History of the Viking burial ground (From Dorset Echo)
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History of the Viking burial ground
11:33am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in
I HAVE found it very interesting reading about the things found on the Ridgeway, particularly the Viking burial ground.
I have read a few fictional stories by the Irish author Peter Tremayne all about 7th Century Ireland. He always mentions some historical fact.
In one story, called The Spider’s Web, he says that in seventh century Ireland, if a child was born deformed in any way, that child was nurtured and greatly cared for all of its life, and also the poor people and sick people were cared for.
But if a Saxon had a deformed child born to him, that child was killed at birth.
So I think the Saxons must have been a very brutal race of people.
DOROTHY M JAMES, Lodmoor Hill, Weymouth
Comments(2)
Mabu
says...
8:18pm Sun 21 Mar 10
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Genghis says...
12:07am Thu 18 Mar 10
So I think the Saxons must have been a very brutal race of people."
What a sweeping generalisation that is. Coming from a work of fiction it must be true. From the many historical works that I have read there is no more evidence that the Saxons treated their children any differently than other societies. They valued their children including the ones born with 'deformities'. They were also no more or less brutal than any others at that time. Infanticide has occured in all societies from Sumer, Ancient Greece and Rome right up to and including modern societies for many varied reasons. Even in Ireland by the way. Economic or religious reasons rather than disability being at the forefront of those decisions. But don't let that get in the way of the barbaric stereotypes of Angles and Saxons.