Live With My Husbands Family example essay topic

The Biography of Ingibjorg Haraldsdottir I was born on the countryside, just outside of Stafangri (Stavanger) where I lived with my parents and grandparents in our long-house. When I was 14 years old, my parents had along with my relatives found me a suitable husband; Magnus Olav son. Magnus and I had never met each other, but learned to respect and love each other in time. As I went in to the marriage, my parents had set a "med gift", gifts or belongings from my family that I could take with me into the marriage and that would always be my property, and were to be passed on to my children when I die. With me I took some clothing off linen and wool, and a weaving chair. My parents wanted me to take a their bed, but I didn't want to take it away from them.

If our marriage didn't work out, however, if Magnus was mistreating me or our children, if he was to lazy to support us, or he were to insult my family, I could divorce him by calling in witnesses and proclaim my self divorced in front of them. But if I didn't have a legit reason to divorce him, Magnus would be entitled to my belongings, but they would still later be passed on to our children. When we got married, I was handed all the farms and chests keys, as a clear symbol of my position and power. This I carry around my waist on a leather belt, on a big key-ring.

But even though I now live with my husbands family, I will never be considered apart of it, and always belong to my own parents. Our house is called a long-house and it is situated on the top of a hill on the countryside. This both so that we can spot friends, or enemies, long before they reach the farm. And so that my husband can show off his position with the farm being there to anyone passing by.

The house it self only has one large room, which we have divided into one section for the farm, and one for the people to live. The house is placed so that the wind would mostly hit the short-wall side at the barns end, and In this work as a "air-conditioner" by the draft from the barn carrying the heat from the animals to the end where the people are. The only bad side in doing this, is that the draft also brings the smell of the animals. The walls are made out of wood-materials, and to rv on the roof.

Our house is fifty meters long, but rumors has it that up in Borg, Lofoten, Olav Leif sons house is eighty-three meters long! Inside our house, there are sitting-or sleeping benches along the walls, covered with skin, leather or clothing, we " re not wealthy enough for beds. In the middle of the floor, there is a fire place, which serves as the main source for light and heat, and above it there is a hole in the sealing to let the smoke out. It is around this fireplace, I enjoy spending any leisure time with my children while their father is away on Viking, telling them folktales, and about the Norse Gods and the Vetter, Tusker, and Trolls from the underworld.

On the farm, there is also a bathing or sauna house, where our weekly Saturday baths takes place. I am now 25 winters old, and I am in charge of almost everything that takes place on the farm, and inside. My day is long, full of chores such as; responsibility for there being enough food for everyone during the long and dark winter. I take care of the children, and make sure the food and milk is taken care of like making the butter and the cheese.

I dry and smoke the fish and the meet so that it will last longer, and on top of all that I take care of our animals, and I carry all the water we need. So as one can see, there is not much time for any leisure time. As a Viking-woman, I am very skilled in textiles. We are expected to sow and make yarns, so that we can make clothing for our families. I consider my self an expert in sowing, even the neighboring women says so, and sometimes I daydream about going in to Stafangri town, and open up a clothing booth, but a Viking-woman is to live on the countryside, so the farm is where I belong. I also have a lot of knowledge within urns, so that I can make medicine if someone gets sick.

What I enjoy about being a Viking-woman, is how we are treated better and more respectfully than I have heard other women in Europe are treated. My husband has somewhat power over me, because I respect him as my husband, but The woman is considered equal in our society, and there is no line that places the man above the woman. Sure, we have different tasks, and responsibilities, but these are just decided out of logical work. If I wanted to be like my husband, and go on raids, I could if I was equipped for it. These types of women dresses out in armors, and takes as much part in the fights as the men, and are called Skjoldmo. My husband, Magnus, is truly my biggest and greatest support.

He gives me all the respect I need, and supports and helps me in what I do. I do worry for him sometimes, however. He goes out on raids a lot, and sure he comes home with valuable assets and stories from far away countries. He is a great warrior my husband, and when he goes out I take over the Main responsibility for the farm, and I manage it and the property until he returns, but I am scared that one day he wont return. If this were to happen, I would be the one to take over his place and control our property. I would have to take care of all business, hiring people, and supervise the daily chores.

Power and position will then automatically follow me, but even though me parents made me marry him, I've learned to love him, and we depend on each other in all we do in life. I teach my children about our religion, as it is very important to us. The basic story is as following: The world is a huge, round board. In the middle of it, is asgard.

This is where all the Gods live around a giant tree, called Yggdrasil. Outside and around the Gods empire, is Midgard, where all the human beings live. Outside of Midgard again, is Utgard. There people can go if they sail far enough at sea, go into the dessert, the mountains or deep down in the underground. In Utgard the dangerous Jotnene lives, and they are both the Gods and the peoples enemies. There are two God families, ae sene and Van ene, who are living in peace after leading war once in the ancient-time.

The one-eyes Odin, is the greatest of the ae sene. He is not only the warrior-God whom brings Vikings fallen in combat to Valhalla on his eight-legged horse, Sleipner; but also the poetic and knowledge God who has magical sources. Odin is married to the marriage- and mother-Goddess Frigg, and together they have a son, Balder. While Odin is the God for warriors and chiefs, Tor is the God for almost everyone.

He has enormous powers, and often fights the Jotnene with his Hammer Mjolner. When it thunders, it is the sparks and noise from Tor's wagon who are pulled across the sky by his Rams. You must sacrifice to Tor so that he will help you against any kinds of danger, and carry a little Tor Hammer as an amulet around your neck. Other important aes er is the Gods guardsman Heimdall and Idun.

They own the apples which keeps the Gods Healthy and young. Worshiping Odin an Tor is for the men, but the women are apart of the Vane-cult. It is the Vane-Gods who insures you with fertility, life and health, and the most important Vane Gods are Nja rd, From, and F roya. Everything in the nature is filled with powers that has to be pleased, and very important is the fertility-powers in the fields, the water and within humans and animals. You can see how the sun and the rain makes the field grow, and how the sexual-drive makes humans and animals expand. If the fertility-powers gets unbalanced, the human being existence will be torn away, so we have to satisfy the powers so that they work in humans best interest.

This is done by religious events; to the Gods, march and by performing erotic rituals. As a woman, it is my responsibility to keep the Vette's and the Elf's happy. They are powers within the ground, the rocks and other places in the nature. If I don't treat them nice, there can execute harm towards my family..