Eye-Witness Account of The Viking Rus' // Ibn Fadlan 921 AD // Primary Source

Starting Vikings Month off with a bang.
Here we have Ibn Fadlan's detailed description of the "Rusiyyah", a group of Viking people he encountered on the shores of the Volga River whilst on an embassy to the king of the Volga Bulgars. His description gives us a detailed, meticulous window into a world often shrouded in legend and saga.
Thanks to translator James E. Montgomery and the Library of Arabic Literature for the use of this translation.
nyupress.org/9781479899890/mi...
How do we actually know about history? Voices of the Past is a channel dedicated to recreating the original accounts from the people who lived through events, or who lived far closer to them than we do today. We do this word for word, with an accompanying soundtrack of rousing music and images.
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Mararie

[@hanschitzlinger3676]

The last guy to get the wash basin had some slick ass hair

[@Betrix5060]

Keep in mind that as a muslim he would've found using non-running water for bathing to be utterly revolting. So it's likely an embellishment or the water was switched out between uses. This wouldn't have made any difference to Ibn though and thus it goes unmentioned.

[@Saracen.]

Hans Chitzlinger 😂😂😂

[@Saracen.]

Imperium Americanum It’s clear it’s the same bowl he’s very descriptive , I’m sure Ibn Fadhlan wouldn’t have been disgusted if it was a clean bowl every time. Muslims do have baths, they don’t find that disgusting lol. Running water is needed to cleanse before praying!

[@Saracen.]

The Infidel correctamundo amigo

[@joeyfragile2330]

@@Betrix5060 why do you assume the water was "switched out" each time? What is being described here is a total dominance ritual among violent alcoholic men who nonetheless are in a kind of military style brotherhood. Such a ritual, although yes obscenely disgusting to an Arab and to most of us today, would be a bonding and yet strictly hierarchical daily observance, keeping a firm pecking order established in a far off land. Modern militaries still have various initiations and bonding rituals, definitely once the alcohol starts flowing! Too many are projecting 21st century hypersensitive mindsets onto the past. Don't be one of them!

[@9000ck]

I love how the voice and personality of this more than 1000 year account becomes very clear. The narrator is clearly fascinated and excited by his travelling experience but his disgust about personal habits and open sex and uncleanliness is completely clear and completely hilarious.

[@kanoteam]

As an arab im still amazed and disgusted about similar things westerners do nowadays like fast relations as women can go on a date with a stranger on tinder and have sex only an hour after knowing the guy... another disgusting thing westerners do is they don't wash their asses after pooping.. when we go to Europe for tourism we have to take a bath every time we poop as your bathrooms aren't equipped with what we call in the middle east "Shattafa"

[@novalarifin9703]

culture shock at its finest

[@chaplainjamesthicc305]

All of those are just ridiculous stereotypes, I always shower after I shit, most people I know also take hygiene seriously, also just using water isn't the most sanitary option, you should wipe first and then wash yourself with soap, otherwise you're just gonna be spreading the bacteria everywhere.

[@RandyAndyShow]

@@kanoteam nice stereotypes mate.

[@kanoteam]

@@RandyAndyShow bruhh what stereotypes? It’s well-know how it’s common for girls to have sex before marriage in the west and that westerners wipe and don’t use water

[@MegaGullas]

"They are addicted to alcohol" speaking as a descendant of vikings: We still are.

[@iverkjellkken6569]

Yes we are

[@VikingMuayThai]

I was thinking, "...Yeah sounds like most of my friends and I... haha

[@sebastianpye9328]

"Drinking is the joy of the Rus." -Vladimir the great

[@charlieweaver3518]

Who's in for some mead?

[@Bolghar_wolf]

Rus have never been Vikings tho

[@Kolajer]

0:47 to anyone wondering, he means tattoos

[@hajjibarbara2900]

No shit Sherlock.

