Strange Viking Wedding Rituals and Traditions (Video)
Viking weddings, known as brudkaup, were intricate transactions involving legal negotiations to determine bride price and dowry. Fridays, sacred to the Queen god Frigg, were preferred for ceremonies, which demanded meticulous planning, including special ale brewing. Symbolic rituals preceded the wedding: brides cleansed in bathhouses, and grooms engaged in a unique sword ceremony, retrieving a family sword from a grave. Brides adorned ornate crowns, while grooms presented ancestral swords. The wedding involved the exchange of dowry and bride price before witnesses, followed by religious rites summoning the attention of gods and goddesses. Sacrifices added a mystical dimension.
- Rituals at a Modern Viking Wedding: A Blood Sacrifice, Bride Running, and Obligatory Drinking
- 10 Funny and Fascinating Wedding Rituals from Ancient History
The exchange of swords between bride and groom, along with rings offered on the hilts, elevated the ritual. The post-ceremony procession to the feast marked the transition from maidenhood to marriage. Blessings from gods occurred at the feast, with legal requirements like drinking bride ale together. The final ritual involved witnesses escorting the newlyweds to their bed, where the consummation took place in full view, settling any potential legal disputes. Viking wedding traditions reveal a fascinating and culturally rich tapestry.
Top image: Bride and groom, in Viking traditional outfits. Viking wedding rituals were necessary to earn the blessings of the gods and for continuing the Viking bloodline. Source: MaxNadya/Adobe Stock
