Marriage was the heart of family structure in Viking culture, hence the intricate nature of Viking wedding rituals. According to many of the myths and folklore to which historians attribute their knowledge of Viking weddings, each tradition and ritual was deemed necessary to earn the blessings of the gods, an important step on the path to becoming a parent and continuing the Viking bloodline. Marriage offered stability, serving as a way to control sexual activity and reproduction in the community. Contrary to their negative historical reputation for their treatment of women, Vikings actually worked quite hard to ensure relative gender equality and fair treatment of and respect for women.