ou just got engaged and are organizing a wedding? Not sure what theme to choose for your wedding? If so, we’d like to introduce you to Viking-themed weddings. Whether you’re fascinated by Viking culture or want to learn more about Nordic weddings, you’ll want to stick around to discover the following Viking wedding traditions.
In this article, let us guide you in organizing your wedding Viking style, considering their rituals and themes.
Let’s get started now!
A Brief History of Viking Weddings :
The Viking wedding was an important part of Viking culture. Viking weddings, also known as Nordic weddings, united not only the couple but also their two families.
Viking wedding celebrations generally lasted for a week and took place during the summer to avoid snowy winters, which made traveling to the wedding venue impossible. The families arranged the marriages, and the couple did not speak much before the wedding.
Although Vikings married for economic and political reasons, marriage also opened the possibility of having real children. Being able to have children was crucial during the Viking era, as the more children they had, the more they could farm and acquire wealth.
Viking weddings required years of preparation. Not only did they need to provide enough food and shelter for their guests, but they also had to ensure that the ceremony took place at a very specific time. More details on this below!
Viking Wedding Theme :
Viking-themed weddings have become very popular among modern-day couples. If you want to organize a Viking-themed wedding, you should consider the following popular traditions during your ceremony and celebration.
The traditions we know about Viking weddings include:
- The importance of a celebration feast
- The exchange of swords
- The involvement of Norse gods, particularly Thor
- The wedding day must be a Friday (the day of Frigg)
Now let’s take a closer look at some of these Scandinavian wedding traditions.
A – Early Preparations for a Nordic Wedding
If you plan to organize a Viking wedding, set your wedding date for a Friday.
Viking weddings always took place on a Friday, also known as the day of Frigg, a sacred day for Frigg, the goddess of marriage, love, and fertility. She was also the wife of Odin, one of the main Norse gods, often associated with wisdom, healing, magic, war, death, poetry, etc.
As you can see, Frigg and Odin were important gods in Norse mythology, and they each had their own days of the week. That’s why the Vikings chose to set their wedding day on Friday to honor the goddess of marriage.
Bride’s Race Ritual
The Viking bride race, also known as bruðhlaup, is a ritual involving a foot race. Once the ceremony was finished, the families of the bride and groom would race to the mead hall. The losing family had to serve drinks to the winning family for the rest of the Viking wedding celebration.
This is a fun game to try at your wedding, but you might want to modify it a bit, as your guests probably won’t want to run to the reception, especially if they’re wearing high heels and long dresses.
Viking Honeymoon
Have you ever wondered where the term “honeymoon” came from? Well, it comes from the Scandinavian practice of drinking honey mead.
Once the wedding celebrations were finished, six people would accompany the couple to their wedding bed, allowing them to consummate their marriage. The couple’s friends and family would provide enough mead for the couple to last a month (the lunar cycle). The first month of their Nordic marriage was meant to increase the chances of conceiving a child.
There’s no doubt that the Viking wedding traditions mentioned above are intriguing. Keep reading to learn how to incorporate these traditions and rituals into your own ceremony and wedding celebration.
B – What are the Rituals and Ceremonies of a Viking Wedding ?
Handfasting Ceremony
Have you ever heard of a handfasting ceremony? Handfasting ceremonies were typical in pagan weddings. This practice likely comes from the ancient Celts, but the Vikings also used it. The couple’s hands are bound together by cords or fabric while the officiant ties them, celebrating their marriage. They literally tie the knot.
Additionally, this practice was important for the Vikings as it signified that the couple was marrying by choice, not by force. Believe it or not, handfasting is still a popular practice in many European cultures today.
Today, some couples use scarves they’ve knitted together to bind their hands on their wedding day. Some even use handkerchiefs that belonged to deceased loved ones to join their hands during the ceremony.
The Bride and Groom Exchange Swords
In addition to exchanging rings, the bride and groom also exchange swords. I know what you’re thinking: what kind of wedding involves weapons, and how are they used in the ceremony? Generally, when people think of a wedding, they think of rings, not swords.
