Valhalla, I Am Coming
A new discovery within a Viking burial site is raising questions about the relationship between ancient Nordic and Islamic cultures.
While preparing ancient garbs for an exhibition on Viking couture in Enkoping, Sweden, textile archeologist Annika Larsson came across Kufic characters of Arabic – a calligraphy style found in many burial sites in Central Asia – woven into Viking burial clothes that spell out the words “Ali” and “Allah,” the New York Times reported.
Larsson sees this as evidence that there might have been deeper cultural and ideological exchanges than initially thought between the two cultures – apart from trade and the occasional plundering.
The inscribed burial garments were made of silk, only adding to her suspicions. The Quran says that silks are worn in paradise, indicating that Viking burial customs may have been influenced by Islam. The same patterns have been found in Central Asia.
“I’m not saying that these are Muslims. But they are partaking in a worldview shared by people living in Central Asia,” she said. “A giddying thought is that the bands, as well as the costumes, were produced west of what was the Muslim heartland.”
This newest evidence supports the theory that Viking settlements in the Malar Valley of Sweden were possibly a western outpost of the Silk Road, she added.
It could even be possible that Vikings had Central Asian heritage – researchers are currently testing the DNA salvaged from Viking remains, a process that’s due to be finished next year.
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