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The Viking World: A History in ObjectsMain MenuGallery viewA galleryTag Cloudtag cloud pageThemesA path of thematic categoriesAuthor IndexExplore the collection by authorWorks CitedReferencesAdam Bigelow3afa9c7ecebf516bba6609664b1b12f79c54bf77Caitlin Donahue61b7e986e7c71d400e5c803912ed83c0cf65252fCaroline Harvey1783f21a5882b5b4d3d0b6c174d058052a5ff7eaEdward Hershewee701ef220480b51ca728fc9c719bc094cf813655Martin Hoffmana1fd203afd9a84ee8db567e188cf6ed1d269386eTyler Hruby23493f763b312110686cfafc62578fd0ab5f3833Brittany N. Johnsonc1c1763339f8fa953e3c907c6bb8a3bad0c28b2cCarlos Lua Pineda0a28cc23b0aa00b4f24a9e205aeb57fbdb07ff01Moira McConnell710633400590ea38533ea3412c01fc5056288180Clara McCurdy9aec76477d0b55f9c685c47330d6786ec98182e1Elise McIlhaneyef48481634ff342c8b43c9d56f678b2d3562fb69Cameron Meikle669a5682bfbfd603130a26e25628f24eb07e6295Alexander Christopher Newkirk019c2f5b38c043507251d1789e2fdf47e61c3b7fBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6Liam Sullivanaa3a1dccb90c7fe4646b61c4af594abbb0c5574aRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611eadAliza Yazdanicd49f227d88c72331226ddf574bf56c37308cd10Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
12017-05-24T10:09:20-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707deaMap ViewAustin Mason2An interactive map of all the objects in the collectiongoogle_maps2017-05-24T11:39:30-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
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12017-05-21T21:22:51-07:00Bronze Hook Key3object pageplain2017-09-19T19:07:36-07:00Such an innocuous item as a key does not seem like it could hold much importance when looking back at the viking age, but often the key was a symbol of status for women. Given this information, keys gain a whole new light of importance. This bronze key found in Gotland is called a ‘hook key’, the name coming from the curve in the key blade. This key carries some decoration in the handle, indicating that it may have been for something more valuable, or for a higher class family. This is uncertain though, as there is a high amount of variance among keys.
Though keys have been found buried with both men and women, on average more have been found buried with women. Of 511 documented graves in Gotland 34 females were found with keys as grave goods, in comparison to 7 men.[1] Women would wear their keys on a chain outside of their dress, or from their belt, to show their status, and by burying them with their keys it was possible that the norse believed they could carry this status with them into the afterlife.[2]
The prevalence of keys with women, as well as evidence from literature shows that women had more freedom and power than elsewhere in Europe during the viking age, even though it was still limited.[3] They were allowed to receive inheritance, instigate divorce, and most importantly, it was the woman’s job to handle the farm and matters of the house, both when the men were away, and often all the time. In Njal’s Saga we can see several examples of these traits. The following passage shows women’s ability to gain inheritance: “You will have to come up with a large sum for him, for she will inherit everything I have.”[4] We can also see the woman’s power in the house in this passage: “‘I am Njal's wife,’ she says, ‘and I have no less authority in hiring than he does.’”[5] Finally, we can see a woman’s ability to separate from her husband here: “[her father] then went to the Law Rock and declared them legally divorced,” which happened at the woman’s request.[6]
Of course, women weren’t entirely free, they still required permission from the nearest male in their family to be able to marry and lacked political power. Despite this women had power over the house and house-keeping, and could even work as entrepreneurs, producing textiles.[7]
The key having been the sign of the woman is an important window on the life of norse people during the viking age. Though their position was still nowhere near equal with men, it can still be seen that women had some of their own power. They held the keys to the home, and were often buried with them: they held power in the home and had more freedom than women in many other cultures of the time.
