[Janice D. Soderling]

Sadly that is true, though in the Swedish histories it is ignored and they are called tradesmen and merchants. People get very upset at the mention of slave trade and human sacrifice and deny it vehemently. All countries whitewash their histories and their religions.

In fact the word "slave" comes from "Slav" because so many Slavic people were enslaved by the Vikings and carried off to the Muslim countries where, (we shall suppose) their descendants are faithful practitioners of Islam today.

They should not be romanticized, the Vikings. Mr. Putin might well have some of their less desirable genes.

What's more, (as I'm, sure you also know, Bill) Russia was founded by the fierce Rus who were none other than another strain of Vikings. Via the Norman branch not only England was conquered but also Italy conquered and united. If the colony on Newfoundland had survived who knows what world politics would have looked like today. Maybe not much different. The human race isn't a very nice success story.

(Can someone please gag that woman who just goes on and on?)