I like Mexico’s approach. I have yet to see this drug do me any good and don’t even fool myself to take it anymore.
‘Cold wind to Vahalla’ ping.
Worth mentioning is that Russia was named after the “Rus”. They were Norse rulers invited to form a government in what is now Russia after the tribes noted the order along the trade routes (rivers). The Norse traders were willing to pay for help portaging around rapids, and generally acted like traders do, until the natives began their usual occupation of theft.
At that point the Norse ‘went berserk’ and shopped the native up with battle axes, swords, and other weapons. Soon the natives learned that helping the traders was better than attacking them or attempting to steal from them.
From there, the natives eventually realized the sad reality - Russia is inhabited by peoples who are fractious and difficult to rule. So, they hired the Norse to set up a government.
Protestantism...the ruling culture on earth? Are you serious?
“Today the ruling culture of Earth.”
Not sure I would want to claim that part, but enjoyed the buildup.
You hit a ‘Thor’ spot on this one.. but I shall forge ahead. Odin would wish it so. :-)
I grew up a few miles away from the site the Runestone was found in Minniesoda and The Mighty Thor was one of my fave comic book characters as a kid and beyond.. It wasn’t all pillaging and conquering, but some legends die hard.
They are all Christians now, or at least used to be. I guess the Holy Roman Empire won that little tif.
I was wondering the other day, if Yaweh had a twin in another universe named Noweh....do ya think so?
You are way off about Christianity and as an example Sweden did not go Christian until the 12th Century and Charlemagne was the 9th Century. Rule of Law? Rape, murder and plunder were the rules of the Vikings and sent Europe deeper into the Dark Ages.
The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe who settled in the valley of the Danube and from there invaded Byzantine Italy in 568 under the leadership of Alboin. They established a Lombard Kingdom, later named Kingdom of Italy, which lasted until 774, when it was conquered by the Franks. Their influence on Italian political geography is apparent in the regional appellation Lombardy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombards
Too bad the “Vik” degenerated into Swedes and Norwegians.
Interesting article, though.
It’s certainly more alive than the Minnesota Vikings have been this season.
Scandinavians seem to have a very weak sense of cultural identity and pride.
When cultures meet, it seems that it’s the ‘Scandinavian’ that does not survive the encounter. They have tended to assimilate themselves into oblivion too easily.
It’s rather sad, actually.