The conversion of Norway to Christianity began around 1000 (AD). 1 In 793, vikings raided a monastery on the northern coast of England and the rumor soon spread that vikings were particularly bloody and violent. However, historian and Yale professor Anders Winroth says that the victims of this attack spread exaggerated rumors about the vikings, and that in fact they were no more violent than any other civilization. 2
As vikings took over neighboring kingdoms and villages, they got introduced to new trading opportunities. It is generally understood that vikings raided and pillaged to get more land for their expanding numbers and to get materials, food, lumber, and precious goods rather than relying on trading alone. 3 However, why the vikings reached so far past their original settlements is up for debate in the historical community. A popular theory, and one that the black metal community accepts, is that vikings wanted to get revenge for the ways Charlemagne mistreated them. 4 To understand this, we must examine the history of the viking age more closely.
When the vikings began traveling extensively to the British Isles and western Europe, Europe was emerging from the Dark Ages. By the time the vikings were conducting their biggest and most profitable raids, Charlemagne was Holy Roman Emperor and was pulling Europe into a better, stronger, safer time: the Middle Ages. However, viking raids threatened Europe’s security and strength. 5 It is unclear why exactly Charlemagne launched such bloody wars against pagans.
Commonly, it is believed that Charlemagne wanted to bring every nation to Christianity, but other sources say that Charlemagne had another reason: to subdue the pagan nations threatening the security of his empire, and do so under the guise of converting these pagans. 6 This was a particularly bloody war, characterized by massacres, destruction of pagan artifacts, and forced conversion of the Saxon people and of vikings. For example, in 782, Charlemagne massacred over 4,000 Saxons who refused to abandon their pagan religion. 7 Finally, by 804, Charlemagne had managed to forcibly convert or kill most pagans in Europe. 8
Vikernes says that Norwegians actually practiced Celtic christianity, a mixture of pagan and christian teachings. For example, Norwegian priests were permitted to marry and have children, something forbidden in the catholic church. They also had their own saints, glorified for both pagan and christian reasons.
Vikernes also says that this is the reason you will only find stave churches in Norway. Stave churches are not part of catholicism. Instead, staves were originally temples of the serpent in the garden of Eden that were later used to practice Celtic Christianity. 9
It is also interesting to note that vikings called Jesus the “White Christ.” This is partially because newly baptized converts to Christianity were required to wear white robes. However, vikings also referred to cowardly and weak people as “white”—for instance, “your liver is white” meant that the person was a coward. It is likely that vikings viewed Jesus as a weak, “white” figure in contrast to their powerful god Thor, who was often called red for the blood he spilled. 10
- James Graham-Campbell and David Wilson, The Viking World. London: Frances Lincoln Ltd., 2003. ↩
- Dorie Baker. “The Vikings: Yale historian looks at the myths vs. the history.” Yale News. 2013. ↩
- John Haywood. Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. ↩
- Varg Vikernes. “The Viking Age and Christianity in Norway.” Burzum, 2004, http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/the_viking_age_and_christianity_in_norway.shtml. ↩
- Dan Kato. “Impact of the Viking Raids.” Examiner.com, 2011, http://www.examiner.com/article/impact-of-the-viking-raids. ↩
- Varg Vikernes. “The Viking Age and Christianity in Norway.” Burzum, 2004, http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/the_viking_age_and_christianity_in_norway.shtml. ↩
- Alessandro Barbero. Charlemagne: Father of a Continent (California: University of California Press, 2004.) ↩
- “History of Charlemagne,” History World. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=aa20. ↩
- Varg Vikernes. “The Viking Age and Christianity in Norway.” Burzum, 2004, http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/the_viking_age_and_christianity_in_norway.shtml. ↩
- Christie Ward. “Why Did Vikings Call Jesus the White Christ.” The Viking Answer Lady. http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/hvitkrst.shtml. ↩