Frazz by Jef Mallett for September 13, 2022

What about the rotten teeth? The smell of lutefisk on their breath? The smell of sheep fat used to waterproof their sleeping capes and protect any iron weaponry? I mean how romantic can you BE? /s

Surprisingly, the Irish women preferred Viking men because they brushed their teeth.

With Frazz’s comment in mind, the football team did pick an appropriate name.

I was very surprised a few years ago when I visited Waterford, Ireland. I had always heard all the stereotypes of vikings being barbarian invaders who burned and pillaged, but in Waterford they see the Vikings as bringers of civilization and heroes.

The Vikings were looking for riches and pastures and performed all the classical medevial mundane professions: merchants, warriors, and farmers (probably the antique ones, too: gatherer, hunter and fisher)

Wasn’t it more like blackmail with Eric the Red? Not so much ‘discovery’ but places to plunder. Casing out the outlands.

They didn’t call him Eric Bloodaxe because he was good with children.

Who has a romantic image of Vikings?

We only see the action parts. There were no maps to “places to pillage”.

No wonder they converted to Christianity. Instead of pillaging and death they saw hope in conquering death with life

Jef Mallett must be playing Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.

If “romantic image” means “there was nothing pointless, no downtroddenness, no annoyances or chores, just exciting challenges and wonderful moments”, then there’s really not a lot to back up ANY romantic image.

You know who was gifted with a romantic image when I was growing up? Christopher Columbus. Boy, was that ever misplaced admiration.

A strange history of Vikings is that a tribe named the Rus first made Kiev a city (that’s how it used to be spelled) and then they traveled north to found Moscow

Vikings were a subset of the Norse peoples.

They were also looking for good fishing spots, maybe?

Vikings had periods where they were invaders and periods where they were traders. They were the first Europeans to travel to the Americas trading with Native Americans in the northeastern corner of what is now Canada. Archeologists have uncovered ruins of their trading outpost.