Ibn Fadlan an Arab traveler was one.He's talking about Rus from Sweden"§ 80. I have seen the Rus as they came on their merchant journeys and encamped by the Volga. I have never seen more perfect physical specimens, tall as date palms, blonde and ruddy"http://www.iun.edu/~histjbp/Risala.htmlOriginally Posted by Carpathian Wolf
I thought this thread was about Vikings? If not,Cnut the Great fought quite a few and don't forget about the Normans who are decendants of the the Vikings.Viking didn't really have a standing army and were great at capturing the enemy unawares with hit and run attacks.I don't know how they would fare against the Romans in a headlong battle.Show me a Scandanavian battle against an organized foe in a pitched battle.
True,I don't think the Vikings would stand a chance against the Romans in naval warfare,at least with the Byzantines and their Greek fire.Some were Triremes some were not. And I don't care what Scandanavians did against Muslims. That doesn't mean they would do it against Romans.
I thought the Polynesians I think your referring to did that by island hopping over hundreds or thousands of years?If that's the case that's not really all that impressive.Best of their time? Are you serious? How about somewhat relevant, in any time and that's that. South east asia islanders made it to the Americas too. So what? Do they match up to the Romans now too?