Infopanel 7

Trade and import

Although raids have always dominated the image of the Vikings, it was the Scandinavians' trade with their neighboring countries that constituted the most important relationship between the peoples. The peoples of Scandinavia were dependent on imports in many ways. Wheat, oil, ores, iron, copper, tin, silver, and gold in particular were in short supply in the north, but were needed for the production of food, weapons, everyday utensils, and jewelry. In addition, foods such as wine, which was imported from France and the Rhineland as a typical medieval spiced sweet wine, as well as glassware from the Black Forest, pewter jugs, and high-quality, elegantly decorated weapons were in high demand.

Viking goods and export

Scandinavian exports were significantly lower. Nevertheless, amber from the Baltic region and furs from the far north were in high demand in the rest of Europe. Other items that were rare in the rest of Europe were also sold in large quantities by ship to the south, such as whetstones made from Norwegian slate, strong ropes made from sealskin, and expensive “ivory” objects made from whale and walrus teeth.

But after the Vikings came into contact with the Arabs via the Russian rivers and the Black Sea, they discovered a much more lucrative commodity: slaves. The Vikings used slaves less as their own labor force and more to sell them via intermediate stations to the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties in the Middle East.