By 2026 standards: Not really…
The Vikings in 926 were almost superior in terms of an egalitarian society, hygiene, ship design, and a number of other things that explain their success.
Seen from today’s perspective, there are some things that are a little hard to digest – which was true not only of the Vikings, but of almost all societies at the time.
We can start with slaves. The Vikings called them “thralls”, but the word “slave” actually comes from the fact that most of the slaves that the Vikings sold in the Byzantine Empire were of Slavic descent, from what is now Russia and Ukraine. Slaves were also brought in from Ireland, England and Scotland, the Baltic countries, and even neighboring villages.
Some were free citizens who were enslaved, others were already slaves to other owners, hence slave theft.
Without having invented concepts like ethnicity, nationality, or religious discrimination, they took slaves everywhere. (You can read more about “Nordicism” here.)
The slave trade during the period assumed industrial proportions, and the Vikings in particular were able to deliver throughout Europe. The city of Dublin was actually founded by Vikings as a slave market.
The hygiene of the Vikings was extremely high, compared to other northern Europeans. This meant a lower infant mortality rate, and a significantly higher survival rate after a battle; simply because they washed their wounds.
At the same time, the Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan described how disgusting they were, seen from Muslim eyes (Muslims must wash at least five times a day). With modern glasses on, most Vikings would probably need one more bath, a change of clothes and a toothbrush.
The ship design was superior. A Viking ship can sail across the Atlantic, down a river, be carried over a waterfall, run aground on a beach while looting a monastery, and be halfway back to Jutland before anyone can call for help.
They sailed down the Russian rivers, across the oceans, from the Mediterranean to Iceland, Greenland and Canada. Maneuverability is top notch, but comfort is miserable. Most people, nowadays, would probably prefer a ship with shelter, galley and cabins on a longer voyage.
Equality was higher than anywhere else in the world. Women could own property, be single mothers without stigmatization, participate on an equal footing with men in battles, legal actions and religious ceremonies. Most religious actions were actually reserved for women.
If we compare the position of women in the year 926 with the year 1626, women of the Viking Age were significantly better off. But if we compare the year 926 with the year 2026, we will be able to point out many areas and situations where women lacked much equality.
We should also not imagine that Viking Age society was “classless”. It was not at all. Although everyone was in principle heard in the longhouse before decisions were made, there is no doubt that some were more – much more – equal than others.
And we must remember that a city consisted of both citizens and slaves. Slaves were not included in the equality for which the Vikings were praised.
Finally in this list we come to plundering and war. All groups did it at that time, but the Vikings were simply more skilled than everyone else for a period.
If a local king wanted to expand his territory, it was not difficult to find warriors. The reward was that the warriors had the right to plunder, enslave and rape the local population when they were victorious.
Quite ordinary plundering – without political motivation – of villages, churches and monasteries was commonplace, and the tactic was to create a regular bloodbath with slow humiliating executions, burnings, mass rape and more, while letting a few victims escape who could spread the rumor.
This meant that the next time they stood in front of a gate, the villagers were willing to pay “protection money” to get out – the so-called “Danegeld”.
Pure mafia methods.
Some of the people they captured were simply hostages that they could sell back to their families immediately, and avoid having to drag them in chains across the sea and sell them as slaves.
They could travel to a foreign city to trade, find that the city was poorly protected, and return a little later to plunder the city.
If there were no raids or wars in sight, some enlisted as mercenaries with local kings.
Vikings allied with other Vikings against English kings, allied with English kings against other Vikings, sold Vikings as slaves in Constantinople, swapped religion and “nationality” several times back and forth during their lives.
There were no – absolutely no – moral scruples if there was a possibility of profit.
Everything for silver!
That cynicism is hard to find among modern Vikings. Fortunately.
If you are “woke” enough, you can discuss whether Vikings are still too cynical and ruthless.
Outside of Scandinavia, it is not difficult to find people who believe that Danes are barbarians. When we publish caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, we arrange a public autopsy of a giraffe at the zoo, so that schoolchildren can watch, bathing naked in Copenhagen’s inner harbor, drinking alcohol on the S-train, having TV programs for children with naked people, and so on.
At least we are now so “woke” that we no longer plunder monasteries and enslave the monks.