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No evidence cited, far fetched claims, and a political bent. Quite simply, that isn't how it (history) works. Mass immigration of different cultures always come

No evidence cited, far fetched claims, and a political bent. Quite simply, that isn't how it (history) works. Mass immigration of different cultures always comes with at least a little violence and everybody doesn't pack up and leave ever - there are always some who stay. And then you go into a "Western imperialism violent / all other cultures peaceful" thing which is just sily. Without reading anything, I'm tempted to say your underlying political beliefs are slanting your claims. Let's see what the internet says... BBC quotes an expert (https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26431858 https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26431858): > The correction to "cuddly" Vikings had gone too far, says Prof Simon Keynes, an Anglo-Saxon historian at Cambridge University. "There's no question how nasty, unpleasant and brutish they were. They did all that the Vikings were reputed to have done." > They stole anything they could. Churches were repositories of treasure to loot. They took cattle, money and food. It's likely they carried off women, too, he says. "They'd burn down settlements and leave a trail of destruction." It was unprovoked aggression. And unlike most armies, they came by sea, their narrow-bottomed longships allowing them to travel up rivers and take settlements by surprise. It was maritime blitzkrieg at first. > Worse was the repeat nature of the raids. The Vikings, like burglars returning over and over again to the same houses, refused to leave places alone. Simon Keynes appears to be a reliable source, an expert at a prestigious university free if scandal. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Keynes https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Keynes But let's find another. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/sorry-the-vikings-really-were-that-bad https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/sorry-the-vikings-really... quotes David Dumville (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dumville https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dumville) and Stefan Brink (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Brink https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Brink)... Seems like two more reliable sources to me. So, basically, you were downvoted for being wrong. People downvoted without replying because it was obvious that you were wrong, but they couldn't work up the effort to provide you with references (as I've done here). Also, you're not supposed to complain about votes.

fallingfrog 6y ago
I didn't make any claims about their raids on Europe though. I was talking specifically about Iceland, and Greenland, and only about Iceland and Greenland. So all your sources are completely irrelevant to what I said. You're reading things I never wrote. The Thule people of Greenland arrived in 1300-1400, after the vikings had arrived. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#:~:text=Around%20AD%201300%E2%80%931400%2C%20the,walrus%2C%20narwhal%2C%20and%20seal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#:~:text=A.... I was writing things I find interesting from a social development perspective, and a historical information perspective, but there was nothing political implied about what I said. Nor did I make any sort of far fetched claims, I claimed that Iceland and Greenland were uninhabited when the Vikings arrived, and that claim is true. And the point I was making is how much of an outlier that is, I understand that contact is usually followed by violence, that's why I pointed out how unusual that situation was. I think that this is the result of people assuming political intent where there is none, reading into what I wrote things that weren't there, and basically just failing to be open minded in terms of exploring little known corners of history. The knee jerk downvote reflex is toxic and I think it's acceptable to talk about that. I understand that in this day and age everything gets transmuted into politics but in this case I’m just a history nerd relaying something fascinating I know and to get this instant negative response is.. well it’s discouraging and frustrating. We’re all hackers here; don’t we want to learn new things and not just have our biases confirmed? Seeing the Vikings in their aspect as explorers rather than warriors is an aspect that isn’t often talked about. Of course they were warriors too, I don’t want to paint them as perfect people. Oh whatever, I’m just shouting into the wind.
- will4274 6y ago
  All the links I posted are relevant to your last sentence which said: > Pretty peaceful overall for people who have a reputation for being barbarians.

fallingfrog 6y ago

I didn't make any claims about their raids on Europe though. I was talking specifically about Iceland, and Greenland, and only about Iceland and Greenland. So all your sources are completely irrelevant to what I said. You're reading things I never wrote. The Thule people of Greenland arrived in 1300-1400, after the vikings had arrived. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#:~:text=Around%20AD%201300%E2%80%931400%2C%20the,walrus%2C%20narwhal%2C%20and%20seal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#:~:text=A.... I was writing things I find interesting from a social development perspective, and a historical information perspective, but there was nothing political implied about what I said. Nor did I make any sort of far fetched claims, I claimed that Iceland and Greenland were uninhabited when the Vikings arrived, and that claim is true. And the point I was making is how much of an outlier that is, I understand that contact is usually followed by violence, that's why I pointed out how unusual that situation was. I think that this is the result of people assuming political intent where there is none, reading into what I wrote things that weren't there, and basically just failing to be open minded in terms of exploring little known corners of history. The knee jerk downvote reflex is toxic and I think it's acceptable to talk about that. I understand that in this day and age everything gets transmuted into politics but in this case I’m just a history nerd relaying something fascinating I know and to get this instant negative response is.. well it’s discouraging and frustrating. We’re all hackers here; don’t we want to learn new things and not just have our biases confirmed? Seeing the Vikings in their aspect as explorers rather than warriors is an aspect that isn’t often talked about. Of course they were warriors too, I don’t want to paint them as perfect people. Oh whatever, I’m just shouting into the wind.

will4274 6y ago
All the links I posted are relevant to your last sentence which said: > Pretty peaceful overall for people who have a reputation for being barbarians.