![]() Maybe, though, just maybe, men were buried with weapons because they used them in battle. The obvious conclusion is, of course, that men were buried with weapons that were ceremonial and representative of their status, or that the weapons might have been family heirlooms. We’ve known more or less forever that weapons of war have been found in the graves of viking men as well as viking women. I’m starting to be convinced.ĭamning evidence has been under our noses this entire time. Men, with their upper body strength, are remarkably well suited to the simple labor of farm work.ĭespite all of that, male anthropologists have been insisting for decades now that some men participated in the warrior culture of the vikings. While raiding was a prominent part of the culture, it was farming that served as the lifeblood of the community. In an agricultural society like viking-era Scandinavia, men are simply too valuable to be risked in warfare. Men, with their upper body strength, are remarkably well suited to the simple labor of farm work. To say nothing of how men are socialized to constantly bicker with other men. Their larger body mass makes them easier targets for missile weapons and less capable of the sorts of guerrilla tactics that vikings favored on their raids. Testosterone makes them prone to irrational behavior and leaves them poor candidates not just for leadership roles but even subordinate roles. Their voices are too guttural and low to carry well across the din of battle. Their higher center of gravity makes them less stable. Men are, on average - and I don’t mean to disparage the capability of individual men here - less competent on the battlefield. I know that sounds absurd, like PC culture gone amuck. ![]() ![]() But there’s one thing that I assumed was inaccurate the first time I watched the show that might not necessarily be such fantasy after all: it turns out that some viking warriors may have in fact been men. The representations of viking government are pretty flawed. The steering board on all the longships is on the wrong side. The armor worn by everyone is more or less absurd. The TV show Vikings, one of my all time favorite shows, is plagued by historical inaccuracy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |