Vikings Saga

Running Head : THE VIKING SAGA

The Viking Saga : An Alternative View

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The Viking Saga : An Alternative View

The predominant view of the Viking history can be summarized as follows : 1 ) the Vikings looted , pillaged , and destroyed European coastal cities before the 10th century A .D 2 ) they were mostly pagan , adhering to an old and mystical religion 3 ) they were adverse with the cultural and political achievements of Europe and 4 ) they were labeled as the `New Huns ' - the sole purpose was to destroy the

general peace in Medieval Europe . It is no wonder that this predominant view of the Viking history has had often obstructed essential realities of their history (Upshur , 2004 . It is the purpose of this to : 1 ) redefine if not to modify Viking history , and 2 ) to give detailed examples which would support this redefinition

One may infer that the bloody history of the Vikings was due perhaps to the growing political cynicism in the European continent . As Europe descended into anarchy (the so-called `Dark Ages , the Vikings made their move . Sensing the weakness of newly created European kingdoms , the Vikings struck . However , it should not be argued that the Vikings were the real cause of the `Dark Ages ' The Vikings simply accelerated the Dark Ages . It was European cynicism , feudal struggles , and political disorientation which put Europe into an age of malevolent struggles and imprudence (Upshur , 2004

In contrast to conventional history , most of the Vikings who migrated to the...