Follow
From Newfoundland to Baghdad, the reach of the Vikings during the 8th thru 11th centuries.
The vast cultural differences between the Vikings and the Arabs in the 10th century is explored in the movie, The 13th Warrior. This was the Golden Age of Islam, when Islam embraced science and medicine and briefly took the reins of the classical world:
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/vikings/whats-the-farthest-place-the-vikings-reached
I remember this!
@evamarie
My father has been talking about Vikings lately, so this will be an interesting read. I've been trying to remember the name of that movie, thank you! It was excellent.
@evamarie
Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān (ibn al-ʿAbbās ibn Rāshid ibn Ḥammād) was an actual person who actually got sent to be "Ambassador to the Rus" for making eyes at the Sultan's wife, and who subsequently wrote a book about his experiences.
He indeed said that the Rus were absolutely the filthiest, most disgusting people he'd ever encountered in his entire life.
"Ah. 'Eben'."
"No!"
— The 13th Warrior