The Vikings (Not the Football Team)

Facilitator: Sara Hoffman, 970-217-8762, hoffmyers@aol.com Dates: Thursdays, September 18 — October 9, 2025 (4 Weeks) Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Texts: None required Presentations: None required Location: Foxtail 2, Senior Center, Class Limit: 25

We won’t discuss the Minnesota Vikings, but we will explore the Scandinavian sea-faring men and women who lived between 750 and 1100 AD. They traveled worldwide, but probably not to Minnesota. They were fierce; they were fascinating. In fact, we’re obsessed with them if you consider the successful Netflix series “Vikings" or the popular video game “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.” All that aside, the real Vikings were remarkable. We will explore the many facets of their lives — from birth to death. What were the roles of women and men? How did they handle pregnancy, marriage and divorce? Were they kind to their children and slaves? What can we learn from the messages they left behind through runes and burial sites? The facilitator, SaraHoffman, (aka ᛊᚨᚱᚨ ᚺᛟᚠᚠᛗᚨᚾ), traveled to Scandinavia this summer and will share her Viking experiences.

Your instructor will provide material. Class participation is encouraged.