although they were not the first to use them. The oldest drinking horn dates to 7thcentury BC, but they were believed to be around for much longer as they appear in earlier poems and mythology.
Viking drinking horns were usually made from cattle or goats, but decorated metal horns were also created. In Norse mythology, Thor was said to have drank from a horn that contained all the seas. While the Valkyries (female warriors who chose the men that will die in battle) were often shown extending drinking horns to the slain warriors as they welcome them to Valhalla. Viking women as an extension of this tribute would raise a horn to guests they host in their homes. Drinking horns are also featured in the epic poem Beowulf.
The Vikings also drank from wooden and ceramic bowls, while the wealthiest drank from imported glass from Europe and the Byzantine Empire. Historians believe that drinking horns were considered a luxury item, used for special occasions, but also given as gifts by leaders to retain the loyalty of their warriors. Many horns were found in burial sites. Primitive vessels, like the one Regina uses in Higher Resonance, are shaped into cones by rolling birch or rowan bark.
The tankard was originally made of wood, pewter, or bone.
Mazers are wooden or metal drinking bowls.
So what did the Vikings put in their drinking vessels? Many would say mead or wine, but in reality the most common beverage was water. Nevertheless, the Vikings did drink mead on a regular basis.
As a side note, if you haven’t watched the History Channel series The Vikings, I recommend it. Although some of the scenes are brutal, it is based on The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, a Viking hero and ruler. The Icelandic legendary saga is from the 13thcentury.
A special thank you to: https://alehorn.com/2015/10/13/myths-legends-history-of-drinking-horns/, https://thornews.com/2015/01/23/the-vikings-drank-from-horns/, https://cjadrien.com/drinking-horns/, https://grimfrost.com/collections/drinking-horns
