Viking hygiene according to Ahmad ibn Fadlan

A lot of people say that the Vikings had very good hygiene and that this was rare and unusual in medieval Europe.A lot of other people say that the Vikings were vile and disgusting and that this was common and normal in medieval Europe.Both these contradicting perspectives are based on two single sources, one Christian and one Muslim.In this article I will look at the medieval Islamic source and explain what is reliable and what is unreliable about it and what it actually proves about hygiene among Viking-age Scandinavians.I have analysed the Christian account in another article.You can read it here:Viking hygiene according to Chronica Joannis Wallingford Important: Like all my articles, this is a work in progress. That means that I will change what I wrote when I learn new things, people find mistakes, etc.When I use the term Vikings I’m talking about Viking-age Scandinavians, I know the word is more of a job description and perhaps not the right way to describe these people, their…