Causing Someone To Get Dirty Was Seen As Offensive
Not only did Vikings value cleanliness, but they valued it so highly that it was seen to be highly disrespectful to make a fellow Viking unclean. To do this, you may literally smear someone with mud, chop off their hair, shred their clothes, shove them into a puddle of water, etc. Such behavior was punishable by outlawry (with the exception of enemies, of course). Anyone who purposefully “disgraced” someone by making them unclean should always receive the worst punishment, according to the medieval Icelandic legal text Grágás.
Causing Someone To Get Dirty Was Seen As Offensive
The Length Of Your Beard Was An Indicator Of Masculinity
The Vikings valued manhood and maturity, which is one of the reasons historians think it was vital to have a long, neatly groomed beard. Simply simply, Vikings believed that men with a full, thick beard were more manly and mature. Vikings who couldn’t grow a beard were reviled and humiliated in a number of medieval literature. Without a doubt, this also affected their standing in their peer group. The fact that each community had a professional and well-respected comb maker is further indication that having a good beard was significant in the social order.
The Length Of Your Beard Was An Indicator Of Masculinity
