Conversation: What if...? What iff, after a successful and peaceful trading trip to Miklagaard (Istanbul nowadays), the fellows decided that they had grown bored of rowing and sailing day in and day out, and that they wanted to have some fun to break off the monotony. So, they stop by somewhere on the French or British coast line and bash some locals butt. Why did they do it?? They were bored! What if...? An 'ongoing epidemic of Scandinavian boredom' seems unlikely to satisfy the questions about why the raiding went onb for so long. The pressure of resources and dwindling trade seem a little more manageable as answers, with boredom as a possible reason for some of the more gruesome assaults - like the notorious 'Blood Eagle' [1]. It is also likely that later raid occurred because they were on a roll - Viking was proving to be a profitable activity with great potential as a supplement to the general economy. [1] The process of slicing open the target's back then splitting ribs and pulling back the poor individuals lungs. Very uncomfortable. What if...? The vikings did the Blood eagle on their victims? Gruesome. I thought they just killed, robbed and raped, not mutilated and tortured. BUt as I've said before... I've been proven wrong. Oh, and the boredom thing was just a thought... What if...? Do we claim the cause of nasty things that happen today is boredom? With the exception of a few very, very sick people, I