Heil Alice,

I wrote:

>> > And I hope that nobody took the movie seriously as a historical
> > resource! Those "Vikings" were ridiculous.

> Sigh...Blush...Well, as pathetic as it may sound Oskar, My friends

and

> I, though we don't take it seriously...we sure have a lot of fun

with

> it. Arizona is a long way from iceland and we grasp at the few dregs
> we can find. Ridiculous or not, it stirs something in many of us
> "outlanders" and gets us charged up.
> Though it may crush my girlish fanatasies, would you please

elaborate

> on what makes their concept of "Vikings" so poor? Dress? Attitude?
> concepts of the afterlife?

I don't mean to take away anybody's fun from this film; you should
never let realism spoil a good film! :o)

What bothered me about "The 13th Warrior"'s Vikings was their image as
a whole. It was the traditional Viking stereotype: a simple-minded,
loud, violent, alcoholic barbarian with over-romanticized paganistic
beliefs. This stereotype both exaggerates some of the Northmen's
qualities (such as their bravery and honor) and leaves out other
characteristics (such as their love of poetry, their humor and
subtlety). It emphasises their 'raider' role at the cost of their
'explorer' and 'settler' role. I don't need to "have my ancestors
glorified"; I'd just like to see something where Vikings appear as
humans, with more than one side to them, instead of as monsters or
supermen.

I should add that there wouldn't be much work for me and Haukur if you
could all learn ON as miraculously fast as Mr Banderas did in this
particular film! :o)

Óskar