Disturbing Viking ritual could have really happened, say researchers

[Judi Lynn]

DECEMBER 21, 2021
by Keele University

For decades, historians have debated whether an infamously violent Viking torture ritual ever really happened, or if it was a misunderstood or embellished story passed down through poetry over the centuries.

The blood eagle ritual has been highlighted throughout history as an example of Viking brutality and ruthlessness, both in the epic poems and sagas passed down from the Middle Ages, and more recently in popular culture focusing on the stories of the early-Medieval north, where it appears in the TV show "Vikings" and the recent Assassin's Creed: Valhalla video game.

The ritual is said to have involved separating a victim's ribs from their spine to symbolize an eagle's wings and hanging their lungs out through the wounds while they are still alive, but scholars have debated the authenticity of this savage story for decades, and whether it ever really happened.

Now, a team of researchers including anatomy experts from Keele University, have published new research in the journal Speculum, that investigated whether it was even possible for the ritual to be carried out as described, which could support any discussions as to whether it is likely to have taken place.

More:
https://phys.org/news/2021-12-disturbing-viking-ritual.html