[@ViriatoII]

I actually didn't get it until I saw the comment. Thanks

[@Kolajer]

@@hajjibarbara2900 Elementary, dear Watson 🔎

[@PraiseworthyNobleman]

Thanks for reminding

[@deadeye9439]

Black vikings: raids the neighborhood also Black Vikings: *gets caught* dindonuffin

[@Duncan23]

You can tell the show Vikings used this source heavily

[@deanfirnatine7814]

13th Warrior used it down to the exact wash scene described

[@c0nstantin86]

Where exactly did those show any female slave sacrifice?

[@Duncan23]

@@c0nstantin86 I think it was the end of season1 or early season 2 when they did the funeral for the evil jarl

[@einarabelc5]

You're behind the times. "Eaters of the Dead" is based on this accounts, then the movie the 13th Warrior was based on Eaters of the Dead, brought to you by the guy who created ER.

[@einarabelc5]

@@deanfirnatine7814 That's because is from the same source. Read Michael Chrichton's book, Eaters of the Dead.

[@StormWolf01]

The whole part with regarding the slave preparing herself for death was quite saddening to hear.

[@Cassieskins21]

the whole thing is sad and disgusting!

[@galloe8933]

At least everyone had sex with her before she was killed, and that one dude even wanted her to let her master know that he had also gotten all up in it but most importantly the other two slaves couldn't hear the one being sacrificed scream as the crone stabbed her. My opinions are too modern for me to be okay with what I heard, even if it was an important ritual. I'm not saying I'm better than they were, no nothing like that... What it did was make me feel very uneasy, and I'm fine with admitting that. I'm glad this history still exists, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, I'm happy it has not been forgotten because it all was far more than just rape and ritual murder.

[@Jon-mh9lk]

@@galloe8933 "Intercourse" likely means that they were kissing.

[@RafaelCosta-oi3be]

胡元Jön No, it doesn’t.

[@RafaelCosta-oi3be]

Galloe There is nothing wrong with judging the morality of things, past or present. These were sadistic and animalistic savages, even by ancient standards; Romans, Christians and Arabs would have regarded it with as much disgust and disapproval as you, if not more. Some things simply are Natural Law, and these Norse excel at breaking that.

[@mikdan8813]

I love how the narrator gasps with exasperation.

[@gustavelchapo2919]

it's Ibn Batuta , a famous explorer who traavelled the world......

[@roha1329]

@@gustavelchapo2919 Ibn Battuta was in the 13th CE. This guy here named Ahmad ibn Fadlan, a 10th century explorer.

[@rollomaughfling380]

That's the narrator trying a bit of voice acting. It's hammy, distracting and unnecessary.

[@schnoz2372]

@@gustavelchapo2919 no thats a different ibn

[@nirvanic3610]

@@rollomaughfling380 Must disagree

[@Gonboo]

This makes me want to watch The 13th Warrior again.

[@ufosrus]

Try reading the book, is much better. Forgot to say it's titled "The Eaters of the Dead " by Michael Crichton , author of Jurassic Park.

[@maximvsdread1610]

The 13th Warrior will seem like a Disney movie after this recounting...lol... I actually have that movie on DVD.

[@wilsoncrocker]

nostra rex? morte est...

[@maximvsdread1610]

et dicis quid infernum?

[@DvidTheGnome]

@@ufosrusYou can listen to the audiobook of eater of the dead on youtube. its a good quality one as well, cheers!

[@Saracen.]

The Viking for centuries traversed the world and ran into many cultures, raided & captured many European lands and great cities. It’s remarkable the short encounters they had with Ibn Fadhlan has given us the world a priceless account & is still the best document or source material on the Legendary Warrior Vikings.

[@zahiddogan]

The way he describe events , people , locations amazed me

[@TomorrowWeLive]

"best document or source material" definitely not lol. Probably the worst primary source we gave actually. Highly dubious accuracy to say the last.

