The Vikings are renowned for their violent raids on foreign lands , yet new research suggests that slaying and bloodthirst were not the average across all of Scandinavia . compare the grade of violence evidenced by Viking - Age skeletons in Norway and Denmark , the subject area authors found that interpersonal attack were far more common in the northern realm , while the Danes in the main left the use of force to the authorities .
Among the Danish skeletons , only 7 per centum showed signs of having died as a result of physical trauma , with almost all of these being beheaded during “ official ” executions . In dividing line , one third of Norse frame displayed healed injuries – indicating participation in non - fatal violent confrontation – while 37 percent showed grounds of lethal trauma .
And while the absolute majority of Danish cleanup appear to have been authorized by the country , the bailiwick generator draw the Norse deaths as “ slaying of a very unlike character , ” with all dupe having been “ rape with bladed and/or direct weapons . ” Surprisingly , the function of force does not come along to have been allow for Norse men , hinting at a floor of grammatical gender equality in terms of societal status .
“ Similarities in trauma etiology between Norwegian adult female and Man may be revelatory of women being a literal threat to the perpetrators – they were do by as savagely as any other enemy – and thus telling of their influence on the political and social arena , ” pen the authors .
To get a secure understanding of the importance of violence in each of the two societies , the research worker analyse the prevalence of swords and other weapons inViking - Agegraves . Overall , these were much more common in Norway , with one sword per 33 square kilometers ( 12.8 solid mile ) in the Rogaland region in the southwest of the land .
Across Denmark , meanwhile , one Viking sword has been found per 547 square kilometers ( 211 square miles ) of territory . Unlike in Norway , then , it appear that DanishVikings“were not heavily armed , ” indicating that their experience of everyday life was probably “ relatively relaxed ” .
An explanation for these deviation can be found onrunestonesfrom the two area , with ancient inscriptions in Denmark hint at a more bedded society than those in Norway . At the same sentence , Denmark contains considerably more Viking Age fortresses than Norway , indicating greater centralisation of mogul .
The mellow concentration of these Danish repository dates to the latter part of the tenth century , when the country was rule by the legendaryHarald Bluetooth . “ Harald ’s reign thus stand out as exceptional in term of the unmingled intensity of earthwork , an reading that he was capable to command hitherto unobserved , massive extent of resources , ” compose the researchers .
Under the rule of such apowerful king , people were evidently more willing to allow the authority to settle dispute and regulate the use of violence against offenders . In contrast , Norway seems to have been more of a " Wild West " , with individuals taking matter into their own hands .
Based on these observations , the authors remark that “ Denmark was evidently a civilianized space to a surprising point for the prison term . Norway , conversely , displayed very mellow level of furiousness , and fright of violence is patent in the extent the great unwashed armed themselves . ”
“ The finding of these shape suggest that we are speak of distinct social club in the regions of Norway and Denmark , ” said field writer David Jacobson in astatement . “ This is quite spectacular , as the assumption has been that socially Viking Scandinavia was mostly a singular blank . ”
The work is publish in theJournal of Anthropological Archaeology .
