Why The Vikings Were The Barbarians

Kate Dwyer 8H, History : Mr Lawrence : Viking panel discussion: were the Vikings just brutal barbarians?

Question 1: In your research, what have you discovered about your area of expertise in relation to the beliefs and values of the Vikings?

In regards to my area of expertise, Viking home and work, the evidence suggests that the Vikings had specific beliefs and values. For example, they crafted their own homemade strong tools and stable long houses, as this helped them to live a better and safer lifestyle. Therefore, the Vikings were not just brutal barbarians they were domesticated, innovative and civilised people.

Question 2: What have you discovered about Viking behaviour and why the Vikings acted this way?

Despite common misconceptions about Viking behaviour, the Vikings were actually exceptional craftsmen. The way they built and used homes,
For example, primary sources, such as (Lore&Saga, ND), do not contain an origin of when and where the artefacts were found during the Viking age. This source has a few paragraphs to explain the artefacts, though without an origin of when and where they were found this sources purpose is controversial, as the information could have been made up. In addition to this, secondary sources, such as (Shelia clewley, ‘the Viking world’ 2000), also have a controversial accuracy, as they can contain bias language. ‘The Viking world’ book, contains bias language such as All Vikings held feasts. This bias language is telling us that every single Viking held and intended feasts, which is definitely not true. This causes the accuracy and purpose of this source to be quite questionable, as it makes us wonder if the author used more fake information about the Vikings. Therefore, it is clear that the challenges, regarding origin, purpose and accuracy of evidence need to be understood, so that we are choosing the best evidence to substantiate our