Apparently it was the traditional Viking practice to wait until launching day of each Operation Rape & Pillage before affixing the dragon heads to the bows of their long ships. Modern Norway’s largest replica Viking ship, the DRAKEN HARALD, began its transatlantic voyage yesterday but press photos circulated to promote the event featured a headless ship instead of a fearsome surface raider. The Vikings were pioneers of exported extortion and exploitation, though apparently they lagged behind on fearmongering propaganda. Just kidding. The dragehode was the original Shock and Awe. The berserker reputation preceeded the Vikings, literally, as the prow of their ship hit shore.
Norwegian reenactors will be rowing the Draken Harald to the New World anew. This time to visit with the Vikings of this age. Gluttons, slavers, and despoilers of an exponentially vast scale. The replica ship is heralded as the world’s largest, but it’s tiny next ships of today, including those belonging to many of today’s celebrated chieftans which they call yachts.
Here’s the itinerary of the Draken Harald vikings, crossing the Atlantic as friendship ambassadors.
Med Vikingskip over Atlanterhavet til USA
Reiserute:
24. april: Avreise frå Haugesund
3. mai: Reykjavik på Island
16. mai: Quqortoq, Greenland
1. june: St Antony, Newfoundland, Canada
15. june: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
1. – 3. juli: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8. juli: Fairport Harbor, Ohio, USA
14. juli: Bay City, Michigan, USA
27. juli: Chicago, Illinois, USA
5. august: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
18. august: Duluth, Minnesota, USA
September: Oswego, NY Canals, New York, USA
15. september: New York City, New York, USA
Oktober: Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, USA
Neighbors of Ft Carson probably know that soldiers in the 12th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Division of the US Army 4th Ivy go by the team name of “LETHAL WARRIORS”. It may boost egos, but wouldn’t you think it limits their deployment options? You could hardly expect host populations to think “Lethal Warriors” would qualify as PEACEKEEPERS for example. Who welcomes lethal force to deliver humanitarian aid? Well never mind that, because it gets worse.
The term is self-explanatory, and so probably the soldiers don’t know berserker referred to the Norse warriors who threw themselves into a rage before laying waste their adversaries. Whether augmented by drink, drug or mental illness, the practice of deploying berserkers was OUTLAWED BY THE 10TH CENTURY. Do the soldiers of the 12th know their fighting anti-ethos has been a war crime for a full millennium?
Oh my goodness look at the Swooshes TM! Nike strikes again with its branding of the Minnesota Vikings. How many not so subliminal Nike trademarks do you see in this picture? The Viking uniforms sport the same torso swoosh as the Broncos but there’s more! Above the shoulders, behind the arms, and the refashioned horns.
If the NFL is more restrictive than the NCAA about displaying manufacturers logos on uniforms, that’s not keeping Nike from tagging the athletes like so much graffiti.