<![CDATA[People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period.]]>People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. The reason is that they specifically read *heroic* literature, much of it written as historical semi-fiction hundreds of years later. It's like basing your ideas about the 1100s on Walter Scott.

Viking Period archaeology in Scandinavia is deeply unheroic. It concerns itself overwhelmingly with the non-Viking activities of farmers.

Most runestones deal with modest land inheritance.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/4f19f309-a653-4c02-b61f-fbd4a344a31e/people-have-strange-heroic-ideas-about-the-viking-period.RSS for NodeSun, 14 Jun 2026 09:49:03 GMTMon, 08 Jun 2026 10:40:40 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:39:40 GMT]]>@mrundkvist @noodlemaz a vi-queen, more like.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Lynx234/statuses/116715472835937670https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Lynx234/statuses/116715472835937670Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:39:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:33:40 GMT]]>@mrundkvist And their horses where tiny đŸ„°

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/vronimus_ironimus/statuses/116715449232719389https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/vronimus_ironimus/statuses/116715449232719389Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:33:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:58:14 GMT]]>I was under the impression that archaeologists had found enough bones and ashes to verify literary descriptions of slave-murdering funereal rites.

@bkhl @jorny @mrundkvist

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ecoevo.social/users/clew/statuses/116715309898825062https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ecoevo.social/users/clew/statuses/116715309898825062Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:58:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:31:39 GMT]]>@waspfactory @noodlemaz @mrundkvist

It is in most games where you have a choice.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/david_chisnall/statuses/116715205382237410https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/david_chisnall/statuses/116715205382237410Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:31:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:26:04 GMT]]>@peterbrown
In Denmark today we pay a lot of skat, but sometimes we get deductions and part of the income is skattefri.
@Infoseepage @Pepijn @mrundkvist

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://expressional.social/users/notsoloud/statuses/116715183442663263https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://expressional.social/users/notsoloud/statuses/116715183442663263Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:26:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:22:41 GMT]]>@mrundkvist
A true Crochetungian!
@noodlemaz

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://expressional.social/users/notsoloud/statuses/116715170156116967https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://expressional.social/users/notsoloud/statuses/116715170156116967Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:22:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:18:12 GMT]]>@Moonrider_acme
The Crohetungians were a huge factor in Scandinavia in the 600-1050 CE period. Unfortunately, they have left much less written and archeological evidence and totally failed to catch on in public imagination.

I'm still awaiting the TV series featuring Ragnar Wingstitch and his merry men as they process flax in the summer and share stories and designs in the winter.
@mrundkvist

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://expressional.social/users/notsoloud/statuses/116715152500077540https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://expressional.social/users/notsoloud/statuses/116715152500077540Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:18:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:31:19 GMT]]>@mrundkvist The Vikings were illiterate murderers and looters. Real heroes.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/bhasic/statuses/116714968125560945https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/bhasic/statuses/116714968125560945Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:31:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:11:25 GMT]]>@mrundkvist I fear a lot of these people with “strange heroic ideas about the Viking period” are not reading any literature at all.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/ap/users/116649979723961468/statuses/116714889910850123https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/ap/users/116649979723961468/statuses/116714889910850123Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:11:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:06:32 GMT]]>@cunobaros
Ja, "vikingatiden" Àr en term uppfunnen av brittiska historiker. Den betyder "perioden dÄ vi hÀr pÄ Brittiska öarna hade problem med vikingar".

För Nordens del hÀnde det förstÄs vÀldigt mycket annat hÀr Àn att man organiserade vikingatÄg.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://archaeo.social/users/mrundkvist/statuses/116714870688584190https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://archaeo.social/users/mrundkvist/statuses/116714870688584190Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:06:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:03:29 GMT]]>@mrundkvist Det första dokumenterade* "besöket" i Storbritannien skedde strax innan 790-talet, men var inte lika omtalat som Lindisfarne dĂ„ inga munkar skadades. 😕

Jag hade för mig att "vikingatid" var ett mer modernt namn (to viktorianskt?), och att man i engelska pÄ den tid det begav sig pratade om "Danes" och "Norse" snarare Àn "Vikings", Àven om det ordet brukades i Skandinavien.

