gothic-metalhead-deactivated202 asked:

Hi – in your previous “crash course” post you mentioned nordic social classes – Thrall, Karl and Jarl. I’ve got 3 questions to this:

1. – what’s the plural form of those words in old norse? (Because I guess these are old norse words)

2. – how about Konung? Were they equall with kings/princes or just leaders of the group? How it was with them?

3. – I know vikings were using different weapons depending on their wealth. Can we say, that Karls had axes, Jarls had swords, and Konungs had spears?

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I am glad you asked about this and I am more than happy to discuss it a bit with you. (I will be using images for some of this. Mainly for organization and better separation so that the answers will not become messy). 

One thing I would like to add before I start answering your questions is that the classes of Thrall, Karl, and Jarl are the simplified version of nordic society. It would be more like this: Thralls, servants, cotters, tenants, small farmers, big farmers, chieftains, kings. People could move in and out of these various classes, but in reality there were only two classes that mattered: free and slave.

I will go ahead and provide both the singular and plural forms of their respective Old Norse words along with their definitions:

Konungar (kings) were definitely a bit different than Jarlar, however, they did rise out of the Jarl class. There was no system in place for inheritance, so there were often messy disputes for this title. Konungar were mainly seen as military and religious leaders. Their authority varied based on their relations with others as well as their individual prestige (such as in battle). This is what set them apart from the rest of the Jarl class. Scandinavia was by no means a unified place during the Viking Age, so there would have been a fair amount of people claiming a “konungr” title. It was a matter of regional influence over others within a Jarl class. 

Honestly, the line between a Jarl and a Konungr are quite blurred at times, given the large variation in requirements. Say, for example, there were less powerful Jarls in a given region, such as northern Norway (versus Denmark). A person claiming to be a konungr could be equal to a Jarl in Denmark, where the playing field was far different. In other words, the line is complicated, especially with such a fractured landscape.

You are quite correct in saying weapons reflected class, so you could say that. In general, I would agree that Karlar would have used axes (among other possibilities) and Jarls used swords. However, the lines for this are also a bit blurred. 

The Karl class, being the largest of the three, had quite a bit of variation. For example, a small farmer may not have much wealth and would then likely be stuck to using an axe. However, a big farmer may have considerable wealth and still not be a chieftain. It is possible that a strong farmer could manage to purchase a sword, though rather unlikely. I would venture to say that Karlar used weapons with little metal, since that is what made a weapon expensive. That being said, I would say axes and spears would have been the most prevalent weapons for Karlar, being that they are mostly made of wood, which is cheap.

Sverðit var konungr. The sword was king. I say this because it was the most cherished and sought after of weapons. Jarls would definitely have used swords, but I would say the kings did as well. After all, they were chosen from this class and a spear would have been a bit of a down-grade, so to speak. I know where you have come from though, that the spear should be seen as a kingly weapon. Odin’s primary weapon is a spear, of course. To explain this, I would say that it is because it was better than an axe in a time when swords were difficult to obtain or not yet “invented”. Odin is from ancient days. Scandinavia may not have been accustomed to such technologies. As a result, the word may have not found itself in the concrete elements of myth. However, this is all conjecture, I have not spent enough time on this topic to support it with evidence. Though, to provide some evidence for swords being used by kings, I will refer to King Hrolf Kraki and his famous blade, Skofnung.

In general, the wealthier vikings (upper level Karlar and Jarlar) would have been equipped as such: iron helmet, mail coat, a sword, spear, knife (sax), or battle-ax, and a shield. Lesser men (Karlar, generally) would have been equipped with only a single weapon: a spear, knife, or axe and perhaps a shield. They would have leather armor (if they were wealthy enough). Swords could usually only be afforded by the elite, so typically Jarlar and Konungar. Their swords may even have names and be passed down and their histories can sometimes be traced throughout the sagas.

I hope my input was helpful. Thank you for your question, curiosity, and your insight. I enjoyed replying! If there is anything else you’d like to know or have elaborated, please let it be know. 

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Sources:

1. Geir T. Zoëga. A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2004. 232, 236, 518.
2. Angus A. Somerville and R. Andrew McDonald. The Viking Age: A Reader (2nd Edition). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2014. 127-129.
3. Jennifer Dukes-Knight. “Society and Law,” lecture, Viking History, University of South Florida, 2015.
4. Jennifer Dukes-Knight. “Weapons and Art,” lecture, Viking History, University of South Florida, 2015.