[@roha1329]

There's also a lecture by Prof. Neil Price describing the Vikings in the 8-11th century, and Ahmed Ibn Fadlan encounter with them are also in it. It's quite interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6aVmIFuo5ZolaM

[@T0P0FTH3P0P]

These legendary warriors where just a bunch of idiotic filthy drunkyards who gave no importance to anyone's life.

[@Thekoryostribalpodcast]

My ancestors were fearless men. I respect them often and pray to our gods often. SKÁL

[@jinnbuster4753]

My wife comes from Lowestoft in Suffolk. This was a part of England occupied by the Danes. When we were courting in 1973, she took me to a ceremony called the "Burning of the Wherry". A wherry is a sailing vessel mostly used for carrying goods and a few can still be seen in that area. They placed a small boat in the broad (a stretch of open water) which was covered in gold coloured paper. Then a number of other boats circled round it and the occupants threw in burning torches so that it caught fire and burned out. I asked my (then fiancee) how long they had been doing this. She said it had been done every year for centuries. Make of that what you will.

[@KD400_]

I love how u say courting instead of the word dating lol. I know ur old school.

[@jinnbuster4753]

@@KD400_ Thank you. It was a more gentle age then.

[@KD400_]

@@jinnbuster4753 oh yes it was I'm guessing. These days dating ain't worth anything. It hasn't worked out well. Plus most of the dates end up with casual sex so people jump from one person to another

[@ryojs4286]

Thankfully the viking savages were conquered and became cheese traders otherwise I don't want to imagine what their piracy they would be enacting on innocents

[@loetzcollector466]

"Lo, I see my master. He bids me stay here and watch the fire & to send Ingrid instead."

[@blahblahblahblah2837]

Ingrid: Oh that's funny because I just had a quick chat with your master and he said he was just kidding and that he actually wants you to go Hilda

[@panemetcircenses510]

😂

[@jcksnghst]

Are you serious? That's disturbingly amazing. * * I have learned More in the last few weeks putting the pieces of knowledge I had together *in contemporary context* with the use of channel. Very, very important work. Thank you.

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks! The videos should hopefully complement other historians quite well

[@jcksnghst]

@@VoicesofthePast Yes, but I'm very serious; having contemporary accounts of History that we we're given minus those accounts brings a refreshing illumination, for lack of a better word I assure you, that brings a familiar reality, whether wanted or not, as does Shelby Foote the Civil War a narrative. Contemporary account give history life. Thus, " *a good name* is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold" and " *a good name* is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth."

[@jimbobjimjim6500]

And here i, an Irish person, still smarting over what Gerald of Wales wrote about us......This makes me feel much better....

[@MatthewMcVeagh]

Was he the one who talked about an Irishwoman preparing a meal for her family and guests by chewing something and spitting it out?

[@MatthewMcVeagh]

@MSA3D A I heard it on a BBC Northern Ireland radio series called "A Brief History of Ireland" or something.

[@_00_36]

i liked the part where he said all irish men drag an axe around with them, to more readily murder anyone who displeases them

[@ennui9745]

@@_00_36 Sounds Irish.

[@viktordickinson7844]

@@_00_36 same

[@5amH45lam]

This is incredible! First hand accounts, narrated with total clarity, while remaining wonderfully evocative. This channel is a real gem. Thanks for your sterling endeavours and generosity of spirit in sharing them. 👍

[@VoicesofthePast]

What kind words! Thanks very much

[@5amH45lam]

@@VoicesofthePast you're more than welcome - thank _you!_ 👍

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Yes the church did similar things to Jews and heretics for 1945 years.

[@5amH45lam]

@@MitzvosGolem1 What?? Wrong thread, Mr Head.

[@SuperViking9]

@@MitzvosGolem1 they deserved it

[@henrybadd5866]

My father was born in the town of Lovov. A Viking settlement. In the 1898. He told me that many still at that time practiced these discussing practice of washing after one eachother still then.

