Rewriting Viking history The Vikings are often in presented as someone who preferred weapons and raiding rather than discussing cases in an assembly. In the new book Viking Legacy professor Torgrim Titlestad shows that the Viking Thing-system lasted for more than 1000 years and meant more as a precursor to democracy than about 150 years of assembly in some city-states in Greece. And the clue is in the sagas

1. Viking Legacy
A Cornerstone of World Civilization
by Torgrim Titlestad
Rewriting Viking history
The Vikings are often in presented as someone who preferred weapons and raiding rather than
discussing cases in an assembly. In the new book Viking Legacy professor Torgrim Titlestad shows
that the Viking Thing-system lasted for more than 1000 years and meant more as a precursor to
democracy than about 150 years of assembly in some city-states in Greece. And the clue is in the
sagas.
The Vikings were staunch defenders of their Thing-system. All free men met to (normally)
peacefully discuss conflicts, laws and would protest if they could not accept a new king or his
commands. However, then like now, there were leaders that wanted to put themselves above the
law. When this occured the Scandinavians did not only have the right to rebel - it was their duty.
Which they did again and again. They also spoke up and warned kings that didn't listen to their
complaints. When the Swedish King Olof Skötkonung wanted to go to war against the Norwegian
King Olaf II Haraldsson against the will of the people, they warned the king that if he didn't back
down and made peace they would attack and kill him. They threatened him by referring to an earlier
case when they killed and threw two unjust kings in the mire. The king backed down.
Author of the new book Viking Legacy, Titlestad says: «This is the first book based on the fact that
the sagas have a credibility that enables them to be used as reliable sources. We have to rewrite
what has already been written». From the beginning of the twentieth century, the old Norse sagas
have been undervalued by the historians given that the sagas were written down 200-300 years after
the events occurred. Why? - Because they lacked insight into the oral cultures. The living oral
mnemonic techniques were advanced before year 1000 and stories could live for hundreds of years.
People listened, remembered and retold. There are also archaeological evidence to support the
sagas, and in some cases the sagas have been used as a «treasure map» in archaeological searches of
Viking artifacts. The Thing-system goes a long way back in time. The first recorded case was the
Roman historian Tacitus describing the similar Germanic tribes form of representation in as early as
98. AD. The longest running parliament in history is the still existing Icelandic Althing that was
established in 930. And the Greek democracy? After 150 years it was gone, and didn't reemerge
until the modern variety appeared in the 1800s. There were also other differences. Only in the Norse
assemblies women could in some cases attend. And the Greek version was exclusive to a few cities,
while the Norse thingsteads existed all over Scandinavia and in the Norse settlements.
Read also about the well established drinking bout culture of the Vikings.
The king and other powerful people travelled from place to place eating and drinking the taxes with his men. It was
seen as so important that it was put into law that landowners had to brew beer, with strong penalties if they didn't
comply. It was not just because they liked to drink, which they did, but this was also part of the political culture of the
day. However there are also some colourful, violent and entertaining stories about drinking bouts.