Vikings on History Channel

[bags123]

I've been hooked on this series since it's debut back in March. It comes on the History Channel,.at 10:00 PM Sundays. The last episode is this Sunday. Nine 1 hour episodes all together. It was films in Ireland,...and is some sort of joint project between Ireland/Norway. Really strong acting,...bloody realistic depiction of the Viking life. 3 thumbs up

[preston]

One of my favorite alternative histories of North America ... concerns pre-Colombian Viking explorers encountering lactose intolerant Native Americans.

Imagine the Blazing Saddles campfire scene only with Vikings and Inuits.

[Bruno]

There's a lot of Hollywood charisma around vikings. But what were they really! Destroyers, butchers rapists and murderers. As low life as a human can get. What they couldn't take they destroyed. Their vaunted bravery and courage consisted of invading villages and towns that they could plunder. If they had to face a real military force they ran back to their long ships. The vikings were among the most disgusting peoples in the entire Western hemisphere.

Every time I watch a documentary on Vikings - and they are interesting - I always enjoy visualizing what Vlad the Impaler would have done to the prisoners.

[MJPease]

You scoundrel that's enough to piss off a saint bags. You've been watching this most interesting series since it started but have decided to share this information with us so that we may catch the very last episode. I got your # pal you're the frontman for the series DVD that will soon be released.
A friend just pulled the same trick on us with Downton Abby We caught a glimpse of season three and went out and bought Seasons 1,2,3 and can't wait for #4 to be released. The best TV produced today is on PBS Masterpiece and The History Channel. Take Care

[Bruno]

You scoundrel that's enough to piss off a saint bags. You've been watching this most interesting series since it started but have decided to share this information with us so that we may catch the very last episode. I got your # pal you're the frontman for the series DVD that will soon be released.

I'm still awaiting feedback from St. Bags and the Viking imprecations he will certainly bestow on me.

Never was a particular fan of the History Channel. Even by their own admission embellishment for the sake of entertainment is not uncommon. I prefer BBC and PBS as far as history or any documentary is concerned not that there isn't a little of that going on with them as well but, all in all, I find them much more trustworthy.

[bags123]

There's a lot of Hollywood charisma around vikings. But what were they really! Destroyers, butchers rapists and murderers. As low life as a human can get. What they couldn't take they destroyed. Their vaunted bravery and courage consisted of invading villages and towns that they could plunder. If they had to face a real military force they ran back to their long ships. The vikings were among the most disgusting peoples in the entire Western hemisphere.

Every time I watch a documentary on Vikings - and they are interesting - I always enjoy visualizing what Vlad the Impaler would have done to the prisoners.

During the 8th and 9th centuries everyone was a brutal savage. Except
Perhaps the priests. Stealing and plundering were the common means
Of survival.

[Bruno]

During the 8th and 9th centuries everyone was a brutal savage. Except
Perhaps the priests. Stealing and plundering were the common means Of survival.

You're absolutely right and not just in the 8th & 9th centuries. But even in these excessively savage times the common refrain was "God save us from the wrath of the Norseman". Their savagery was proverbial. They didn't do it as a means of survival which doesn't require that kind of extreme; they did it because they liked it. Their targets were usually small urban areas where some wealth may have accumulated. They didn't fight other peoples or tribes for political power as was common. They were raiders who fought purely for plunder and in the process enjoyed killing anything that stood upright. If they didn't understand or find use for something they invariably destroyed it and much of cultural value was lost in that process. They always went after those places that could offer little resistance.

The Viking packs were worse than hyenas always going after what had the least chance to defend itself. Hyenas at least have a very important part to play in nature, no matter how much we dislike them but the Viking represents everything one despises in humans. Sorry if this doesn't overlap with most people's view of Vikings but history is history.

If I'm doing them an injustice I'd appreciate knowing where I went wrong!

[LadySaturn]

So that's why you've been walking around in a Viking helmet, Bagsy... I thought you had finally flipped your lid. Was about to call the folks with the straight jacket.

[bags123]

Dragon Ships

On dragon ships
men scan the skies
Perplexed, they ask
the reasons why?
They sail so far
from friendly fjords
to find an
unknown future.

Their leader stands
from rough hewn oars
These waters never
seen before,
but sagas tell of
gold, and land
that's ripe now
for the taking

"Be strong Norsemen
and persevere!
This voyage
fills your hearts with fear.
By dawn we'll land
on foreign soil
Keep weapons sharp
and ready".

With morning sun
a guard conveys
Four distant ships
assault his gaze
A raven's crest
is flown on high
"Flee now... or we'll
be slaughtered".

A warlord grips
his heavy sword
The Bishop waits,
as he kneels toward
The altar of
the one true God
requesting his
protection

He rises from
his age-ed knees
His men will fight
They've all agreed
Out numbered by
the heathen hordes
Faith goes before
the battle

Thor's army
disembarks its ships
A viking creed
escapes their lips
" If I should I die
a valient death,
Valhalla bids
me enter".

Berserkers drink
their bitter herbs
Ferocity will not
be curbed
The first in battle,
last to die
Blood lust, has been
created

They march
unlimbered
too the fore
Scars mark this place
like those before
To kill the weak ,
then take what's left
Survival of
the fittest

The warlord sees
his own demise
Considers what
to compromise.
"I'll give you half
my gold and food
Our women yours
for taking".

