Why were the Vikings so brutal?

They took cattle, money and food. It's likely they carried off women, too, he says. "They'd burn down settlements and leave a trail of destruction." It was unprovoked aggression. And unlike most armies, they came by sea, their narrow-bottomed longships allowing them to travel up rivers and take settlements by surprise.

Why were the Vikings so tough?

Vikings were armed to the teeth

Archaeological findings show that the Vikings had everything required of a terrible foe. Their axes, swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields, and armour were equal to the weapons and armours of continental Europe and Britain – and often of the highest quality available at the time.

What did Vikings do to their victims?

Vikings pierced the heels of victims, threaded ropes through the holes, and then strung them upside-down. Not only was piercing the heels horrendously painful, but the blood ran down to their hearts. The fatal walk was another gruesome testament to torture.

Are Vikings really savages?

Viking myths

Until Queen Victoria's rule of Britain, the Vikings were still portrayed as a violent and barbaric people. During the 19th and 20th centuries, perceptions changed to the point where Vikings were glamorized as noble savages with horned helmets, a proud culture and a feared prowess in battle.

How did the Vikings gain their vicious reputation?

The Vikings weren't picky about their raiding targets, but the short-term gains in booty and ransom achieved by attacking monasteries resulted in the Vikings being relegated to the “vicious barbarian” category of history. The monks in those monasteries were the only historians around at that time.

The Brutal Reality of Viking Raids

How big was the average Viking?

Vikings were likely quite tall even by modern standards, with adult Norse males in Sweden, Norway, and England found to average around 176 cm (5 ft 9¼ in) in height, compared to 175.3 cm (5 ft 8⅞ in) in modern-day USA and England. The taller Vikings reached around 190 cm and the shorter around 170 cm.

Who were the Vikings afraid of?

They were particularly nervous in the western sea lochs then known as the "Scottish fjords". The Vikings were also wary of the Gaels of Ireland and west Scotland and the inhabitants of the Hebrides.

Who was the most brutal Viking?

Perhaps the epitome of the archetypal bloodthirsty Viking, Erik the Red violently murdered his way through life. Born in Norway, Erik gained his nickname most likely due to the colour of his hair and beard but it could also reflect upon his violent nature.

Did Vikings sacrifice humans?

Violence was a part of daily life in the Viking Age and took on a religious meaning like other activities. It is likely that human sacrifice occurred during the Viking Age but nothing suggests that it was part of common public religious practise.

How good were Vikings at fighting?

While maritime battles were very rare, Viking bands proved very successful in raiding coastal towns and monasteries due to their efficient warships, and intimidating war tactics, skillful hand-to-hand combat, and fearlessness.

How did Vikings treat their slaves?

Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, an Arab lawyer and diplomat from Baghdad who encountered the men of Scandinavia in his travels, wrote that Vikings treated their female chattel as sex slaves. If a slave died, he added, “they leave him there as food for the dogs and the birds.”

Why did Vikings do the blood eagle?

In the sagas, the blood eagle is depicted as a way for the victim's relatives to reclaim their lost honour. Contrary to established wisdom, we therefore argue that the blood eagle could very well have taken place in the Viking Age.

Did female Vikings go on raids?

It appears that Viking women did accompany raiding parties and were stationed at safe sites out of harm's way. Viking settlements frequently followed successful raids, and it was not uncommon for warriors to put down their swords, pick up a shovel, and plow the earth in their newfound homeland.

How physically strong were Vikings?

The Vikings also had a slight physical superiority as well. They were physically stronger and slightly taller than their opponents. As for Viking equipment, it was not advanced at all. They used round shields, axes, swords, and spears.

Who would win in a fight a Viking or a Spartan?

Spartans would be victorious because of their superior war tactics and since-childhood training. The Spartans fought in the Phalanx formation, considered one of the most effective war tactics in history. It's a challenging task to ascertain the battleground superiority of two warrior classes.

Who were the most brutal warriors?

What drug did the berserkers take?

One of the more hotly contested hypotheses is that the berserkers ingested a hallucinogenic mushroom (Amanita muscaria), commonly known as fly agaric, just before battle to induce their trancelike state.

Do Vikings still exist?

No, to the extent that there are no longer routine groups of people who set sail to explore, trade, pillage, and plunder. However, the people who did those things long ago have descendants today who live all over Scandinavia and Europe.

Did Vikings drink blood?

The Vikings were brutal and ruthless warriors, perhaps even bloodthirsty. Their pagan rituals involved animal sacrifice, but they did not drink blood.

Did Vikings ever fight samurai?

There are no known instances of Vikings and samurai engaging in armed combat, and such a claim would be pure conjecture. The furthest east that the Vikings traveled was the Middle East, and the furthest west that any Samurai ventured is Spain, and these excursions occurred centuries apart.

What race were the Vikings?

"We find Vikings that are half southern European, half Scandinavian, half Sami, which are the indigenous peoples to the north of Scandinavia, and half European Scandinavians.

Why didn't the Vikings invade Germany?

Vikings spoke a Germanic language that was still mutually intelligible with the Anglo-Saxons of England, and those 2 groups didn't even need an interpreter. So, for sure the Viking language(s) was probably even closer to the language(s) of Germany.

Were any Vikings black?

A small number of Vikings had black—or brown—skin, according to reliable historical evidence. For centuries, dark-skinned people either willingly traveled to Scandinavia or were forcibly taken there as slaves. Over time, some assimilated with the Vikings through farming, marriage, combat, and other cultural factors.

Who defeated the Vikings in real life?

At the battle of Ashdown in 871, Alfred routed the Viking army in a fiercely fought uphill assault.

Were Vikings taller than average?

Despite their ferocious tales of battle and lifestyle, you may be surprised to know that the average height of Viking men was 5 ft 9 in (176 cm), and the average height of Viking women was 5 ft 1 in (158 cm). The height of an average Viking was shorter than the height of today's Englishmen by almost 3-4 in (8-10 cm)!