Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Category: Pirates
Posted on: July 17, 2007 4:00 AM, by PZ Myers
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.
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Comments
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: John C. Randolph | July 17, 2007 4:23 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: Bob O'H | July 17, 2007 4:55 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: Thomas | July 17, 2007 6:28 AM
FSM approves.
Posted by: Scotty B | July 17, 2007 8:39 AM
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: MikeB | July 17, 2007 12:51 PM
Have a pirate kitten then.
Posted by: SEF | July 17, 2007 7:54 PM
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: Tommykey | July 18, 2007 12:22 AM
Glad to see you getting back to your principal, though unlisted focus.
Posted by: dc | July 18, 2007 11:37 AM