No, not all Vikings are evil. The Vikings were also renowned merchants and explorers, and their women reportedly fought alongside the men.
Moreover, many stories, books, movies, and even television programs, such as History Channel’s Vikings, are based on myths such as these. Though some of them were very evil.
Furthermore, numerous terrible reports of Vikings sacrificing humans exist. But, because most Vikings were cruel doesn’t mean that all were cruel. And about those who were cruel, circumstances required them to be like that.
Numerous Vikings were brutal because their missions demanded it, as Vikings were culturally separate from their chroniclers and left no written records of their own. Succeeding generations regarded their cruelty as excessive, even though it was essentially consistent with the norms of the time.
Did The Vikings Sacrifice Humans?
Yes, the Vikings sacrificed humans. Violence was a daily occurrence throughout the Viking Age and, like other activities, took on a religious significance. Human sacrifice did take place.
Moreover, there are numerous terrible reports of Viking-era human sacrifices. One of them talks about how The Vikings gathered every nine years at Lejre in Zealand in January to sacrifice 99 persons and the same number of horses, dogs, and chickens or hawks to their gods to atone for their wicked actions in the kingdom of the dead.
What Horrible Things Did The Vikings Do
Vikings used to do many horrible things. Some of them are-
1. Human trafficking
Many Vikings became wealthy through human trafficking. While ravaging Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Slavic communities, they would seize and enslave women and young men. These “thralls,” as they were known, were sold throughout Europe and the Middle East in enormous slave markets.
2. Berserker
Furthermore, a very strange thing about Vikings which tells the heights of their horrible things.
The Vikings’ ability to enter a trance-like state known as “Berserker” before battle gave them a significant advantage over the peoples they conquered. In this condition, they would slaughter anyone who stood in their way.
Further, according to one idea, the Vikings entered these Berserker moods using Psilocybin mushrooms. More commonly known as magic mushrooms.
According to a theory, the mushrooms that flourished in the area where the Vikings lived led them to have hallucinations. In addition, it elevated their adrenaline levels, resulting in the Berserker condition.
3. Viking soup
Since bloody and brutal battles were a normal part of Viking life, Viking women acquired a great deal of expertise regarding combat wounds. Specifically, Viking women had a method for determining the severity of a stab or slash wound.
They fed the wounded warrior a stew, including onions, leeks, and herbs. Further, following consumption, the women would smell the wound.
If they smelled the broth, they would have known that the incision was too deep to heal. The women did nothing to assist the dying warrior as death was imminent. They would devote their time and cures exclusively to soldiers they might aid.
4. Justice system
The Viking judicial system differs significantly from modern law. Notably, it was forbidden to offend someone of a higher class, although it was not always unlawful to kill someone.
For instance, if someone was murdered, their family may execute the perpetrator. This resulted in long-lasting, reciprocal blood feuds.
5. Sexual slavery
This notion is supported by DNA testing performed on present Icelandic citizens. They examined the mitochondria that a person inherits from their mother and father.
Since the Vikings colonized Iceland over a millennium ago, there has been comparatively little migration to the country.
Thus, experts were able to determine the origins of Iceland’s settlers. Their tests revealed that approximately 80% of male settlers in Iceland originated from Norway, whereas 63% of female settlers were from the British Isles.
This would indicate widespread intermarriage between Norwegian men and women from Viking-invaded regions. It is quite doubtful that the women would have relocated to Iceland independently.
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Did The Vikings Do Anything Morally Good?
Few morally right things were prevalent in the Vikings era. In a few areas, women’s rights were better than they knew. The women could possess the land, inherit the land, and communicate with the Things.
They were an unbiased race. Regardless of their reputation, They had guidelines by which to live.
However, these restrictions did not apply to individuals who were not Vikings.
Did The Vikings Go On Cult Processions?
Yes, the Vikings used to go on a cult procession. A woman of high status, possibly a queen, was buried aboard a ship in Oseberg. Among her, numerous valuable grave goods was a tapestry portraying an exquisitely crafted procession.
The participants are decorated warriors and ladies who walk, ride horses, and occupy two of the horse-drawn carriages. We know that the Iron Age fertility cult involved bringing the deity over the fields in a covered cart to ensure the highest yields.
The burial contained an exquisitely crafted wagon that would have been unsuited for regular usage. Therefore, the cart has been regarded as a conveyance for a cultic procession.
Cats, an animal connected with the fertility and love goddess Freyja, provide support for this function as they adorn the structure.
Returning to the tapestry, there are pictures of covered wagons on it. Do they obscure Freyja’s symbols? The cultic aspect of the funeral may indicate that the deceased was Freyja’s representative on earth.
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Why Were Many Vikings So Cruel?
Numerous Vikings were brutal because their missions demanded it, as Vikings were culturally separate from their chroniclers and left no written records of their own.
Succeeding generations regarded their cruelty as excessive, even though it was essentially consistent with the norms of the time.
Since it was unlikely that people would willingly yield their riches or territory to the Vikings, roaming Viking bands had to resort to violence to attain their goals. Being a Viking was, by definition, a violent endeavor, as Vikings had to resort to bloodshed to achieve their strategic objectives.
Moreover, once entrenched, the Vikings’ reputation for ferocity frequently allowed them to achieve their objectives with minimal use of force. This technique is shown by the Vikings’ recurrent use of the threat of invasion or destruction to demand and collect ransoms from their neighbors.
Vikings were not the only people of their day who possessed a violent disposition. Historically, brutality was considerably more prevalent than it is today.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many people did the Vikings sacrifice?
They sacrificed many humans in different offerings to their gods.
In the most famous Old Uppsala one, they sacrificed nine males of all species every nine years and hung them from the trees as part of a massive Midwinter Blood Ritual for Odin and Yngvi-Frey.
2. Who do they sacrifice in Vikings?
Ragnar Lothbrok, the protagonist of the iconic television series Vikings, kidnaps a former monk named Athelstan for the sacrifice.
3. What race were the Vikings?
The Vikings had descent from Southern Europe and Scandinavia.
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