This chapter explores the difficulties in understanding the Viking era Scandinavians due to the lack of reliable eyewitness accounts. It discusses the influence of Christian monks as primary sources and highlights rare accounts from non-Christian witnesses. The chapter also mentions the famous account of Ibn Fudlan, a Muslim traveler, and the uncertainties surrounding his encounter with a group that may have been Viking era Scandinavians.
Pagan Viking Sea Kings spend the 10th and 11th centuries morphing into Christian monarchs. But with rulers like Harald Bluetooth and Svein Forkbeard it's debatable whether things will be any less horrific for Scandinavia's neighbors