The groom’s companions would place the sword in the grave. This ritual symbolized the groom’s death as a boy and his emergence as a man. Just like the bride, the Viking groom would purify himself in a public bath to symbolically rid himself of his bachelor status.
However, for the Vikings, exchanging swords at weddings symbolized the transfer of protection between the groom’s family and the bride’s family. Each exchanged old swords from their own family. Moreover, this united the two families, who were now charged with supporting and protecting each other. They would keep the swords for their future swords.
As for the rings, they were placed on the handle of each sword. Though less significant than the sword ceremony, the exchange of rings symbolized the union of the Viking couple, just as it does today.
C – Viking Wedding Process :
The Wedding Must Involve the Norse Gods
Since the Norse gods were so important to the Vikings, it makes sense that they would do everything to honor them and seek their blessing.
As mentioned earlier, Viking weddings took place on Fridays to honor the goddess of marriage, but Frigg was not the only god to play an important role in their wedding ceremonies. You’ve probably heard of Thor, the god of thunder and Odin’s son. More importantly, he is known for his hammer, also called Mjöllnir in Norse mythology.
Animal Sacrifice
Strangely, the Vikings made animal sacrifices to receive the blessings of their fertility gods. Once the pre-wedding rituals were over, it was time for the wedding ceremony to begin.
During the ceremony, the bride’s family would give a dowry to the groom’s family. Then, they would begin a religious ceremony where they invoked the gods and goddesses. This ritual could include animal sacrifices and incantations.
They sacrificed animals associated with the fertility gods. For Thor, they would sacrifice a goat. For Freyja, the goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death, they sacrificed a female adult pig (sow). And for Freyr, the god associated with peace, fertility, rain, and the sun, they offered a horse or a boar. The Gothi, the person responsible for the wedding, would typically perform the sacrifice.
Brides Underwent “Maiden” Rituals
Viking brides were accompanied by other relatives and married friends, including their mother and married sisters, to prepare them for marriage. The bride would purify herself in public baths to symbolically rid herself of her maiden status.
There’s no doubt they valued cleanliness. Scandinavian women wore a kransen, a circle in their hair symbolizing their virginity. During the wedding ceremony, they would replace the kransen with a bridal crown, keeping the circle for the bride’s future daughter.
D – The Grand Wedding Feast “A Huge Viking Banquet”
LVikings organized huge feasts, which were an essential part of their wedding celebrations. They always held the feast after the wedding ceremony, and the families would usually choose the food.
We don’t know exactly what they ate at these grand feasts, but what we do know is that their biggest feasts typically included fish and meats, along with other tasty foods.
A lot of mead (alcohol) was a must-have!
In addition to many delicious dishes, Nordic newlyweds consumed a lot of alcohol after their union. To further symbolize their marriage, they drank from a cup known as the “cup of love.” They were expected to get drunk, and this custom is also known as the “wedding ale.”
Moreover, their guests also got drunk on mead. As you can see, none of them had a choice—it was mandatory to get drunk to celebrate the couple’s wedding. What an interesting tradition, right?
Viking Wedding Preparation :
Viking Bridal Hairstyle :
The wedding hairstyle was crucial for Vikings as it symbolized the bride’s sexuality. It was even more important than the Viking wedding dress. As mentioned earlier, the bride wore a bridal crown inherited from her mother. They adorned the crown with many ornaments.
The crown was decorated with flowers, straw, wood, crystals, or any other important materials available. The longer the hair and the more adorned it was, the happier the couple was.
Viking Wedding Dress :
Interestingly, Vikings didn’t focus much on wedding attire, but rather on hairdos and symbolism. Viking brides likely wore bright red dresses, as this color was popular in the Nordic era. Other favored colors included blue, green, and yellow, making Viking weddings vibrant and colorful events.
Brides and grooms wore ornately decorated clothing and often displayed symbols of Thor, such as axes and hammers, which were seen as good omens for a strong marriage.
Before the ceremony, the couple would separate and prepare for their future life together with members of the same gender. For instance, female family members would assist the bride in purification rituals to rid her of her single status. This process involved removing her old clothes and any symbols of her unmarried life, such as the kransen—a gold ring worn by young Viking girls.
