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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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There's some debate as to the various roles of the Vikings - warriors, seafarers, colonizers, overlords, pillagers, merchants, and so on. It's pretty clear that the monastic sources somewhat exaggerate the warrior/looter part, for their own purposes. The Vikings were undoubtedly a rough bunch, and deserve some bad press. But they probably weren't any rougher than anybody else in that period - the only distinctions being that they were new, had efficient seaborne transport, and were (to begin with) pagans. Plus liked looting defenceless monasteries. Not a hard one, for central casting from Monasterywood.
Taking England as an example, let's not forget that the Angles, Saxons and Jutes (cousins of the Vikings) had emigrated from Denmark and northwestern Germany and occupied much of England in the 5th - 7th centuries, often by force. (The east coast wasn't called the Saxon Shore for poetic reasons. Look at the Sutton Hoo burial.) There was likely trade and contact across the North Sea in the interim, and the only thing that changed in the late 8th century was that the Vikings had better ships, and suddenly (sometimes) turned violent.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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The period after the collapse of the Roman Empire wasn't called the Dark Ages for nothing.
I found it interesting that the English (my Anglo-Saxon fore bearers) hated the Vikings (your fore bearers) for so many centuries. If they hadn't pillaged a monastery, there might have been less fuss. Lindisfarne was an easy target. It's on a small island separated from the mainland by tidal waters. No way for the inhabitants to escape, not so easy for the locals to come to their defense.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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The fuss about the butter shortage in Norway in December - mostly due to its own protectionist agricultural policies - was rather amusing. A little pathetic too, showing something of a lack of perspective.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Hehe... Norway deserves all ridicule that can be generated in the butter case. After all, on the bottom we're all peasants, lumberjacks and fishermen. And like Askeladden in Norwegian fairytales we have been lucky.... "Disasters" like a lack of butter may then be seen as unbearable... LOL
I think we ended up buying butter from Ireland.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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When I saw the Sami people and their reindeer in the mountains east of Tromso, I thought I was back at Santa's Village in Santa Cruz, California.
Except the people and the reindeer were smaller than I'd expected.
Reindeer all over Spitzbergen. Hardly as big as a western Mule Deer but whooooo what antlers they had.
Santa CLEARLY comes from the Lapp country. Assuming of course he actually has Reindeer.
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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I'm in awe of your talent Lolli!
Minnesota has the highest per capita numbers of residents who trace their heritage to Sweden. Twice the percentage of next highest North Dakota.
1 Minnesota 9.9%
2 North Dakota 5.0%
3 Nebraska 4.9%
4 Utah 4.3%
5 South Dakota 3.9%
6 Washington 3.6%
7 Idaho 3.5%
8 Wyoming 3.5%
9 Montana 3.4%
10 Iowa 3.3%
From U.S. census tables
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Sorry, Lolli...I guess I was looking at the pics rather than following the thread text.
Thanks for offering the material on ST. ..fun to see cute humor rather than the cynical kind. :-D
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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B'est, you tease..
bump for more comics
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whits3nd
Boulder climber
Chico, CA
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Jan 14, 2012 - 08:02pm PT
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Lolli love the comics! I'd enjoy seeing some climbing related sterotype comics if you haven't done so yet and I'm not just missing them.
Cheers!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 27, 2012 - 04:43pm PT
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Lolli, we have a Scandinavian Centre here in Vancouver. It used to be the Roald Amundsen Norwegian Seamens' Centre, a sort of semi-autonomous arm of the government, but about 20 years ago they stopped needing it - not many Norwegian sailors any more. So it became the cultural centre, after much work. Anyway, the partners are Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and now Iceland is joining. We haven't heard yet from the Scots, Estonians, Faeroese, and Greenlanders.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Scots? They're still Brits Are you trying to insult the Scots? or the Brits?
That's like saying Norwegians are still Swedes!!!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 14, 2012 - 10:28am PT
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Time for more?
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
the green triangle, cali
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Jun 14, 2012 - 11:13am PT
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wtf with all these racial stereotypes. its all just a matter of perspective. yeah, 300 years ago my ancestors may have come from northern europe. so what. 50 years ago they were all from America and 2000 years ago they were all from earth. what does that make me? whats the big friggin deal?
not that i didn't enjoy the comics, just my 2c.
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viejoalpinisto
Social climber
Pahrump, NV
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Jun 14, 2012 - 11:46am PT
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Oh my...
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jun 14, 2012 - 02:16pm PT
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GO Babushki GO!!
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Lolli, thanks for this thread. These comics are awesome! I read this whole thread yesterday. I couldn't put it down!!
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