The Vikings are renowned for their violent raids on foreign lands, yet new research suggests that murder and bloodthirst were not the norm across all of Scandinavia. Comparing the levels of violence evidenced by Viking-Age skeletons in Norway and Denmark, the study authors found that interpersonal attacks were far more common in the northern realm, while the Danes generally left the use of force to the authorities.

Among the Danish skeletons, only 7 percent showed signs of having died as a result of physical trauma, with almost all of these being beheaded during “official” executions. In contrast, one third of Norwegian skeletons displayed healed injuries – indicating participation in non-fatal violent confrontations – while 37 percent showed evidence of lethal trauma.

And while the majority of Danish killings appear to have been authorized by the state, the study authors describe the Norwegian deaths as “slayings of a very different character,” with all victims having been “assaulted with bladed and/or pointed weapons.” Surprisingly, the use of violence does not appear to have been reserved for Norwegian men, hinting at a level of gender equality in terms of social status.

“Similarities in trauma etiology between Norwegian women and men may be indicative of women being a real threat to the perpetrators – they were treated as brutally as any other enemy – and thus telling of their influence on the political and social arena,” write the authors.

To get a better understanding of the importance of violence in each of the two societies, the researchers analyzed the prevalence of swords and other weapons in Viking-Age graves. Overall, these were much more common in Norway, with one sword per 33 square kilometers (12.8 square miles) in the Rogaland region in the southwest of the country.

Across Denmark, meanwhile, one Viking sword has been found per 547 square kilometers (211 square miles) of territory. Unlike in Norway, then, it appears that Danish Vikings “were not heavily armed,” indicating that their experience of everyday life was probably “relatively relaxed”.

An explanation for these differences can be found on runestones from the two regions, with ancient inscriptions in Denmark hinting at a more stratified society than those in Norway. At the same time, Denmark contains considerably more Viking Age fortresses than Norway, indicating greater centralization of power.

The highest concentration of these Danish monuments dates to the latter part of the 10th century, when the country was ruled by the legendary Harald Bluetooth. “Harald’s reign thus stands out as exceptional in terms of the sheer volume of earthworks, an indication that he was able to command hitherto unseen, massive extent of resources,” write the researchers.

Under the rule of such a powerful king, people were apparently more willing to allow the authorities to settle disputes and regulate the use of violence against offenders. In contrast, Norway seems to have been more of a "Wild West", with individuals taking matters into their own hands.

Based on these observations, the authors remark that “Denmark was evidently a civilianized space to a surprising degree for the time. Norway, conversely, displayed very high levels of violence, and fear of violence is evident in the extent people armed themselves.”

“The findings of these patterns suggest that we are talking of distinct societies in the regions of Norway and Denmark,” said study author David Jacobson in a statement. “This is quite striking, as the assumption has been that socially Viking Scandinavia was largely a singular space.”

The study is published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.