[@sagapoetic8990]

I was in the Peace Corp in Kazakhstan and lived in a couple of villages, and saw this too

[@henrybadd5866]

@@sagapoetic8990 incredibly horrible. Isn't it man. In the army I've done some time without bathing water. But that just takes the Cake man! I could never do that!

[@mrkenlewis]

Sounds similar to breathing the same air as hundreds of strangers on a long-distance flight. Or shitting in public where you can get splash on you. Or touching toilet flushers and door knobs in public bathrooms. And touching utensils at buffets. And...

[@lastword8783]

@@mrkenlewis it sounds nothing like that.

[@mrkenlewis]

Last Word - I was simply aiming to point out how a hundred years from now man might look back at some of our ways as falling into the same category.

[@MegaWheeler11]

'They cut a dog in two and....' 🤣🤣 So casual

[@All-shall-say-Jesus-is-Lord]

When most cultures met, they called each other barbarians. For most it wasn't really true, but these guys were the embodiment of the term! :O

[@alexhammerbekk]

barbarian is originally a greek word for, one who does not speak greek :-)

[@minecraftfan7648]

Ibn fadlan came from Abbasid caliphate it was the golden age of Islam Muslims were more advanced, educated than anyone in world .

[@gooduH786]

@@minecraftfan7648 true

[@AJAYSINGH-ns1vv]

@@minecraftfan7648 don't lie if you doesn't know about while world at that time.

[@orwellianyoutube8978]

@@AJAYSINGH-ns1vv Of course it has to be a Singh and his verbal diarrhea. ''Thank you saaaar, full sapport saaar''.

[@Gaden6893]

This was gut-wrenching. What a terrible life and death for a poor slave.

[@user-ms7gt2km5f]

It's sadder when you think the poor young girl was just desparate to see her parents who she was snatched from to be enslaved.

[@Scar-jg4bn]

At least she didn't die a virgin. 😂

[@raritica8409]

Don’t take it to heart. If you are alive today, and live in your native land, then your ancestors likely did the enslaving. Cheers to history!

[@speedwagon1824]

Living in your native land doesn't matter, most people's ancestors did slavery and were also slaves. Doesn't make it any less sad​@@raritica8409

[@aq4356]

@@raritica8409 There's a difference between enslaving and treating the slaves with dignity and treating them like absolute garbage. Slavery still exists today just in different forms, there will always be slavery.

[@ChillAssTurtle]

Stabbed anywhere but the heart while being strangled...whoa

[@nirvanic3610]

Timestap?

[@ChillAssTurtle]

@@nirvanic3610 3 months ago dog.

[@nirvanic3610]

@@ChillAssTurtle bruh

[@asomebody3448]

This is a certified bruh moment

[@ChillAssTurtle]

@@asomebody3448 as in how tf am i supposed to remember the timestamp 3months later. Bruhhhhh

[@rzomg]

So this basically means 99% of all viking graves from Swedish Vikings were burnt and would only leave a layer of ash left for us to find. I say Swedish vikings because they were the ones who went into Russia on the river Volga and onwards to Constantinople while Danish and Norweigen vikings took care of France England and Iceland.

[@AsttoScott]

Well, that explains how I have Swedish and Russian DNA in me then. Probably from bitches getting raped. Oh crap also explains how I have German DNA, more rapes during war.... fml

[@FrLawRE]

@Van Aser First time i've heard that. Where did you get that information from?

[@woodspirit98]

@@FrLawRE come on seriously? They used different travel agents

[@andreslebon3869]

@Van Aser I guess they want be sarcastic with you Van

[@FrLawRE]

@Van Aser ok. Thanks for your rapid answer.

[@k.s.k.7721]

Parts of the funeral and trading life are portrayed in the film, "The 13th Warrior", which was adapted from the novel by Michael Crichton. It researched the writings of Ibn Fadlan extensively,

[@murtazahameed3833]

definitely comes to mind - especially the scene with the communal bowl!