The bride would also remove her kransen, a bracelet symbolizing virginity, to keep it for future generations. This bracelet would be passed down to her daughter, ensuring continuity in the family’s traditions.
Viking Groom’s Attire :
It’s believed that a Viking groom had to undergo a ceremonial transition from boyhood to manhood before the wedding itself. Many Norse sagas describe a ceremony involving the sword, where the groom would retrieve the family sword from a grave. This symbolic act represented the groom’s passage from youth into adulthood, marking his rebirth.
A blood sacrifice was also a common part of Viking weddings, expressing gratitude to the gods for bringing the couple together. Often, a goat would be sacrificed, and its blood preserved in a temple for use during the ceremony.
How to Organize a Viking-Themed Wedding :
Now that you know some of the fascinating Viking wedding traditions, you can draw inspiration to create your own Viking-style celebration. Here are some ideas for a Nordic-inspired wedding:
1- Viking Wedding Invitations
Set the tone for your wedding with invitations that evoke the spirit of Viking traditions.
2- Viking Wedding Attire
Dress in Viking-style outfits and ask your guests to join in! You could wear flowing dresses, leather tunics, faux fur cloaks, Viking hairstyles, flower crowns, boots, and even shields or helmets if you wish.
3- Location – Where to Have a Viking Wedding :
The Vikings were renowned sailors and navigators. For your wedding, consider hosting your ceremony or reception on a Viking-style boat. Decorate the boat with Viking elements like long wooden tables, carved horns, candles, faux animal skins, and flowers. Alternatively, make a dramatic entrance at the altar on a boat. You could also have a wedding in the woods, with barrel tables, a wooden arch, wooden runes, wedding bouquets, candleholders, bonfires, drinking horns, and more.
4- Scandinavian Feast
For the wedding feast, serve fish, meats, vegetables, nuts, stews, grains, eggs, cereals, and berries—foods typical in the Viking diet. A Viking-themed cake would be a great addition, and don’t forget to serve mead, which the Vikings brewed by fermenting water and honey.
5- Viking Wedding Games
Fun outdoor wedding games might include archery, a bride race, axe-throwing contests, and mock sword fights or battles. You could even hire an artist to give guests rune tattoos during the wedding.
6- Viking Offerings
While animal sacrifices are not necessary, you can offer symbolic gifts like candles, flowers, coasters, drinking horns, bracelets, and Viking necklaces.
7- Final Thoughts :
Viking wedding traditions are fascinating and full of meaningful rituals. There’s no doubt that Viking wedding ceremonies were significant in Nordic culture. If you’re drawn to Nordic traditions, consider organizing a Viking-themed wedding. This unique theme will set the stage for an unforgettable experience.
By following Viking-inspired traditions and integrating symbolic rituals, you can craft a celebration that honors the Viking legacy while celebrating your love. Embrace the Viking spirit—let the dragons soar and the axes shine—and enjoy a wedding filled with joy, adventure, and love.
Viking Wedding Decoration:
A Viking-themed wedding is an extraordinary adventure, requiring thoughtful planning, creativity, and a deep respect for Nordic culture. Embrace these traditions while maintaining authenticity, and you’ll create a unique and memorable celebration. A well-organized Viking wedding can be a perfect blend of love, commitment, and cultural heritage—ensuring a joyous occasion for everyone involved.
Conclusion
In conclusion, organizing a Viking wedding is an extraordinary adventure that requires careful thought, creativity, and a deep respect for Nordic culture. By following the steps and traditions associated with this theme, a couple can create a unique and memorable celebration that honors Viking heritage while uniting two souls in a meaningful way. From selecting the perfect venue to incorporating symbolic Viking elements such as vows and rituals, a Viking wedding can be an unforgettable experience for both the couple and their guests.
It’s important to remember that while embracing this tradition, it should be done in a respectful and authentic manner, avoiding stereotypes and clichés. Ultimately, a well-organized Viking wedding can be a one-of-a-kind celebration of love, commitment, and cultural heritage. May the dragons fly and the axes gleam, and may this Viking wedding journey be filled with joy, love, and adventure for the couple and all those fortunate enough to attend.
