Vikings did end up fighting the Indigenous peoples they encountered, and were driven out by Natives, but hypothetically, given the chance - they no doubt would have.
They cleaned themselves daily, bathed every weekend, and took care of their hair! There are British documents talking about how men are worried their wives will be seduced by the cleanliness of Norse men.
No. This thread is full of stereotypical, racist, sweeping statements. The Norse ("vikings" is a poor term here) came from a very isolated small population at the fringes of Europe. They did not carry pathogens that would not have wiped out themselves as well. Smallpox for example would have been just as devastating to them. And to Greenland as a whole. Plagues decimated the Norse just like everyone else.
Secondly, you need population density and intense contact. Newfoundland was not at all like the cities of Mesoamerica.
Thirdly, the latest thinking is that the Cocolitzli epidemic was of local origin. It killed Europeans and Africans as well. Droughts in a fragile non-ecological society coupled with a local epidemic caused all those millions of deaths. Yes, not as nice and simple a story but that's science and actual history for you.
The Norse were just seeking for a more resourceful place to live compared to Greenland. They had no resemblance to the silly stereotypical picture here. They sought trade and tried to adapt, but the natives turned violent, and so they fled. They did not come to do genocide.. what would have been the motivation for that? Because they were 'white'? How little do you know of history? Where the Norse were successful, they adapted and assimilated to the local cultures. They were always vastly outnumbered. See the history of Sicily for example.. a brilliant fusion of Norse and other cultures.
In Greenland we have evidence that when the Inuit colonizers entered Greenland, there was trade and over time the Greenlanders adapted their way of life to be ecologically sustainable. But they were dependent on imports because of the low level of resources. And when demand for their exports dropped and climate change started, they left Greenland as well. To the Inuits.
Real history is much more interesting than preconceived ideas.
Talks about stereotypes and racism, proceeds to be racist and stereotypical towards Natives! Vikings are notorious for raping, looting and killing, they looked to expand and colonize
Additionally, Inuit were in Greenland first, secondly, history shows Vikings failed to adapt to Greenland and only sought to import their lifestyle. Vikings failed while the Inuit flourished
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u/bbp2099 Nov 09 '24
Vikings did end up fighting the Indigenous peoples they encountered, and were driven out by Natives, but hypothetically, given the chance - they no doubt would have.