Talking of colonialism and the brutality of colonisation has anyone seen the Norwegian ' Viking Row' celebration at the World Cup?
"ROI"! "ROI"!! "ROI"!!!
Its a living, evolving tribute that connects contemporary Norwegians to their Viking roots through supporting their national team. You’ll also see it performed by kids, politicians, police, and crowds worldwide now, often with these Viking horns or drums for a bit of extra flair...
It's been lauded by the media and the chattering classes who thinks it's "oh such great fun"!!!
But the Vikings were capable of brutal violence, including raids that fit patterns of what we might call proto-colonial or expansionist activities ...
They enslaved captives ("thralls") who were a major part of their economy. Slaves were taken from raids and traded across Europe and into the Islamic world.
In places like England, Ireland, Normandy and parts of Scotland/Iceland/Greenland, they seized peoples land, imposed rule, and displaced or subordinated locals. Some settlements involved warfare and the mass killing of local peoples.
The British Empire and broader "Anglo-Saxon" (or Anglosphere) colonial legacy gets all this criticism in academia, media, education, politics, and public discourse in forums like this...
Thw Vikings don't just get far more leeway, they're actively lauded!!