This is all topsy-turvy. Iceland was raided by pirates 380 years ago? I should hope they would have responded by manning the longships and returning the favor.
Search
Profile
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
• a longer profile of yours truly
• my calendar
• Nature Network
• RichardDawkins Network
• facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Atheist Nexus
• the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)
I reserve the right to publicly post, with full identifying information about the source, any email sent to me that contains threats of violence.
Random Quote
I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information
Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes
Recent Posts
- The Midwest Science of Origins Conference!
- Biology teaches that sexual deviancy is normal
- Mary's Monday Metazoan: Ambition!
- Our illness is their profit
- Friday Cephalopod: NUMBERLESS HOSTS!
- Dear Jezebel
- There Will Be Blood?
- Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- Friday Cephalopod: Feasibility trial successful
- Making excuses
A Taste of Pharyngula
Recent Comments
- Owlmirror on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- themayan on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- themayan on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- Stanton on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- Nerd of Redhead, OM on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- Stanton on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- Owlmirror on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- themayan on Zooming in on the Origin of Life Science Foundation
- Stanton on More bad science in the literature
- Stanton on Biology teaches that sexual deviancy is normal
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
Blogroll
Other Information
« On the interpretation of signs | Main | How dare you disrespect my religion! »
More articles by PZ Myers can be found on Freethoughtblogs at the new Pharyngula!
Because we haven't had enough pirates here lately
Category: Pirates
Posted on: July 17, 2007 4:00 AM, by PZ Myers
TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/45792
Leave a comment
HTML commands: <i>italic</i>, <b>bold</b>, <a href="url">link</a>, <blockquote>quote</blockquote>
Comments
Posted by: John C. Randolph | July 17, 2007 4:23 AM
Read Thomas Sowell on slavery. This raid was a bit unusual for making it so far away from the middle east, but there was a major industry of slave-raiding along the coasts of Europe by Arabs and Turks for a very long time. The Saudis only outlawed slavery in 1960. (Someday, maybe they'll even prosecute the Saudis who continue to practice it.)
The United States commissioned the Constitution and the Constellation to attack the Barbary pirates, who were grabbing American ships and selling their crews and passengers as slaves in Algiers.
-jcr
Posted by: Bob O'H | July 17, 2007 4:55 AM
Perhaps it was payback by the Ottomans on the Vikings. There were some people described as Vikings at the Siege of Vienna (1529), helping to defend the city.
Bob
Posted by: Thomas | July 17, 2007 6:28 AM
Bob, the age of the vikings was long over by 1529! Vikings did raid the Muslims occasionally, but that was back in the 9th century. There may very well have been people from the Nordic countries as part of the defenders, but then they would have been Christian volunteers, not vikings.
Posted by: Scotty B | July 17, 2007 8:39 AM
FSM approves.
Posted by: MikeB | July 17, 2007 12:51 PM
BoB O'H might be wrong on the timing, but I seem to remember reading that Vikings did serve as mercenaries in Costantinople during the Byzantine period.
Posted by: SEF | July 17, 2007 7:54 PM
Have a pirate kitten then.
Posted by: Tommykey | July 18, 2007 12:22 AM
MikeB, you're thinking of the Varangian Guard.
I read some revisionist take on the Varangians last year. They have often been portrayed as being an elite fighting force in the Byzantine service. However, one historian I read claims that rather than being some elite force, the Norse actually paid to be in the Varangian Guard because it was seen as a tremendous mark of prestige back home.
Harald Hardrada is probably the most well known Norseman to have served in the guard. After his service, he went on to become king of Norway. He tried to conquer England and was killed at the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. The English king was then killed in battle a few weeks later fighting against the Norman William the Conqueror at Hastings.
Posted by: dc | July 18, 2007 11:37 AM
Glad to see you getting back to your principal, though unlisted focus.