It seems like the popular new television series ‘Vikings’ coincides with the rise of a neo-Viking movement that is taking the world by storm. While rape and pillaging may have not returned into favour, the brutish behaviour of Danes abroad seems to be very much back in style. The Vikings have indeed returned!
Late last year, an intoxicated Viking landed in legal trouble for groping a waitress at a Dubai beach club. In February, a horde of 5,000 plus Viking youths descended on Prague, laying waste to their hotel rooms, vexing local authorities with booze-fuelled rampaging that even saw some turn on each other in a pair of stabbings.
A month later, young brazen Viking women bared their breasts on a Brazilian beach, stunning the locals. The Danes were unaware that topless sunbathing was not permitted in Brazil, despite the popular images of scantily-clad women on the Copacabana beach that leave little to the imagination.
And just last month, another group of drunken Vikings caused a stir in China when they forced a bus driver to pull over at the side of a busy highway in Shanghai so they could relieve themselves of the copious amounts of ale they had consumed. Odin would be proud.
The events would have been worthy of some Viking chronicle (not that Vikings could read) documenting the adventures and exploits enjoyed by the fierce warrior people in the year 1013. Surely not 2013, right?
There seem to be more and more stories of young Danes behaving poorly abroad, disrespecting local customs and laws, and generally sullying Denmark’s long-enjoyed reputation as a peace-loving, law-abiding torchbearer of tolerance.
But then again, why would Danish youths show anything but contempt for their hosts on their travels, when their supposed leaders and role models display similar traits of mono-cultural buffoonery?
Dansk Folkeparti (DF) MP Maria Krarup recently caused a minor crisis between Denmark and New Zealand when she insulted the traditional Maori powhiri ceremony that welcomed her and the Danish Defence Committee on a recent voyage to the island.
Aside from looking down at the “weird rituals” and “uncivilised” welcome, which most foreign envoys would consider an honour to experience, Krarup found it displeasing that she had to rub noses with her Kiwi counterparts instead of shaking hands in greeting. Needlessly, the Kiwis were none too impressed.
I find it particularly worrisome that a Danish emissary can be so ignorant when the traditional greeting of the Inuits in Greenland is also the rubbing of noses – an action called kunik. With such a disrespectful, xenophobic mentality, Krarup shouldn’t be going to New Zealand, or anywhere else for that matter, in any official capacity.
In fact, judging by a recent statement from DF spokesperson Jens Henrik Thulesen Dahl, perhaps it would be best for all involved if DF stays safely inside Denmark’s borders.
In a Politiken newspaper article from last week, Dahl argued that “one shouldn’t be allowed to establish an English-language education designed to get a bunch of Romanians up here so they can claim SU [and have] their education paid for only to return home. Therefore we need to see if there is even a need for English-language educations.”
With Denmark trying to shake its reputation as a country that caters poorly to its foreign residents, while desperately needing to attract highly-skilled international workers, the narrow-minded, nonsensical ramblings from DF is the last thing the nation needs.
And what’s with always picking on Romanians? Every time DF criticises policy involving foreigners, they have a Romanian scapegoat at the ready. The only thing missing is the inclusion of Goebbels-like propaganda images.
And really, Krarup, what is more uncivilised: a country welcoming foreigners with a traditional dance displaying the proud heritage of its indigenous people or a bunch of Vikings whipping their boobs out while pissing and stabbing each other in the street? Christ, even the Romanians are shocked.
