Funeral Customs: Vikings had elaborate funeral customs and burial rituals to honor the deceased and prepare them for the afterlife. Wealthier individuals were often buried with grave goods, including weapons, jewelry, and personal belongings. One famous example is the burial mound at Sutton Hoo in England, where an Anglo-Saxon king was interred with a treasure trove of artifacts, including a ceremonial helmet and a ship burial. Rites of Passage: Vikings marked significant life events such as births, marriages, and deaths with rites of passage ceremonies. For example, weddings were elaborate affairs that involved ceremonies, feasting, and the exchange of vows and gifts. The Norse sagas often depict these ceremonies, such as the marriage of Freydis Eiriksdottir in the Vinland Sagas.

Trial by Ordeal: In Viking society, trial by ordeal was a method of resolving disputes and determining guilt or innocence. For example, the Icelandic sagas describe trials by combat, where individuals would fight to settle legal disputes or prove their innocence. Another example is the trial by hot iron, where the accused would carry a red-hot iron bar to demonstrate their innocence, with the belief that the gods would protect the innocent from harm. Runes and Divination: Runes, ancient Norse symbols with magical properties, were used for divination and communication with the gods. Viking shamans, known as seers or volvas, would use runes to cast spells, offer guidance, and foretell the future during rituals and ceremonies. For example, the runic inscriptions found on artifacts and monuments provide insight into Viking beliefs and practices, while the sagas recount instances of rune magic and prophecy.

Saga-telling and Oral Tradition: Storytelling was central to Viking culture, with epic tales and sagas passed down orally from generation to generation. These stories recounted the exploits of legendary heroes, gods, and mythical creatures, preserving the cultural heritage and values of the Viking people. Examples include the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which contain mythological tales and heroic legends, as well as the Icelandic sagas, which depict historical events and characters from Viking-age Scandinavia.