Julianna Ainsleigh 
Think Vikings just raided, drank, and snored in their helmets? Think again.
Night-time in a Viking household was a mix of superstition, hygiene, and sheer toughness.
From sleeping with swords to feeding ghosts, here’s what really happened before the fire went out.
1. Slept with their weapons
A Viking’s sword was his soul — and it never left his side.
Many men got into bed with their blades beside them. They were always ready to fight off enemies, be it raiders, wolves or restless spirits.
2. Recited charms for protection
Before closing their eyes, some Vikings whispered runic spells to ward off the draugr — the undead who roamed in search of revenge or warmth.
3. Shared beds with the whole family
Forget privacy. Longhouses had raised sleeping platforms where everyone piled in: parents, children, even the servants.
Warmth mattered more than modesty.
4. Dream-journeyed
Certain men and women practised seiðr — a kind of dream magic.
They claimed to travel through visions at night, spying on enemies or sending curses while their bodies lay still.
5. Washed and combed themselves spotless
Vikings were cleaner than most Europeans of their time.
They washed, brushed their hair with bone combs, and sometimes changed their linen before bed.
They weren’t just warriors — they were well-groomed ones.
6. Left food for the house spirit
A spoonful of porridge or butter kept the nisse — a household guardian spirit — happy.
Forgetting him could mean broken tools or sick animals by morning.
7. They kept the memory of the dead alive
Ancestor veneration was important to Viking culture, so they kept the memory of the dead alive.
They would tell stories, offer food to them at their burial site and everything was to keep them fresh in their mind.
8. Told bloody bedtime stories
Their “fairy tales” were sagas of betrayal, curses, and vengeance.
If children slept soundly through those, nothing would ever frighten them again.
9. Dozed sitting up
Some believed lying flat let the soul wander too far from the body.
Sleeping upright, with a cloak pulled over the head, was thought to keep it tethered — and safe.
10. Listened for omens in the dark
A creak in the rafters, a raven’s call, a dog’s whine — each sound meant something.
A Viking’s evening was not without signs, omens and stresses, but they survived nonetheless.
Hungry for more – Find Out What Happened at Night with Viking Nights: What Really Happened Beneath the Furs
