From the late eighth to the mid-eleventh centuries, Vikings invaded community after community across Europe and even parts of Asia and the western hemisphere. According to a new study published in the current issue of Antiquity, the reason behind all that travel is -a shortage of wives!
The Vikings themselves may have caused the shortage, by practicing female infanticide. Link -via Metafilter
(image credit: henribergius)
An intriguing archaeological clue is that much of the bounty plundered from Britain — particularly from monasteries — wound up later in the graves of Viking wives. The items included precious metals, fine cloth, jewelry and other handicrafts.
Barrett's analysis of Nordic historical records found that Scandinavian men often served as warriors, frequently forming "military brotherhoods," until they were able to marry and establish their own households, which were key to prestige and power.
The Vikings themselves may have caused the shortage, by practicing female infanticide. Link -via Metafilter
(image credit: henribergius)
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/09/28/hidden_histories/?page=4
The journalist reports that probably Homer's Greeks came to Troy to steal women. Greek noblemen had large harems, which created a shortage of women ad left ordinary Greeks without wives, motivating them to raid other cities to rape and steal their women.