Thanks, Iceflower.
I imagine QMII was there well
before time! And unless they've managed to drag her away by force, she's probably still there!
Hedeby, located in what is now Southern Jutland, was indeed a very important trade center during especially the Early Viking Age.
Not least slaves. (*)
But also amber, gold and silver and weapons. As well as luxury items from Byzans, like silk cloth exported to Britain.
At the time (700-900's) there were well below fifteen towns in the whole of Scandinavia. And with towns I mean with a permanent population of more than 1000 people.
Practically all Danish towns were established after Hedeby became a thriving trade center. The earliest were established in the 8-900's.
(*) Slaves were very much an international export in the 700-900's.
A decree from the Pope had forbidden Christians to have Christian slaves and since pagans were few and far away what to do? In comes the Vikings. As Heathens they couldn't care less about the Pope, so slaves they bought or took, depending on the mood and circumstances, in Eastern Europe were sold at Hedeby and shipped off the central and western Europe.
Most of these slaves were pagans, so Christians could exploit them with a clear conscience.
While captives from western Europe were shipped off to the east, many ending up in the slave markets of the Byzantine empire.
The Vikings took many captives during their raids. That was big business! The more wealthy were held for a ransom, the same thing applied to some of the clergy, but if you were poor or your wealthy relatives didn't pay up in time, you were shipped east...
But you could be lucky, because sometimes Christian slaves were bought free in groups, either by the church, or by someone wealthy who wished to score some good brownie points in Heaven. - But
only Christians were brought free! The poor usually ending up as laborers or farmhands somewhere. Few would ever see their homes again anyway.
That export in humans is very much evident in the DNA from skeletons found from that period. In a surprising number actually! Viking merchants and Viking warriors (that was to some extent the same thing) unsurprisingly tended to find and fall in love with women during their journeys abroad, and brought them back with them, - some more willingly than others mind you!
Viking warrior-traders tended to have money, status and access to luxury goods (or loot). So provided a girl or woman who was captured or traded was treated fairly well, especially if he fell in love with her, which happened more often than one should think, and eventually being "proposed" to. She could actually very likely go up quite a few notches on the social ladder. Even taken their own background into consideration.
The alternative was of course to reject a marriage proposal, in which case her master was free to rape her whenever he wanted anyway and any children she had would be subject to the whim of her master. I.e. become slaves or acknowledged as his children, but put out of the influence of their mother. A slave can't raise a Viking!
As a wife she would have a considerable status, her own household, clothes and jewellery, protection by a family, legal rights and her children would be free. - Life was hard, so most accepted the "proposal".
That the wife happened to be Christian, Pagan or Muslim was no particular problem to the Vikings. Believing in many gods themselves, one more or less made little difference, as long as certain pagan traditions were respected that is. Most captives quickly found a way to compromise with their faith, and many became pagans themselves.
Such women are now found in fairly high status graves indicating a wife of a free man.
What about the boys I hear you ask.
Well, boys who showed a fighting spirit or talent, could raise in status by merit and become adopted or simply quietly and eventually be considered a member of the extended family.
The difference between a Viking slave and a free member of a Viking household could be very blurred. As a part of a household you, as a slave, was the lowest member, but at least you were clothed and fed and protected from outsiders. - Unless you were unfortunate enough to end up in one of the more psychopathic families, but that's another story. - And in many cases you became a kind of member of the family, because the households were after all so small that everyone had a place and was needed.
