Posted on 09/04/2024 8:21:08 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Their findings show that interpersonal violence—violence not meted out as punishment by authorities—was much more common in Norway. This is evident in the much greater rates of trauma on skeletons and the extent of weaponry in Norway. The study, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, sheds new light on how Viking Age societies in Norway and Denmark differed in their experiences with violence and the role social structures played in shaping those patterns...
Researchers analyzed skeletal remains from Viking Age Norway and Denmark and found that 33% of the Norwegian skeletons showed healed injuries, indicating that violent encounters weren't uncommon. By comparison, 37% of the skeletons showed signs of lethal trauma, highlighting the frequent and often fatal use of weapons in Norway.
A notable feature in Norway was the presence of weapons, particularly swords, alongside skeletons in graves. The study identified more than 3,000 swords from the Late Iron Age and Viking periods in Norway, with just a few dozen in Denmark. These findings suggest weapons played a significant role in Norwegian Viking identity and social status—further emphasizing the culture's connection to violence.
In Denmark, the findings show a different pattern. Danish society was more centralized, with clearer social hierarchies and stronger central authority. Violence was more organized and controlled, often linked to official executions rather than acts of personal violence.
For example, skeletal remains in Denmark showed fewer signs of weapon-related injuries but included evidence of executions such as decapitations. Skeletal evidence suggests about 6% of Viking Danes died violently, almost all from executions...
...monumental structures, particularly during the reign of King Harald Bluetooth in the 10th century, demonstrated Denmark's greater capacity for coordinated labor and more organized social hierarchies.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Im other words, interpersonal violence was more common where the state didn’t do all the killing. Sounds like they are pushing gun control through the back door!!
Vikings invaded, then settled in the British Isles, intermarrying with the local people. That's why a lot of Britons have ended up with traces of Viking DNA.
He's the guy the the short range wireless protocol was named after.
Seriously.
Years ago I read a book about violence in various societies. A description was given about dealing with playground violence in Denmark and another country, Germany, I think. In Denmark, playground supervisors usually took both children in the conflict and talked with them about the problem and helped them find a solution to the argument. In the other country, children were often encouraged to fight harder if they were in the right or something else which did not resolve the problem.
I also thought 6% death by executions sounded high, but then considered how many crimes in England of the period were also solved by execution—petty theft, pickpocketing, etc. Finally, with the American colonies, these petty crimes were often solved by transportation for life, which usually included “indentures” (time limited slavery) for a number of years when arrived in America. I wonder what crimes people were executed for in Denmark?
Another interesting fact about Denmark, is they managed to help all their Jews escape to freedom before Denmark was occupied and controlled by Nazi Germany. Can any other country claim such an unblemished record for saving Jews, or come even close???
Thx.
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