Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Were Vikings aware of the Buddha?

Where is beauty greater than Estonia, Russia, Scandinavia, Denmark, Germany, and Belarus?
Bring me back one of those metal statue figurines, Warrior. I'll give you this charmed fruit.
Hey, that guy's Black! Were there really Black Vikings? The media says they were all redheads
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Viking Buddha: Helgo Treasure
Were Vikings Buddhists? First of all, Vikings is a general term that means "Pirates" more than redheaded Icelandic peoples. Second, what would it have taken for them to be Buddhists?

They would have had to understand the language of the Asians with whom they came in contact. It is more likely, given their reputation, that they raided rather than traded.
Norwegian Olympian with "Viking" spirit

White Buddhists of Europa and Scandinavia
We were also interested in art
Archeological discoveries indicate contact with Asia and knowledge of the Buddha, which they would have seen as the "Light of Asia," the "Prince of Peace," a massive figure in the ancient Orient.

That they traded in Asian wares suggests that they knew what they were dealing in, seeing significance in the beauty of figurines and pieces of advanced art from that part of the world.

There is a Viking Buddha, and now we find a ten-year-old piece is actually a much older work of art from Asia found in Scotland.

Viking Guru, the Great, on Audible podcasts
Interestingly, the greatest Viking today is a Buddhist or in any case very friendly to Buddhists. He is the interviewer known as Viking Guru, who has repeatedly interviewed British Buddhist teacher Beth Upton and others.

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