Viking Acquitted In 100-Year-Old Murder Mystery

Yahoo News ^ | 4-25-2008 | Alister Doyle

[blam]

Vikings acquitted in 100-year-old murder mystery

By Alister Doyle Fri Apr 25, 10:06 AM ET

Reuters Photo: Archaeological conservationist Brynjar Sandvoll and his co-worker Ragnar Lochen (R) study the bones of a...

OSLO (Reuters) - Tests of the bones of two Viking women found in a buried longboat have dispelled 100-year-old suspicions that one was a maid sacrificed to accompany her queen into the afterlife, experts said on Friday.

The bones indicated that a broken collarbone on the younger woman had been healing for several weeks -- meaning the break was not part of a ritual execution as suspected since the 22-metre (72 ft) long Oseberg ship was found in 1904.

"We have no reason to think violence was the cause of death," Per Holck, professor of anatomy at Oslo University, told Reuters after studying the two women who died in 834 aged about 80 and 50.

"The fracture could have been caused by stumbling or whatever. She could have been seriously hurt, got brain damage. But this fracture alone is no sign of killing," he said.

The discovery of the ornate Oseberg oak longboat in south Norway, with a curling prow and the bodies of two women, was one of the archaeological sensations of the early 20th century.

Historians believe the Vikings sometimes practiced ritual killings. Arab 10th century traveler Ahmad Ibn Fadlan wrote a detailed description of a Viking burial in Russia where a servant girl was stabbed to death and buried.

The bones of the older Oseberg woman showed she had cancer, Holck said of studies since the skeletons were exhumed last year to see if modern technology could discover more about them than when they were re-buried in 1948.

"It is a terminal cancer so I'm pretty sure that was the reason for her death," Holck said. It was the earliest documented cancer in Norway.

The studies also indicated both women were of high rank -- their diets were largely of meat when most Vikings lived off fish. The teeth of the younger woman showed she used a metal toothpick, a rare 9th century luxury.

Historians have long suspected that one of the two was Queen Aasa, mother of Halfdan the Black, father of the first king of all Norway, Harald Fairhair.

The old woman suffered from Morgagni's syndrome, a hormonal disturbance that gave her a man-like appearance with a beard and a thick-set body.

For the two women, there was not enough DNA to tell if they were related, for instance a queen and her daughter. "There are still more questions than answers," said Egil Mikkelsen, director of Oslo's Museum of Cultural History.

[blam]

GGG Ping.

[Dog Gone]

Fran Tarkenton is off the hook.

[Michael.SF.]

LOL.

He always was hard to catch!

[EggsAckley]

80 and 50 years old? That was pretty old for back then.

[mylife]

Sven and Oly are relieved!

[purpleraine]

Hey, where’s the murder? Somebody has to accompany the queen. What’s next; calling Aztecs murders for tearing people’s hearts out?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

“Arab 10th century traveler Ahmad Ibn Fadlan wrote a
detailed description of a Viking burial in Russia where
a servant girl was stabbed to death and buried.”

LOL from
“Eaters of the dead”

[xJones]

LOL!

[Caramelgal]

…the two women who died in 834 aged about 80 and 50

To live to be 50 back then, I think was considered a pretty long life, but 80? Wow.

But then again maybe that’s not so hard for me to believe. My father was born in Norway and his mother lived well into her late 80’s and her sister lived to be at least 100 and was still going strong last I heard. In fact most of my Norwegian family members (especially the women) lived well past the normal life expectancy. When my uncle took a trip to Norway a few years back to visit his aunt (my great aunt) she was physically a bit frail but my uncle told me she was a sharp as a tack mentally. As well as having a good memory for all the things she lived through she was also very aware of and had strong opinions on current events.

I attribute long life to the Nordic propensity for stubbornness. A favorite joke in our family is “You can always tell a Norwegian woman. But you just can’t tell her much.”

[daler]

"Sven and Oly are relieved!"

And are offering free mushrooms on their House Special Pizza tonight!

(Grand Marais has a lot to offer...both Sven and Oly).

[mylife]

Sounds good! Can I get one with da yalapeenya peppers?

[Rudder]

OK, so they poisoned a woman with a healing collarbone.

[Beowulf9]

“The old woman suffered from Morgagni’s syndrome, a hormonal disturbance that gave her a man like appearance with a beard and thick set body.”

Maybe she lived to be 80 cause nobody messed with ‘big viking mama’.

[foxfriend]

Who knew that Bud Grant suffered from Morgagni’s syndrome. That might explain some of the conservative play calling.

[blam]

"A favorite joke in our family is “You can always tell a Norwegian woman. But you just can’t tell her much.”

Scandinavians have larger teeth than all other Europeans. Have you noticed that?

[lesser_satan]

That book was based loosely on Ibn Fadlan’s writings, or so I’ve heard.

[SunkenCiv]

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[blam]

Tests reveal first cancer victim in Norway