(DR) History Channel
Ragnar is the main character of the series “Vikings”.
From the idea that they were all loud and blond or the famous “blood eagle” torture ritual, there are several popular myths about Vikings that are not sustained by historical or archaeological evidence.
For several centuries that Vikings captivate the public imagination, often portrayed as cruel warriorswith helmets with horns, who thrived with violence and pile.
But historians and archaeologists are constantly unraveling layers of myths to reveal a more complex portrait of these Scandinavians from the early Middle Ages, as the.
One of the most lasting misconceptions is that the Vikings They wore adorned helmets with horns or wings. This false image goes back to nineteenth -century opera costumes, particularly those designed by Carl Emil Doepler for Richard Wagner’s “ring cycle”.
Although these images have become iconic in art and in Hollywood movies, There is no evidence that the Vikings really wore horn helmets in the battles. The only helmets of this type found, dated 900 BC, are prior to the Viking era in more than one millennium and were probably ceremonial.
Another sensational myth involves the call Execution of the “Blood Eagle” -A horrible method supposedly used by Viking kings to kill enemies by tearing their lungs in their back. Although this appears in some Nordic sagas, historians believe that it is probably a literary invention or exaggeration, without archaeological evidence that proves its historical reality.
Although the attacks were undoubtedly part of the history of Vikings, it is mistaken to believe in the myth that They were just looters. Vikings were also traders, explorers and settlers. Artifacts such as Arabic silver coins and the Viking Settlement in L’Anse Auxows, on Newfoundland – dated about 1000 AD – demonstrate their extensive commercial routes and long -range explorations, reaching centuries before Colombo.
The notion that the Vikings They were exceptionally violent It is also denied by the historical context, as the same level of violence existed in many other societies in medieval Europe. His violent reputation is largely due to reports as the attack of 793 DC to Lindisfarne, but comparable violence was common at that time.
Another stereotype is that all Vikings were blond, tall and blue eyes. Modern DNA studies, however, show that Viking populations were genetically diverse, with influences from southern Europe, Eastern Europe and indigenous groups such as Saami. Many Vikings had dark hair and varied facial features, contradicting the image of a homogeneous “Nordic” breed.
Contrary to your reputation of Anti-Hygienic grossVikings kept relatively high patterns of personal hygiene. Archaeological findings include combs, tweezers and spoons, and reports such as the Arab explorer Ahmad Ibn Fadlan observed their daily hygiene – a rarity in tenth century Europe.
Finally, the idea that the Christianity “tamed” the Vikings Too much simplifies a complex religious transformation. Although conversion efforts began in the tenth century, with leaders such as Harald Bluetooth to adopt Christianity, violence persisted. Christian Vikings were equally capable of brutality, suggesting that the change of religion did not fundamentally altered their warrior culture.
