I’ve spent the last 7+ years of my life in Denmark. One of the smug little feelings I’ve had is, “Oh, don’t I live in a modern country?”

Welfare system? You got it!
Paternal leave? Why not?
Leave your children outside in a pram… alone… in winter? No worries.
(God help you, though, if you leave your bike unlocked for 12 seconds).

In preparation for this new Viking Saga show at Comedy Zoo, I’ve been doing a lot of research into the Vikings.
Reading books, watching documentaries, and even taking a trip to the Roskilde Viking Museum (well worth a visit, by the way).

I started to realise that Copenhagen and Denmark as a whole are not as forward-thinking as they seem.
In fact, we are still living in a Viking society under the guise of modernity.

Let me explain.

When I think of Vikings, the first thing that comes to mind is war and pillaging—and I’ll get to that.
But the second thing is trading and longboats. Yeah, it’s not as cool, but the fact is, the Vikings were big-time traders.

This is the first hint that things are not as modern as they seem.

You just have to go out to Copenhagen Harbor to see a different type of long-ship trading.
Maersk has remained one of the biggest shipping companies in the world for years.
Why? Because it’s run by Vikings!

Danes are crazy about sea trade—just look at how many harbors, or “havn,” there are here: Nordhavn, Sydhavnen, Christianshavn, Køben…havn!
And when you go to catch a plane, you head to the Lufthavn—the Air Harbor.

I mean, come on. That’s a bit much. Just call it an air por… okay, now I see it.

Anyway, moving on.

Where did the Vikings live?
In longhouses made from raw materials with the average Viking only owning about 30 items.

How do Danes live?
In sleek, minimalist homes with hand-carved Danish design furniture.

Nowhere else in the world cares so much about tables and chairs.
They’re the nicest things they can have… BECAUSE THEY’RE VIKINGS!

Okay, sure, the older Vikings had jewelry and gold, but that doesn’t fit in with the Jante Law, hence the emphasis on armchairs.

Alright, back to the war and pillaging.
That has been dialed back a bit, I’ll concede that.
But I’d argue the principles are still there.

Let me explain.

The Vikings adopted Christianity to help build trade relations with other nations. It was a faith of convenience.
Which, in my opinion, is why Denmark has a relaxed, secular approach today.

Don’t believe me? Just look at Store Bededag (Big Prayer Day)—a holiday that used to combine a bunch of religious holidays into one, because it’s all a token gesture anyway.

Note I said “used to be a holiday,” because Mette Frederiksen abolished it last year to help pay for defense—yes, defense.
Christianity goes up the chimney when war comes knocking at the door. Classic Viking behaviour.

This week, Mette announced a 50 billion krone package for defense.
Odin hasn’t gone anywhere. The Danes are still waiting on Ragnarök and the rebirth of Valhalla.

And what did the Vikings do while they waited to get to Valhalla?
They sat in longhouses, drinking mead by candlelight.

If that’s not hygge, I don’t know what is.

The world might not be as forward-thinking as we’d like to think.
In fact, sometimes it might feel like we’re going backwards.

But if researching for this comedy show has taught me anything, it’s that we can learn from our mistakes.
And there’s nothing wrong with an old idea as long as it’s a good one.

I also learned how to make a really funny Viking Saga, so you should come see it at Comedy Zoo on March 20th!

*Owen O’Sullivanis a comedian. His next show, The Vikings Are Coming, will be at Comedy Zoo on March 20th, 20:55.