A reason for the viking age...

[Boyd]

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/09/17/viking-women.html

[quentin]

Hmm. Don't think much of the write up!

There was an excellent discussion thread on 'The Vikings' forum years ago, but sadly I can't now find it.

Firstly, Infanticide has been common throughout history. (Even nowdays - we call it abortion but its still here, just with higher medical tech).
Its a lousy trick to blame it on any one culture or era.

Secondly, I have never seen archelogical evidence of large numbers of newborn graves. Anyone got any data?
In the absence of data its mere sensationalism.

Third, if indeed infanticicde was happening on a frequent basis then it very likely ties in closely with the (7year, in england) famine cycle. If the crops are bad and adults are expected to starve to death that year (the definition of famine!) then exposing a child may be a decision with very practical basis (and much heartbreak).
Remember that infant mortality is high anyway.

In any case, how they can tie "extremely risky voyages" to shortages of women is almost beyond me. Is the high number of kiwis going off on OE's to England tied directly to the low marriage rates of the 20th century?
Perhaps on the Discovery channel it is.....

Q

p.s. Boyd, dispite my rant my thanks for posting this! There are some ideas in that article which may not have been seen here before

[Boyd]

Ha ha-ha haa!

Fancy thinking that scholarly types don't just leap to ridiculous conclusions on scant evidence... its science baby!

[Ryu_Soma]

eventually scientists are proven wrong, and the ones that prove it are also proven wrong in time...... it is a theory, one which other people will have different opinions, no one will ever know for certian.........until someone invents a time machine and actually see it for themselves

On that note its rather interesting idea, if i was single i would definitely use that excuse for a dangerous voyage

[BigMac]

Didn't they say the same thing about why waves of Chinese men are going forth to seek there fortunes just a few years ago?

[Boyd]

Maybe the vikings were trying to pay back crippling student loans??

This theory does help account for the ferocity of the vikings - having an itch they just couldn't scratch!

[Bogue]

And Boyd did so chillingly accurately state:-

[NigelT]

[crite40]

Hail All!
I came across a very plausible reason for the Viking age a few days ago on Sky.
The guy to blame may be that nasty piece of work Charlemagne.
He was making tracks through Northern Europe forcibly "converting" the locals from their own religion by giving the a choice of conversion or death.
When that news got North I bet it gave the Vikings ideas of getting their own back on the Xtians, defending themselves and incidentally getting loot at the same time. Certainly the dates make it look very possibe.
It coincides very well with improvements in Scandinavian ship and sail design.

[Nathan]

[quentin]

and the associated battle cruiser group....

We Could raid North Eastern Africa. And there is this nice little isolated monastry called Bahrain just along the coast....

[BigMac]

[ann dugmore]

With the current inbalance in the ratio between men and women in China, perhaps we should expect an even bigger Asian horde to be coming a-vikkinging soon in souped up sanpans and 'dragon' boats.............