For the most part, when someone says the word "viking" the first things people think of are huge blond men with swords, horned helmets, and Thor. While some of that may be true, people often don't see the original texts of Norse works and are given simplified versions. While there's nothing wrong with that, especially since it can be incredibly convoluted, no one can say that Norse poetry is written by uneducated pirates. I've been reading through The Saga of Ragnar Loðbrok recently and here is an excerpt when describing his son, Sigurð:
"I have never seen bridles in the brow-stones of the beard-slopes of the brow, save in Sigurð alone."
“Beard-slopes” is a kenning for cheeks, and “cheeks of the brow” means “eye sockets.” Thus the first helming (the first four line section) literally translates: “I have never seen snakes in the eyes of an eye-socket, save in Sigurð alone." " - Chris Van Dyke
Edit: While the writers can't be called uneducated pirates, the kings themselves may not have been the smartest:
"But Ragnar’s sons, though they were powerful in them- selves, thought they might not stand against both the great crowd and the pagan sacrificial-magic. However, they faced it unflinchingly and guarded themselves well and bravely and with great renown. They, Eirek and Agnar, were at the front of the host that day, and often they went against the host of King Eystein.
But then Agnar fell. Eirek saw that and then bore himself most boldly and did not care whether he came away or not. Then he was overborne by the great force and seized. And then Eystein declared that the battle should stop, and offered Eirek peace. “And I will lay this offer before you,” he said, “that I will give you my daughter.”
Imagine: Ragnar, one of the most renown vikings ever, tells his sons that it's totally okay to go pillage a nearby kingdom. They go off with a small army of men, and when they land, they are confronted by a ginormous army. Specifically: "...and it was said to me truly that they do not have a third of our troops."
Now imagine that you are winning that battle, and then you kill one leader and capture the other. Why on Earth would you ever offer to marry him to your daughter?
"Now, I know we have our differences, them being that you want to kill me and take all of our riches, but I think with time we can work through that. Please, marry my daughter!"
Of course, Eirek being a badass motherfucker:
I will not hear an offer for my brother, nor buy the maid with rings from Eystein, who spoke the words of Agnar’s death.
My mother will not weep; set me up to stand pierced through by a forest of spears— at the last, I choose to die.
