Why the Vikings Were Badasses and What We Can Learn From Them?
“Wake early if you want another man’s life or land. No lamb for the lazy wolf. No battles won in bed.”
When we look back at human history, there are few cultures as well known and widely celebrated as the Vikings. Even just reading the word probably had you imagining a boat full of hairy warriors waving weapons above their heads and screaming for violence.
In fact, we’re so intrigued by them that there’s countless movies, TV series, video games, and books based on the Viking warriors and explorers. Western culture has an obsession.
This is especially impressive given the Viking Age only really lasted for around 300 years (800-1100 AD) - only a small fragment of human history.
So, that raises the question - why do we love them so much? Why were Vikings such badasses to us, when in reality, they became famous for killing and pillaging?
That’s exactly what I’m going to explore in this article, so buckle up and get comfortable.
Let’s dive into the world of Vikings.
The Vikings Got Stuff Done.
The first thing we need to acknowledge is just how effective the Vikings actually were.
Despite relatively small populations and no centralised power structure (they generally lived and operated in small groups), they managed to leave their mark on just about every country within sailing distance.
To this day, there are areas in England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands that all show signs of Scandinavian influence.
There are even Viking runes carved into the walls of the Hagia Sophia in modern-day Istanbul, thanks to the Varangian Guard - Viking mercenaries that formed an elite personal guard for the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople.
Combine this modern-day evidence with the historical documents that tell us how many battles they won, how many locations they raided, and how much terror they induced in European peasants, and we get a sense for how great they were at what they did.
But what made them so effective? Well, a few different reasons, but let’s start with societal beliefs.
The Pursuit of Adventure
I think there’s at least a little part of each of us that loves the idea of going on an adventure. Human beings are wired to seek novelty, after all. Evolution has designed us to seek out new things and to enjoy the excitement that comes with that.
However, modern society doesn’t really promote adventure. We work office jobs, go to the same locations each day, rarely meet new people, and sit by the heater when it gets too cold. And we do all this in the name of comfort and security - our reward for our ancestor’s struggles.
In simple terms, modern society encourages complacency. Viking culture was the opposite.
While we have comfort and security built into our culture, they had adventure and glory built into theirs. To Vikings, living well meant heading out on an adventure in search of fame and glory. To do anything less was accepting mediocrity.
“A true warrior went out, gained riches, built great halls, and handsomely rewarded his loyal followers. Glory and kingships could only be won on the battlefield.”
Not only was this kind of lifestyle encouraged by societal pressure, but also by Viking religion. The Norse Gods demanded living with honour and pursuing glory above all else.
In fact, one of the only ways to enter Valhalla (the Viking version of heaven, but way cooler) was to die bravely in battle, with a weapon in your hand. Odin, the All-Father would select only the best and bravest to join him in the halls of Valhalla, where warriors would feast and fight every day, on repeat.
And it was this belief that granted Vikings one of their greatest and most intimidating assets in battle. They were able to fight without fear of death, because they believed that dying in battle would get them their ultimate prize.
This religious belief combined with a culture that pushes towards adventure was a powerful catalyst for creating effective people.
No wonder they kicked so much ass.
But this by itself isn’t a complete explanation for Viking success. There’s more to it than that.
The Day-to-Day of Viking Culture
So, we’ve covered the overarching Viking mindset - a pursuit of adventure and glory. But what does this Viking mindset look like in the day-to-day? How did Vikings behave when they were at home?
Let’s take a look.
Capable and Independent
Vikings despised and looked down upon weakness. The ability to be independent and capable were highly valued and admired.
Notice anything here? Being capable is both a valued Viking trait AND 1 of the 5 pillars of badassery. That’s no coincidence.
Besides the pursuit of glory and adventure, this disposition towards capable people was probably a product of their environment. Most areas of Scandinavia offered brutal living conditions. It was cold, wet, and difficult to farm , which meant food was often in short supply. Because of this, people had to be effective and able to work hard to survive.
Physical Fitness was a Necessity
Vikings were expected to be in great physical shape, for a variety of reasons.
The first is that they started work from a very young age, which often meant physical labour and farm work. Naturally, this combined with the arduous conditions mentioned above, demanded physical fitness.
