Vikings enjoy a huge popularity amongst lay historians and the general populace. We've got a "Vikings" TV series, not a "early Danish kingdoms" series. There's

Vikings enjoy a huge popularity amongst lay historians and the general populace. We've got a "Vikings" TV series, not a "early Danish kingdoms" series. There's "Viking metal", not "Calmar union metal". Every friggin' fantasy setting has Viking expies, even if the rest is positively Renaissance. When people think of Scandinavian history, it's primarily bearded raiders, not Gustavus Adolphus. I'd say the only historic stereotype that is more popular are knights, and they share a lot of the same "bad history" characteristics. So, "bum rap"?