Historic Replicas

Viking society was built around the Viking battle axe and the Viking swords, and a man’s social status was dependent upon his skill and bravery in battle (well, that and the amount of loot he brought home from a raid!).  It makes sense, then, that the Vikings had their own dueling rituals, and embraced the duel as a natural part of their justice system.  The Vikings’ concept of a duel would do much to influence ritualized combat in later societies, in that they were one of the first cultures to make it a legitimate course of action for those who felt they’d been wronged, like a law suit today.  The Viking duel, or Holmgang, could be used to settle virtually any dispute, whether over money, honor, or the love of a woman.  The Viking world was strict and unforgiving when it came to matters of war; once challenged, a Viking had to accept, or risk being labeled a coward and stripped of his social standing and self-respect.  He might even be declared an outlaw!  The winner could legally claim everything the loser owned, even his wife and children.  A few skilled warriors even turned the Holmgang into a kind of con game, challenging other warriors who’d done nothing wrong and killing them to botain their property.  Nevertheless, some aspects of the Holmgang display an uncommon sense of fairness.  Unlike later European quarrels, in which only members of the ruling class could have a legitimate duel, any Viking could challenge another regardless of social standing.  That meant that even the poor and downtrodden had the means to stand up for themselves.