posted on Feb, 4 2014 @ 01:50 AM
reply to post by droid56
Just responding to the title, I would say that no, they were not barbarians. They had some of the most advanced tools, navigational equipment and
methods, and many of the women folk that they took from lands like Britain, actually came willingly, rather than the traditional image of them being
dragged off by the scruff of the neck, bleeding from a head wound.
The Viking males were, aside from being frequently covered in the blood of their enemies, well groomed, smelled and looked, much more well kept than
their British counterparts at the time. They would wash their hair and put herbal ointments in it to keep it clean for longer. Plus, all the rowing
that they did, made them strong, fast, and tough, which back in the day would have been very appealing to the ladies as well.
Also, women had a much more important role in Viking culture than in most European cultures at the time. The Vikings were also the producers of some
of the most ancient works of written story telling in Northern Europe. These are not the markers of a barbarian horde, but of a warrior culture. You
also have to remember that the Vikings were mostly farmers, who just so happened to have a habit of getting into a boat every so often, heaving off
across the sea, and planting high poundage swords and axes through some faces. Their reasons for doing so were much better than some groups had at the
Their culture however, was too rich, and their methods and tools too advanced, to call them barbarians.