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The Viking World: A History in Objects

Bronze Hook Key

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Bronze Hook Key Such 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.