Eight Disturbing Things Which Were Normalized in the Viking Society
The Vikings and their legendary savagery.
From 800 to 1100, many Scandinavians left to pursue their fortunes elsewhere. The Vikings, or Norsemen (“Northmen”), invaded British coastal places, especially undefended monasteries. Over the next three centuries, they were pirates, raiders, traders, and settlers in much of Britain, Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland.
Contrary to popular conception, the Vikings were not a “race” linked by similar origin or patriotism. The best-known Vikings are from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, but historical texts also mention Finnish, Estonian, and Saami Vikings. They were from a foreign nation, not “civilized” in the local sense, and, most crucially, not Christian. Here are 8 terrifying facts about the ways of the legendary Vikings:
1. Excessive Murders Distorted the Gender Ratio
The Viking Age began in 793 AD with the attack on the Lindisfarne monastery in northeastern England by Norwegian Vikings. The Vikings battered Europe’s shoreline until 1066. According to one theory, gender-selective infanticide skewed the Viking male-female ratio. Some experts believe the main reason Vikings conquered Europe wasn’t to pillage. Instead, they wanted spouses!