Of course, the Vikings' reliance on boats and their love of fighting made for an even more compelling reason to be in great shape. One who was out in search of glory never knew when they might have to swim in full armour or fight for hours on end to save the lives of the men next to them.
Intelligence, Wit, and Culture
When most people think of Vikings, they think of bloodthirsty brutes who smash first and ask questions later. And while this isn’t totally inaccurate in the context of battle, overall, it’s quite misleading.
In truth, the Vikings placed high importance on knowledge, wisdom, and culture.
There are several famous Norse sayings that emphasise travelling to different places, speaking to people of different cultures, and learning from your experiences.
“He is truly wise who’s travelled far and knows the ways of the world. He who has travelled can tell what spirit governs the men he meets.”
To travel, speak to people, and read books all in the name of learning was an honourable endeavour.
The perfect evidence for this comes from Norse mythology. In one of the many stories of the Gods, it was said that Odin sacrificed one of his eyes so that he’d be able to drink from the Well of Knowledge.
But it went beyond just learning. Many Viking men sought to be cultured as well, which primarily meant learning to play music, write poetry, and telling sagas (essentially famous Viking stories, usually surrounding battle and conquest).
The Vikings saw all of these things as worthwhile pursuits - something worth devoting themselves towards during the cold winter nights.
So, that’s a quick outline of how the Vikings lived.
But do you notice anything familiar?
Each of the areas we’ve discussed, the things that Vikings placed importance on, are all common principles in the self-improvement world.
Whether it’s training in the gym, improving your communication abilities, reading books, or learning a new skill; all of these things are seen as ways to improve yourself and your life.
And Viking culture was pushing people into these behaviours without them even having to think about it.
Why were Vikings such badasses? Simple. Because they devoted time and energy into improving themselves every single day.
Nothing hammers this point home more than the discovery that Vikings prioritised hygiene and bathed regularly. After all, we still think of them as bearded men covered in sweat and blood, stinking of woodsmoke.
But in truth, they were holding themselves to a higher standard of cleanliness than most other people in that time period. Across the board, Vikings put time and effort into the things they deemed important, even their appearance.
So, if Vikings were apparent masters of self-improvement, we can probably take what they were doing and learn from it, right?
Right. Let’s dive into some principles that you can use to follow in the Viking’s footsteps and become a more effective person.
1. Get Training!
No surprises here - the Vikings spent their lives being physical, whether that meant working a farm or fighting for glory.
If you want to match them, you’ll need to put time into your own physical training.
Do whatever you like best, but if you want to be broadly capable then you’ll need to spend time swimming, running, lifting weights, and learning martial arts. All of these together will train your body, expose you to adversity, and prepare you for battle.
2. Travel!
1,000 years ago, the best (and only) way to learn about the world was to see it for yourself.
Nowadays, we have access to the internet and to some extent have become overly reliant on it. Don’t get me wrong, the internet’s awesome and a great place to learn about the world - you’re reading this online after all.
But seeing something for yourself brings a different kind of experience. It’s more memorable and goes a longer way towards building your character.
While I don’t recommend arriving on the beach via longship with an axe in hand, I do recommend visiting other countries in search of adventure. Experience cultures that are different from your own and speak to people who’ve had different experiences to you.
3. Put Time into Learning!
The Vikings put time into developing their mind and so should you.
Dedicate time each day to expose yourself to new ideas. I recommend reading books but if you’re not much of a reader, you could use podcasts, audiobooks, online research, or discussion groups.
What’s most important is that you’re giving yourself a steady flow of new ideas and information.
4. Pursue Culture!
Just like the Vikings aimed to become cultured men, you should dedicate time to developing your skill in the arts.
Again, this will depend on your natural interests, but some great places to start would include:
Singing
Playing a musical instrument
Writing and telling stories
Painting/art
Poetry
Just like learning, the important thing isn’t in the specifics of what you do but that you’re devoting time to developing yourself as a person. Plus, becoming more cultured has the side effect of giving you more to talk about. Win-win!
5. Ambition!
Ambition doesn’t have to mean raiding and fighting. It simply means that you should pursue excellence in whatever it is that matters to you.
Focus on the things you love spending your time on and lift your sights towards achieving something great in that area.
Attempt to do great things. That’s how the Vikings lived, for better or worse.
“Wealth dies. Friends die. One day you too will die. But, the thing that never dies is the judgement on how you have spent your life.”