Dogs in Viking ship burials: what the graves reveal

Part 1

Why Vikings buried dogs with the dead

Animals were buried with humans in Scandinavia from the Bronze Age until Christianity arrived around AD 1000. Dogs were seen as symbols of status, and according to Norse mythology two dogs guard the gate to the realm of Hel, the underworld. Dogs from the Gokstad grave are interpreted as hunting animals, which shows dogs could be both symbolic and useful at the same time. You can think of these burials as combining a display of wealth with real companionship between dog and owner.

Part 2

The dogs found in the Oseberg ship

The Oseberg burial has been dated to the autumn of AD 834 through dendrochronological analysis of timbers in the grave chamber. Alongside the remains of two women, excavators found horses, oxen, and dogs.

• One account lists four dogs among the animal remains at Oseberg.
• Another source counts three dogs found on the ship.
• A separate account describes six dogs among the artifacts recovered.
• A further history account also reports six dogs alongside fifteen horses and two oxen.

Whatever the exact count, the dogs were buried together with a much larger number of horses, described as fourteen or fifteen animals. You can see how animals of several kinds were placed in the grave, underlining the high status of the women buried there.

Part 3

Carved heads that may show dogs

The Oseberg grave also contained several carved wooden posts topped with animal heads. Some viewers see dog heads in these carvings, while others see horse heads, and their exact purpose is unknown. One post was found with a rope through its mouth, attached to an iron ring, and one guess is that these objects were used to communicate with the gods.

Part 4

The Ladby ship burial and its dogs

Dogs also appear in the Ladby ship burial in Denmark, where a Viking king was buried around 925 AD. He was laid to rest inside a ship together with eleven horses and four dogs. The Ladby ship is the only Viking Age ship burial found in Denmark. A gold-plated dog leash was also buried with the king. One of the dogs is described as a large breed, possibly a type known as a Broholmer, a breed said to descend from dogs brought to Denmark by Vikings. If you keep a large dog yourself, you might recognize something of that old companionship in these graves.

Part 5

Dogs and cats in Norse life

Vikings also kept cats as pets, alongside dogs. Vikings also kept cats as pets, and both dogs and cats appear in Norse religious imagery and literature. Genetic studies suggest Vikings carried cats and dogs aboard their ships, keeping them as both working animals and pets in Norse households.