* https://thehistorianshut.com/2019/04/13/the-first-reported-contact-between-britain-and-vikings/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mendeddrum.org/users/cunobaros/statuses/116714858722365653https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mendeddrum.org/users/cunobaros/statuses/116714858722365653Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:03:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:04:00 GMT]]>@mrundkvist
Raiding isn't heroic.

Defending is heroic!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/raymaccarthy/statuses/116714624819366820https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/raymaccarthy/statuses/116714624819366820Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:04:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:02:25 GMT]]>@mrundkvist I can understand this intellectually, but spiritually I choose to believe that grim warriors set forth under black sails (possibly wearing corpsepaint if they were Norwegian) to revel in nihilistic and grim slaughter of the English, poseurs, and anyone else not trve enough to join them.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/BoysenberryCider/statuses/116714618615024944https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/BoysenberryCider/statuses/116714618615024944Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:02:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:42:40 GMT]]>@Not_Dieter_Rot
A Scandinavian man working for the Emperor in Constantinople is no longer a Viking.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://archaeo.social/users/mrundkvist/statuses/116714540946390214https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://archaeo.social/users/mrundkvist/statuses/116714540946390214Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:42:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:41:23 GMT]]>@mrundkvist Viking mercenaries? Normandy? Eastern Europe,? Constantinople? False or the stuff of legend?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/Not_Dieter_Rot/statuses/116714535870863131https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/Not_Dieter_Rot/statuses/116714535870863131Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:41:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:07:25 GMT]]>@humanhorseshoes
I would advise against sacking and burning them.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://archaeo.social/users/mrundkvist/statuses/116714402293881922https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://archaeo.social/users/mrundkvist/statuses/116714402293881922Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:07:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:56:32 GMT]]>@jorny @mrundkvist on the theme of Martin's start of the thread, one reason Old Norse religion seems unsympathetic is that only Christians (and very occasionally Muslims) wrote anything about it.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tilde.zone/users/bkhl/statuses/116714359537796245https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tilde.zone/users/bkhl/statuses/116714359537796245Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:56:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:44:10 GMT]]>@mrundkvist @Pepijn apparently under Norse law the eldest son got everything so if you weren’t him your options were limited!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/peterbrown/statuses/116714310916728011https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/peterbrown/statuses/116714310916728011Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:44:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:42:59 GMT]]>@mrundkvist

Somehow, the slave trade always gets left out or glossed over in romantic descriptions of the viking period.

Also, old Norse religion does not seem very pleasant. Arguably christianity was an improvement for most people.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jorny/statuses/116714306236297970https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jorny/statuses/116714306236297970Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:42:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:37:21 GMT]]>@mrundkvist So no crochet way of living?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Moonrider_acme/statuses/116714284058423333https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Moonrider_acme/statuses/116714284058423333Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:37:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:36:56 GMT]]>@Infoseepage @Pepijn @mrundkvist they were delighted when they were let off by the Danish courts without having to pay a scat or fine.
They said they had been let off scat-free, which has mutated into scot-free.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/peterbrown/statuses/116714282475722126https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/peterbrown/statuses/116714282475722126Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:36:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:34:41 GMT]]>@mrundkvist

Some of them even migrated from what we now call Denmark, across the North Sea to what we now call East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, settled there and showed us how to farm.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/essjayjay/statuses/116714273629607146https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/essjayjay/statuses/116714273629607146Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:34:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:34:35 GMT]]>@Pepijn @mrundkvist
> Shore based admin support sounds like a Viking Period dream job.

I read a book about the viking period and came to the opposite conclusion. The pressure of too many younger sons, scarce/poor farmland, and violent mythology drove young Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes along every coast and up even shallow rivers throughout Europe, and no coastal area was safe at the height of viking activity. Seaside towns and monastaries were sacked repeatedly and vikings raided each other.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.xyz/users/forpeterssake/statuses/116714273182593174https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.xyz/users/forpeterssake/statuses/116714273182593174Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:34:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People have strange heroic ideas about the Viking Period. on Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:34:02 GMT]]>@mrundkvist I would employ much caution referring to literate sources (monks) because their description of interactions with the Norse “raiders” bears little resemblance to reality.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/peterbrown/statuses/116714271032398072https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/peterbrown/statuses/116714271032398072Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:34:02 GMT