Fighting for the Ball

Almost nothing is known about the rules and moves of the Norse ballgame knattleikr. Nevertheless, according to Yngve Skramm, an expert on Viking culture, the following facts have been determined about the game:

R '¦yhe players] were divided into teams; the teams were usually two against two though L X more could take part; a hard ball was hit by a bat; the opponent who didn't have the ball caught and threw the ball with his hands; body contact was allowed in the fight for the ball where the strongest had the best chance to win; the game demanded so much time that it was played from morning to night; there was a captain on each team; there were penalties and a penalty box; the playing field was lined; one had to change clothes for the game; it was played on the ice or grass.

Yngve Skramm, "Knattleikr," The Vikings. Www. viking. no/e/life/sports/eball. htm.

A ball, and the opposing players tried to tackle the person who caught the ball.

Games with strict rules, along with well-ordered towns, community assemblies and laws, and the vast trade networks spanning the Viking lands, demonstrate that the Norse were much more than raiders and pirates. Enemies, particularly foreign ones, had good reason to fear the Vikings. But within Norse society, respect for the law, traditional authority, property rights, and fair play were the rule rather than the exception.