. Social Scandinavia in the Viking age. the time ranged from the last of April to the lastof May, according to the location and the severity of theweather in a given year; rye, however, and probablywheat also, was occasionally sovm in the autumn.* The agricultural implements were simple and some-what crude, but they satisfied the needs of the time. Forthe preparation of the soil, the husbandman used a hoe 2 Gudmundsson, Akerbau, in Hoops, Reallexikon; Njdla, 292; Melr,in Cleasby and Vigfussons Dictionary. 3 Gudmundsson, Akerbau, in Hoops, Reallexikon. 4 Ibid. 166 SOCIAL SCANDINA
. Social Scandinavia in the Viking age. the time ranged from the last of April to the lastof May, according to the location and the severity of theweather in a given year; rye, however, and probablywheat also, was occasionally sovm in the autumn.* The agricultural implements were simple and some-what crude, but they satisfied the needs of the time. Forthe preparation of the soil, the husbandman used a hoe 2 Gudmundsson, Akerbau, in Hoops, Reallexikon; Njdla, 292; Melr,in Cleasby and Vigfussons Dictionary. 3 Gudmundsson, Akerbau, in Hoops, Reallexikon. 4 Ibid. 166 SOCIAL SCANDINAVIA IN THE VIKING AGE or spade, with blade of hard wood or iron, or a plow, of which in the saga time there were two kinds Agricul- [j^ ijgg rjr^Q niore primitive was called an *ents ^^ ^ (^^^^> ^i^d ^^^y b^ ^^^^^ represented uponthe ancient rock-carvings. The implement,like the name, was Scandinavian in origin, and was some-what of the nature of the modern grubbing plow; but theshare, or cutting edge, was as a rule of wood, though. Fig. 21. Two Types of Sickles, and a Plow Oldtid.) (From Gustafsons at times shod with iron (Fig. 21). In some cases thearSr was probably provided with wheels, and it wasdrawn by two animals, generally oxen, for the latter,much more than horses, were employed in other plow, known as plogr, was, as the name indi-cates, of foreign origin or influence, and probably didnot come into use in Scandinavia until after the openingof the viking period. Just what was its nature is not AGRICULTURE AND THE ROUTINE OF FARM LIFE 167 clear, but it was distinct from the earlier plow and wasdoubtless an improvement upon it. Its shape was prob-ably not unlike that of the single plows used at the pres-ent day.^ The seed was scattered by hand from a bas-ket carried upon the arm, or by means of a small handseeder, built upon the sieve principle; and it was cov-ered by dragging a brushy tree or tree branch over thefield, or by the use of a si
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