The pagan chief
who hears these pleas
laughs with distaste
and then decrees;
That such a man
deserves to die
The world's best rid
of cowards.

Across the shallow
walls they came
Defenses fell
by weight of shame
The warlords head
adornes the prow ,
while dragon ships
sail homeward.

[Bruno]

Great poem Bags! But it doesn't change my mind about Vikings.

[thief of dreams]

I don't know enough about the Vikings to make any kind of case for or against, but I do enjoy the show.

[bags123]

Great poem Bags! But it doesn't change my mind about Vikings.

I'm not going to try and change your mind my friend. It seems deeply entrenched in its opinion,...and I'm without a shovel. Brutality has always been part and parcel of human nature, whether you're talking about Vikings, the Church, Nazi's or the British. We all have blood in our family trees. As far as the Vikings running back to their ships at the
first sign of military opposition,...., I disagree. Lets remember that at one time almost half of England was called Daneland. The Vikings established long standing communities
not only in England, but Ireland,and Scotland. Dublin was originally a Viking settlement. The Normans,...were originally Norse Men who were French fried over time. Their influence, and the influence of their descendents on European history is undeniable.

[Eternum 1]

The city of Belfast was founded by Norsemen and I agree that their so called savagery was propagandized and embellished by the church as the church was a favorite target for looting (it's where gold and silver could be found most readily).

Every pagan society was demonized by the church, yet these same vikings were recorded as being uncivilized but respectable as warriors by the Romans before the clergy bolloxed up the empire. The church propagandists portrayed the Incas and Mayans and the Iriqouis federations as even more savage to justify handing them smallpox infested blankets and taking away their homes and food sources. They demanded coin from the various crowns to send missionairies to help destroy/save the original Americans.

Save me from the tender mercies of civilization that tells natives to cover themselves with cotton and wool in the tropics, that clear cuts rain forests (because demonic forces live in the woods) in order to build houses that won't last and grow crops in thin soil that is dead from exposure after 3 seasons. Save me from Monsanto with it's GMO crops and patented seeds and toxic chemicals that are killing the worlds pollinators.

Save the planet from the civilized and bring back the pagans, whether they be Vikings or otherwise, at least the threat they posed didn't become one of conquest until someone offered them a war mongering, slavery loving and woman hating religion in exchange for everything they had.

The Vikings were among the early few who resisted a jihadist movement that Chief Seattle so eloqeuntly described in saying "They had the bible and we had the land. Now we have the bible and they have the land."

I wrote this ode to winter solstice a few years ago.

In the frozen lands of winter
where winds doth chill the bone
the crack of ice doth splinter
the solidest of stone

I gather 'round my kin
to speak of solstice night
herald the pale sun
suspended in twilight

By the dancing of Yule fires
we share both meat and mead
By windows agleam with icy spires
we repeat the ancient creed

Hail, well met and hearty
to all beneath my roof
Tonight's a solstice party
to yon guests I am behooved

Raise up the drinking horn
feast and have good cheer
This night the sun is reborn
proclaiming a new year

We recall heroes gone
into Valhallas Keep
Their watch we stand til dawn
through a darkness deep

Recall when they did walk
and ne'er bent a knee
To the house on Roman rock
by the shallow sea

Welcome all you trav'lers
merry meet once more
Tonight all true men gather....
our hearth and home is yours

Merry we do make this oath
then merry we do part
That every year neath northern snow
we'll keep a heathen heart

Troth, now be spoken
in a manner bold and free
Troth unto our fathers
ancient memory.

[bags123]

I love drinking poems.

[Bruno]

I'm not going to try and change your mind my friend. It seems deeply entrenched in its opinion,...and I'm without a shovel. Brutality has always been part and parcel of human nature, whether you're talking about Vikings, the Church, Nazi's or the British. We all have blood in our family trees. As far as the Vikings running back to their ships at the
first sign of military opposition,...., I disagree. Lets remember that at one time almost half of England was called Daneland. The Vikings established long standing communities
not only in England, but Ireland,and Scotland. Dublin was originally a Viking settlement. The Normans,...were originally Norse Men who were French fried over time. Their influence, and the influence of their descendents on European history is undeniable.

What you say is again correct and I'm also somewhat familiar with Viking history once they settled down.

Maybe I watched too many documentaries when they first made their initial raids during the late 8th century during which they really were a bunch of jackals. This is not impugning them. History now is no longer written according to how the church defined other peoples. But it's also true that during those times the Germanic tribes weren't any better. As a matter of fact the behavior of peoples all the way up to the end of the 17th & 18th century hardly improved. Most of the wars were fought with mercenary armies who were out for payment, plunder, rape and killing. You could do anything you wanted to the defeated for a period of three days if memory serves. Many of the stories there are beyond horrific.

So as you say, one can't really point the finger since so much of that excessive brutality happened long after the Vikings already defined themselves into nations and most ironically among so-called civilized nations.

Chief Seattle so eloqeuntly described in saying "They had the bible and we had the land. Now we have the bible and they have the land."

...interesting! I always thought this quote originated in South Africa. Could be wrong but I never read anywhere that it was Chief Seattle who first coined it.

...anyways, no more attacks of opinion from me in the future!

Regards!

BTW Eternum: Your poem is one that should be published if it isn't already. Your emulation of the old style is simply brilliant. Much enjoyed!