Why Viking Life Was Brutal

Things in Greenland were going well. Until they weren’t. With enough greenery to feed livestock, navigable trade routes, and walrus ivory selling like hot cakes, this growing civilization were living the good life. Then, around 1300, the ‘Little Ice Age’ took hold. Harsh winters and unpredictable summers wreaked havoc on a country reliant on farming, but there was more trouble to come… New trade routes opened up, meaning Europe now had alternative (and much cheaper) ivory options – Russian walruses… African elephants… they were spoilt for choice. But worse was yet to come. In 1349 the Black Death hit Norway, wiping out 60% of its population. The population of Bergen was depleted in just six months, which, as Greenland’s primary trading partner, was disastrous for this already-struggling colony.