The fight between good and evil has been going on for centuries, but the questions of, “who is the good?” and “who is the bad”, is frequently asked. Good and evil is all just a point of view. To some people what another is doing is evil, but on the other end, that person is just trying to do what is good for his family or country. Good and evil is a popular debate, but the truth is the two sides are all just a point of view and can never be fully decided on until you are put in the other’s shoes.
In history, Vikings are often portrayed as the “bad guy”, and in many cases, rightfully so. The Vikings brutally massacred Christian monks and raided the monasteries to gain their treasures. The Vikings tore through Europe killing hundreds of people. A prayer used by the British monks summarizes how terrifying and dangerous the Vikings were: "From the fury of the Northmen deliver us, O Lord!" The Vikings could have a case for their defense though. The Vikings lived in Scandinavia, one of the harshest environments at the time where it was very cold and the ground was not ideal for tilling to grow plants. In the end, the Vikings were
just out to find a new place for them to live and to get some more money, just the way that this was done is questionable by attacking the monasteries. The Vikings from the north in the end improved the lives of their people and their families so to fully understand these attacks, people need to think about why they are the “bad guys” throughout history, not just that they were the bad guys. (Wikipedia. The Viking Age)
A “good guy” in history are all different. For example Alexander the Great was a hero for Greece, but a “bad guy” for the Persians. The “good guy’ and ‘bad” guy in history are always different based on where each person lives. In modern times, Americans view the terrorists of the Middle East are the bad guys, but in their homes, they are viewed as heroes. A hero in the mind of many is anyone who can protect and save the lives of others, and even those who are the bad guys can do that and be a good guy to others. Our opinion on who is good or bad isn’t going to be the same for everyone because just as everyone is different, so are their opinions and nothing can change that.
A good and bad guy isn’t just a basic principal that everyone will agree with through argument. The good and the bad will always be debated on and no one will ever fully understand who was right and who was wrong simply because there are different motives and people who it affects. The Vikings of the North were a menace to people, but they expanded from un-unified Germanic tribes to become a very strong civilization united by Christianity and founded many new places like Iceland, Greenland, and even ventured into America almost 500 years before Columbus. The Vikings were a hero to their people, but today we look on them as evil and heartless people who attacked the defenseless. Some of this may be true but without taking this in from a different point of view, the world will never be able to solve problems and wars if their ideas are just single minded and narrowed to what they think is good and what is bad. (Heimskringla)
Works Cited
"OMACL: Heimskringla." The Online Medieval & Classical Library. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.
"Viking -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.
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