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks very much to James E Montgomery for the use of his translation. www.amazon.com/Mission-Volga-Library-Arabic-Literature/dp/1479899895

[@lethalsub]

"Bread, meat, onions, milk and alcohol" - I'm having trouble recalling the name of this cocktail.

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

It's called heart disease.

[@lethalsub]

@@Dee-nonamnamrson8718 Thank you.

[@lethalsub]

@Edward Garcia Thank you.

[@ThalesWell]

Don't forget corpse

[@pimplordcthulhu2369]

Viking Survival Stew, good shit on the north sea.

[@davidbukowski3463]

That is a horrifying funeral

[@Dukenukem]

It really depends on a viewpoint, as the deceased you would be having quite a blast :)

[@reteguy7338]

@Loonytoones85 wtf, cannibalism?

[@reteguy7338]

@Loonytoones85 yo, this is interesting. I will search it up.

[@jarl9535]

I would like to go back in time just to Slap then All across the Face

[@jarl9535]

@Loonytoones85 Don't I Know It !

[@Kolajer]

This text was in part the inspiration for The 13th Warrior movie with Antonio Banderas. The washing scene is directly pulled from the text.

[@teenieneenie630]

Excellent movie, as is the book.

[@NefariousKoel]

... and the viking funeral scene, too.

[@sultanmomenofzenata177]

the Movie had something very wrong which was the nature of Ibn Fadlan , the movie show him as a weak Coward person when in reality he spend 10 years as the leftunent of capable general called muhammed ibn salman , he had trmendous knowleg of warfare and that was one of the reasons to chsose him beacuse he was manly sent to the king of bulgar who wanted to build castles and deffence means and to learn about islam .

[@Kolajer]

@@sultanmomenofzenata177 Eh, Hollywood, what are you going to do. But in fact, I think they just showed him as not being a beast of a barbarian in terms of raw strength, just to further contrast him against the Vikings. He was shown to be fairly proficient with a sabre (obviously, the whole thing was asinine, swords are not that heavy, and sabres are not rapiers. Just the usual contrived theatrics)

[@phlaelym]

@@sultanmomenofzenata177 He was also much older than he was shown in the movie.

[@MontanaHorse]

Very well narrated, I felt like I was sitting by a campfire listening to the author recant his travels. My schooling definitely left out the more sensitive topics when they talked about water and fire burials.. very interesting and to be honest, disconcerting to modern day culture. This has inspired me to learn more

[@nadjiguemarful]

Which country is your school system in a Viking country?

[@KD400_]

School isn't going to teach u this unfortunately

[@HikmaHistory]

Incredible source - can't wait to upload my video on ibn Fadlan!

[@VoicesofthePast]

Hurrah! Send me a message when it's out and i'll link to it

[@HikmaHistory]

@@VoicesofthePast will do!

[@kaikart123]

@array s Like all historical accounts?

[@HedserWijbenga]

Hardcore doesnt seem to fully describe that funeral

[@robmitchel5166]

Great video. Viking history is my favorite subject of the Midieval period. Love Voices of the Past and history time channels!

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks for watching!

[@kamikaas803]

I really love this kind of videos. Such a great inside look into it. Thank you!

[@ThexXxXxOLOxXxXx]

Was waiting for this, I asked and you delivered with a story teller's charisma.

[@Ch-xc4fo]

2:30 Ah yes I really wanted to know what the Rus' liked: Gangbanging.

[@saladcaesar7716]

Ch The most innocent description of a gang bang

[@karakhan2070]

They had zero respect for their own women... Their women were obviously not deserving of any respect. 🤣😂🤣

[@worldtraveler930]

Or as in Rome, an Orgie.

[@jantekjantek]

@@karakhan2070 Quite the opposite my friend. Women and men were equal, unlike anywhere else. Slaves were still slaves tho.The christians brought that "women are less" attitude to us.

[@karakhan2070]

@@jantekjantek Equal? Naw you definitely know nothing about that society.

[@timomastosalo]

The wash basin of motivation reminding every morning: you sure try to rise in the society.

