Beaver Fur Was Used by High Status Vikings as a Symbol of Wealth, Study Finds

According to a report written by Luise Orsted Brandt of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues and published on July 27, 2022, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, beaver fur was a sign of wealth and a significant commerce commodity in 10th century Denmark.

Beavers as a sign of high status on Vikings

(Photo : Tim Umphreys/Unsplash)

Fur doesn't frequently preserve well in the archaeological record, therefore there isn't much concrete evidence to support the idea that fur was a major commodity during the Viking Age, which lasted between 800 and 1050 CE, as per ScienceDaily.

In earlier instances, species of origin have been determined using the microscopic anatomy of ancient fur, however, this technique is frequently inaccurate.

Overall, nothing is known about the types of furs that the Vikings favored.

For this investigation, Brandt and colleagues examined animal bones from six prestigious tombs in 10th-century Denmark.

Identifiable proteins were retrieved by two distinct analytical techniques from the materials, even if no ancient DNA was, perhaps as a result of treatment procedures used on furs and skins and presumably as a result of preservation circumstances.

Fur from wild animals, notably a weasel, a squirrel, and beavers, was shown on clothes, while grave decorations and accessories featured skins from domestic animals.

These results provide credence to the hypothesis that during the Viking Age, fur represented prosperity.

Because beavers are not indigenous to Denmark, it is likely that this fur was a luxury commodity that was traded for.

Some clothing pieces had fur from many distinct species, displaying an understanding of the various use of various animal hides, and maybe indicating a wish to flaunt special furs.

The greatest obstacle to this kind of research, according to scientists, is the scarcity of comparative protein databases.

As these databases grow, it will be feasible to identify ancient animal skins and furs with greater specificity.

Also Read: Scientists Found Drought May Have Driven the Vikings Out of Greenland

Viking clothing

Wool, linen, animal skins, and, for the affluent, silk, were the materials used to make Viking clothes.

Combs were made from antler, bone, ivory, and wood and were kept in their own cases. It appeared that practically every Viking carried one.

The top class ornamented themselves with jewelry made of silver, gold, jewels, and polished glass, while the lower class also accessorized themselves within their means with tin, lead, iron, and maybe copper.

There were no heels on the animal skin shoes and boots. Scandinavians, with the exception of slaves, were often well-dressed and took great care in their appearance.

Each morning they performed a personal hygiene routine, and Saturday was reserved for bathing and washing clothing, a custom that the Anglo-Saxon chroniclers found both weird and intriguing, as per World History.

Although not all Scandinavians were Vikings, the emphasis the Vikings placed on appearance reflected the values of the greater civilization.

It has been proposed that the idea of fate had a role in this since no one knew when they would die, thus they should always present their finest selves for the inevitable entrance into the hereafter.

The necessity of starting the day "combed and bathed" is stressed in Norse poetry, particularly in the Hávamál and Reginsmál, because one never knew where they would be by nightfall or even if they would still be alive.