Читать книгу Search Engines - Jon Jonsson - Страница 22

The Vikings generally knew where wealth was to be found: along the shores and rivers. Banks hardly existed in those days. The Catholic Church had the largest income from tithes. So churches, monasteries, and convents were the easy targets. They had money, gold, and precious items in abundance. No self-respecting European Catholic would dare to raid such places. But the Vikings were completely driven and eager to do so. Beside this rampant hunger for riches, the Vikings had a persistent lust for fair maidens, and they simply hijacked them for the voyage back to Scandinavia. With their violent mindset and military advantage, the Vikings succeeded in terrorizing mid- and southern Europe for almost three centuries. It was next to impossible to organize against an enemy that was so quick, so nimble, and so ruthless. For the Vikings, those macho terror tactics gave them easy access to wealth, women, and the promise of a glorious afterlife to follow.