[@timomastosalo]

@Simon Simon It was sarcasm from modern person's perspective. I'm not sure if these guys knew how bacteria transfer. They might have have thought water cleans the dirt, the 'little dirt' that spit etc have.

[@day2148]

Well, that wash-ritual certainly explains why the Vikings were so darn healthy despite how they travel to faraway lands with alien germs -- they've ritualized giving germs to one another to build their bodily immunity.

[@ThexXxXxOLOxXxXx]

That makes sense actully but they were well know to consume plenty of honey even in their alcohol.

[@kaitenjigoku]

What is Rita Mordio doing here?

[@xRemRooodx]

@@ThexXxXxOLOxXxXx their beer - Mead was made from honey. Really sweet beer.

[@EmilReiko]

Its funny how the cleanliness is in the eye of the beholder - for a Muslim Noble of Baghdad (at that time the greatest city there had ever been) they were dirty as shit, however for the contempoary anglo-saxons they were sinningly clean, the anglo saxon clergy condemmed their vainfull cleanly habits and warned the anglo-saxon womon from being led astray by these clean wellgromed danes with all their bling bling and sweet talk...

[@rob-123]

Alot of autoimmune issues can be traced back to vikings. Having a sensitive immune system in their culture helped keep them safe but in todays world it leads allergy and the immune system attacking the body.

[@bah-be8159]

I think this was a "biker sect" of the Viking community...

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Local 81 founding fathers..

[@MitzvosGolem1]

@ᛏᛟᚱᛋᛏᛖᚾ ᚺᚨᚴᛟᚾᛋᛟᚾ chapter 81 Sweden

[@Karl_Marksman]

the 1% :D Most scandinavians weren't vikings like this. They were back home trying to grow something for the boss man in the few months you can grow stuff. These are the risk takers, like extremely rapey drunk astronauts.

[@stupidcommentmaker]

Well, Vikings were essentially Norse pirates so...

[@brettcheatham3030]

@@Karl_Marksman extremely rapey drunk astronauts 😂 🍻👌👈

[@musicalintentions]

I found this to be one of your most interesting videos to date. Thank you.

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@inkedskindeep9941]

There is a book based on these passages called Eaters of the Dead. Its amazing & was the concept for the movie adaptation The 13th Warrior.

[@zettle2345]

that's a good movie!

[@inkedskindeep9941]

@@zettle2345 it sure is! The main reason why i left the info 😉

[@karakhan2070]

Yes these devils would eat dead people & drink blood from skulls. They were the most despised "people" on Earth. They lived in the most inhumane ways thinkable.

[@sultanmomenofzenata177]

the Movie had something very wrong which was the nature of Ibn Fadlan , the movie show him as a weak Coward person when in reality he spend 10 years as the leftunent of capable general called muhammed ibn salman , he had trmendous knowleg of warfare and that was one of the reasons to chsose him beacuse he was manly sent to the king of bulgar who wanted to build castles and deffence means and to learn about islam .

[@christopherfisher128]

@@karakhan2070 You are conflating the Rus with the "Eaters of the dead" who were the the "Bad guys" they fought against in the book & film.

[@martytravolta6946]

Really amazing to see a channel bringing primary sources to life like this. I haven't been able to get enough of this channel ever since my appreciation for the History Time channel. So very good

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks for watching!

[@leosaab177]

Oh...... So this Arab historian did really exist. I saw him in the movie the 13th warrior but I thought he was a fictional character. I noticed that he had the same name as the movie character

[@crozraven]

the movie based off a book "Eaters of The Dead." this book basically compiled Ibn Fadlan journals & make it as a coherent story in a more scientific manners. Also the book kinda explained the possibility of Beowulf's legend is actually real & basically a war between vikings & ancient tribes (possibly neanderthal people).

[@obiwahndagobah9543]

@@crozraven The ancient tribes more realistically would be Sami people. In the early middle ages their territories extended far more south.

