CRAZY THINGS ABOUT THE VIKINGS

YOU MAY KNOW THIS BY NOW, BUT THE VIKINGS

DIDN'T ACTUALLY WEAR HORNED HELMETS

IN SPITE OF THEIR RAIDING, VIKINGS WERE A CLEAN

PEOPLE. ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES HAVE REVEALED

TWEEZERS, RAZORS, AND COMBS

THEY ALSO BATHED ONCE A WEEK, WHICH IS MUCH

MORE THAN ANY OF THEIR EUROPEAN

COUNTERPARTS AT THE TIME

VIKINGS COLLECTED A FUNGUS KNOWN AS

TOUCHWOOD FROM TREE BARK AND BOILED IT IN

URINE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY THEN SMOOTHED IT

OUT INTO FELT AND USED IT TO CREATE FIRE

THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE SODIUM NITRATE

IN THE URINE WOULD CAUSE THE FELT TO SMOULDER

RATHER THAN BURN

THIS INGENIOUS METHOD ALLOWED THEM TO TAKE

FIRE WITH THEM ON THEIR JOURNEYS

THE GREATEST HONOUR FOR A VIKING WAS TO

BE BURIED ON BOARD A BOAT

THEY BELIEVED THAT THE BOAT WOULD TAKE

THEM TO THE AFTERLIFE AND SO THEY WERE

USUALLY BURIED LIKE THE PHARAOHS, SURROUNDED

WITH WEAPONS AND VALUABLE GOODS

SOMETIMES PROMINENT VIKINGS WOULD BE

BURIED WITH SACRIFICED SLAVES