Editing Vikings (section)

====Sports====
Sports were widely practised and encouraged by the Vikings.<ref name="Wolf2004">{{harvnb|Wolf|2004|pp=142–143}}</ref> Sports that involved weapons training and developing combat skills were popular. These included spear and stone throwing, building and testing physical strength through [[wrestling]] (see [[glima]]), [[Boxing|fist fighting]], and stone lifting.<ref name="MallonWidlund2002">{{cite book |last1=Mallon |first1=Bill |last2=Widlund |first2=Ture |title=The 1912 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary |year=2002 |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers |isbn=978-0-7864-1047-7 |page=3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JUQTAQAAIAAJ&q=%22stone%20throwing%22 |access-date=11 February 2023 |archive-date=11 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211234642/https://books.google.com/books?id=JUQTAQAAIAAJ&q=%22stone%20throwing%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> In areas with mountains, [[Mountaineering|mountain climbing]] was practised as a sport. Agility and balance were built and tested by running and jumping for sport, and there is mention of a sport that involved jumping from oar to oar on the outside of a ship's railing as it was being rowed.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chrisp |first1=Peter |title=Vikings |year=1995 |publisher=BBC Educational |isbn=9780563352594 |page=12 }}</ref> [[Swimming (sport)|Swimming]] was a popular sport<ref name="Christiansen2008">{{cite book |last1=Christiansen |first1=Eric |title=Norsemen in the Viking Age |year=2008 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-470-69276-9 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=viU8FoYuEUQC&pg=PA79 |access-date=11 February 2023 |archive-date=11 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211235428/https://books.google.com/books?id=viU8FoYuEUQC&pg=PA79 |url-status=live }}</ref> – [[Snorri Sturluson]] describes three types: diving, long-distance swimming, and a contest in which two swimmers try to dunk one another. Children often participated in some of the sport disciplines,<ref name="Pörtner1975">{{cite book |last1=Pörtner |first1=Rudolf |title=The Vikings: Rise and Fall of the Norse Sea Kings |year=1975 |publisher=St. James Press |isbn=978-0-900997-33-4 |page=76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fMYiAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Physical%20exercise%22 |access-date=11 February 2023 |archive-date=11 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211234203/https://books.google.com/books?id=fMYiAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Physical%20exercise%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> and women have also been mentioned as swimmers, although it is unclear if they took part in competitions. King [[Olaf Tryggvason]] was acclaimed for his skill in both mountain climbing and oar-jumping, and reputedly excelled in the art of [[knife juggling]] as well. [[Skiing]] and [[ice skating]] were the principal winter sports, and also provided transport on snow and ice for adults.<ref name="Wolf2004" />

Horse fighting was practised for sport, although the rules are unclear. It appears to have involved two stallions pitted against each other, within smell and sight of fenced-off mares. Whatever the rules were, the fights often resulted in the death of one of the stallions.

Icelandic sources often mention ''[[knattleikr|knattleik]]'', a ball game similar to [[hockey]], played with a bat and a small hard ball, usually on a smooth surface of ice. Popular with both adults and children, it was a rugged game that often led to injuries. Knattleik appears to have been played only in Iceland, where it attracted many spectators, as did horse fighting.<ref name="Wolf2004" />

Hunting was practised as a sport only in Denmark, where it was not an essential food source. Deer and [[hare]]s were hunted for meat, along with partridges and sea birds, while foxes were hunted to stop their killing of farm animals and for their furs. Spears, bows, and later crossbows, were the weapons used; stalking was the most common method, although game was also chased with dogs. Numerous kinds of snares and traps were used as well.<ref name="Wolf2004" />