[@user-hh2is9kg9j]

@@crozraven Holy fuck!! neanderthal people!!! tell me the source?

[@testplay9628]

@@user-hh2is9kg9j مرحب يا ابن العم

[@thomasjuniardi3559]

@@user-hh2is9kg9j there's currently 20% of Neanderthal DNA survived in modern human, mostly from Eastern Europe and they been associated with European having red hair/ ginger. There's a video about it, but it seem had been deleted or move 🙄

[@gsalien2292]

Michael Crichton used this tale to preface his take on Beowolf, which became one of my all-time favorite movies! Great video!

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks for watching!

[@SpencerTaylorOnline]

This morning I washed my beard in my wife's tea and then spit in it. I told her I was recreating history for her.

[@tibbar20111987]

First spit, than wash pff, heathens...

[@SpencerTaylorOnline]

@@tibbar20111987 lol!

[@HighDeafRadio]

Ex-wife now I'm guessing.

[@SpencerTaylorOnline]

@@HighDeafRadio lol! No, I didn't really do it. We're ten years strong and going!

[@rollomaughfling380]

Bet she had a hell of a time washing hers in it.

[@manrom2101]

this channel is a great finding for me who just loves to hear pieces of history. thank you !

[@VoicesofthePast]

Nice! Welcome

[@karakhan2070]

Yes this channel provides me with all kinds of ammo... I mean information. Outstanding job.

[@koolcid9710]

@@karakhan2070 ah yes ammo, must have been made from your compost out of your buns.

[@karakhan2070]

@@koolcid9710 Naw, it was made from the splattered brain particles of your closest loved one.

[@koolcid9710]

@@karakhan2070 you must have thought that was "savage" or "brutal" but it still only proves my point :)

[@paulapridy6804]

You have a delivery style that gives a sense of the writers' experiences from such a broad range of eras and cultures. Admirable. Love it 😎

[@Ammeeeeeeer]

The narrator was very good, clear voice without being monotonous.

[@sylvainfalquet6350]

I feel like the History channel Vikings used this source in making of the funeral scene in season 1. Very interesting video!

[@didntknoicouldchangethis]

My goodness, your channel is my newest favorite! Great job with these videos, its exactly the sort of thing I enjoy most, it seems to be the most credible way of feeling what someone from history felt! Awesome job!😊

[@VoicesofthePast]

Hurrah! Welcome!

[@teholy2325]

may Allah have mercy on Ahmad ibn fadlan

[@Chickenfanatic713]

This is amazing! A voice; connecting us to the past.

[@VoicesofthePast]

Yep!

[@krisrakow6663]

A sensationalist voice who probably entertained the court of his homeland very well with this horror show.

[@danielmoore1232]

Imagine living that life. I don't mean the life of the people drinking heavily and having sex out in the open. I mean imagine being one of the slaves. People romanticize certain places and time periods. But that's because in their imaginations they put themselves in a position with a favorable living. Imagine being born a slave or being captured, then having to serve all your life, and then being murdered when your master died. Yeah the women volunteered to die. Probably just as a way out. Put yourself in the shoes of an individual who was born, then lived a horrible life, and then was murdered. What an existence. I feel very bad for some of the beings who have existed on this earth. Some folks never stood a chance. The world is a horrible place. Evil is very strong on this planet, I'd hate to see hell.

[@wenzelplot]

Yeah slavery is usually pretty bleak. This is soft stuff compared to imperial colonies though.

[@michaels1416]

@@wenzelplot The Imperial Colonies were heaven compared to the Russian Gulags. Your statement as to the "soft stuff" is absurd. An old Russian proverb says it best: Man is Wolf to Man..

[@wenzelplot]

@@michaels1416 Russian Gulags are bad for sure, but you said it best yourself. Humanity has boundless potential for cruelty and violence. It gets plenty worse.

[@Alrekrdwarf]

You had to make something of yourself in those times. Bad for some, yes, but isn't that the same as now, but on a world scale?

