On Friday, word of an Uppsala University study suggesting that some ancient Vikings were Muslim converts went rocketing around the Internet and hit Twitter like a bomb.
Uppsala researchers found Vikings buried in Sweden with cloth inscribed with the word “Allah,” the Muslim word for “God,” suggesting that as they roamed the world, Vikings encountered adherents to Islam and perhaps some of them converted.
Vikings are one of white supremacists’ most favorite things, embodying the “racial purity” and ferocity in war that thousands of 4chan keyboard warriors aspire to. Nazi websites like The Daily Stormer regularly truck in Viking imagery and Norse myth when appealing to disaffected whites, so the news that some Vikings could be Muslim was bound to hit some racists pretty hard.
Indeed, reactions on Twitter broke down into two categories, gleefully cackling liberals and dubious, skeptical people with “Deplorable” in their screen name or tiny U.S. flags next to their avatars.
The conservative consensus on the news was that Vikings might have plundered some Muslim fabrics to take back home, but that Vikings would never, ever, ever worship those brown people’s God, what are you thinking?
David Ferguson is an editor at Raw Story. He was previously writer and radio producer in Athens, Georgia, hosting two shows for Georgia Public Broadcasting and blogging at Firedoglake.com and elsewhere. He is currently working on a book.
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
McCain brutally shames Trump on ‘The View’: Even POWs from WW2 wonder why you hate them
Retired US Army colonel explains why John Kelly’s views of civilian life are dangerous for democracy
GOP ex-congressman insists Myeshia Johnson is fair game: ‘We have a right to attack her’
CNN takes aim at President Donald Trump and his TV surrogates’ lies in a stunning ad
‘Go get a job’: Bill Murray brutally rejects man who tried make a paltry $3 donation to Puerto Rico
Eric Trump and Don Jr. are planning to open ‘plantation-style’ luxury hotels in poor black areas
‘Just let it go already’: Internet vilifies Trump after he calls Myeshia Johnson a liar
Left-wing groups taking up guns in ‘arms race’ against Trump-backing right-wingers
Chicago moms push back after anonymous racist calls their black nanny a ‘rebellion’ against Trump
Trump-backing Amazon worker counting on GOP tax cuts to help him ‘buy food and stuff’
White supremacists fly into white-hot rage at news some Vikings may have been Muslim
13 Oct 2017 at 10:38 ET
On Friday, word of an Uppsala University study suggesting that some ancient Vikings were Muslim converts went rocketing around the Internet and hit Twitter like a bomb.
Uppsala researchers found Vikings buried in Sweden with cloth inscribed with the word “Allah,” the Muslim word for “God,” suggesting that as they roamed the world, Vikings encountered adherents to Islam and perhaps some of them converted.
Vikings are one of white supremacists’ most favorite things, embodying the “racial purity” and ferocity in war that thousands of 4chan keyboard warriors aspire to. Nazi websites like The Daily Stormer regularly truck in Viking imagery and Norse myth when appealing to disaffected whites, so the news that some Vikings could be Muslim was bound to hit some racists pretty hard.
Indeed, reactions on Twitter broke down into two categories, gleefully cackling liberals and dubious, skeptical people with “Deplorable” in their screen name or tiny U.S. flags next to their avatars.
The conservative consensus on the news was that Vikings might have plundered some Muslim fabrics to take back home, but that Vikings would never, ever, ever worship those brown people’s God, what are you thinking?
In fact, there was at least one woman Viking, and she was apparently a high-ranking officer. But don’t let that stop you, Deplorables.
On the other side were liberal onlookers to the carnage — who were clearly relishing some schadenfreude stirred into their Friday morning coffee.
About the Author
David Ferguson is an editor at Raw Story. He was previously writer and radio producer in Athens, Georgia, hosting two shows for Georgia Public Broadcasting and blogging at Firedoglake.com and elsewhere. He is currently working on a book.New Stories
Get the best of Raw Story, delivered daily
Trump News
New Videos