Loading...For a moment, picture a Viking in your head: go on, you know you have a preconceived idea of what an ancient Norse person looks like. The big beard, the giant sword, the helmet with the horns. And yes, you’re partially right. Most Vikings back then did have a big beard, a big sword and a helmet- oh wait, actually no they didn’t. The horned helmets didn’t exist and if you think about it don’t even make any sense.
Ok, I admit. I don’t actually know that much about the Norse civilization or culture. And I’m going to assume you don’t either. That’s why today’s featured video is Crash Course‘s World History series installment, The Vikings!. Narrated by John Green, half of the channel vlogbrothers, the video explains what historians today actually know about Viking culture, and why most of what we think of as Viking culture is wrong. (i.e. pretty much going around killing people all the time)
And get this: Vikings actually traded more than they pillaged. Who knew.