[@PRH123]

Yes I had exactly the same thoughts while watching. World would better without people on it.

[@willbrowning2812]

Thank you for making this video. Very fascinating and interesting.

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks!

[@crozraven]

Ibn Fadlan also have the accounts of "Beowulf's legend" himself.

[@tinkmarshino]

Wow.. your channel is amazing.. all of this every day history of the people from the past.. like I said amazing..... thank you.

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks!

[@tinkmarshino]

@@VoicesofthePast The great thanks goes to you for all of your hard work and diligence..

[@dflatt1783]

Dude ..... Your channel ROCKS!!!!!!

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks very much!

[@leomes]

Great video. Viking month is off to a good start

[@VoicesofthePast]

Hurrah!

[@karakhan2070]

Read the land of darkness by Marco Polo. His description of these beasts is just as horrible. He refers to them as dim whitted. They were clearly a lowly sub-human people with no sense of civilized life.

[@leomes]

@@karakhan2070👍

[@ogivecrush]

I first heard about Ibn Fadlan's account in Michael Crichton's book "Eaters of the Dead." Of course that was a work of fiction- it's nice to hear the real thing.

[@karakhan2070]

Read Ibn Fadlan's 'Land of darkness'. This is where 'Eaters of the dead' comes from.

[@Slippymicky]

So many Viking wannabes and modern Pagans/Heathens wouldn't be able to stomach or survive living as a Viking.

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

No, getting a cool tattoo is not quite not the same thing

[@psychoblindboy3644]

Lmfao right its fucking funny asf whenever I see these wannabes

[@TheGabriel1351]

They could promote more things like ancient greeks things who were a society which rounded around knowledge.

[@psychoblindboy3644]

@@TheGabriel1351 right and theres so many other cool civilazation but no we romanticized these snot water face washers

[@solodolotrevino]

Why would they want to?

[@michaelrichardson9458]

Love these videos, great stuff ;)

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks pal!

[@marksoren340]

The Viking rus came from Roslagen in Sweden and then went east all the way to Constantinople. They served as the Varangian Guard for the emperor! I have heard Ibn Fadlans description before but only in part so to hear this detailed version was very interesting! Great video!! :)

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks!

[@jantekjantek]

@@VoicesofthePast Your idea of uploading these translated texts of the past was amazing, thank You, sir! Just sad that i did not found those earlier

[@fheedpexx9267]

Also - Roslagen means ~ Rus "team". Meaning a "ship team" (skeppslag) - the locals who were able to go viking. In Svitjod (pretty much the Roslagen area north of Stockholm, where the Swedes came from) there are lots of place names like that. People who watches things like this might get confused and think, "Swedes? Oh, those from Sweden" and forget that this is hundreds of years before there was a Sweden. Like, the Goths, Geats and other tribes/peoples living in what's now Sweden back then would be pissed knowing they would be called Swedes thousands of years later.

[@marksoren340]

@@fheedpexx9267 How right you are! Sweden was not yet a unified kingdom I know. I should have said "what would later become Sweden" :)

[@oskich]

Modern day Roslagen/Uppland (North of Stockholm) is also has the most Rune Stones of any area.

[@romanz8926]

By the way Kudos on the channel it's excellent. You have a great voice and you narrate most excellently.

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks!

[@CrusadesOClock]

My new favourite channel!

[@nikobellic570]

Did i just listen to a first hand witness account of slavery, sexual abuse and human sacrifice? ... Sobering. Grim, but i think i needed to know, anyways. Thanks for retelling.

[@robertburnett5561]

And we are more civilized today. We sanction other countries that kill thousands of children. At least we wash our hands first.

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Just like church did.

[@SuperNintendawg]

@@MitzvosGolem1 no, not at all like the church did, lmao

[@bailey7095]

Don't forget most of these issues weren't even attempted to be solved till the 1900s

[@MitzvosGolem1]

@@bailey7095 enlightenment 1700s

[@jorgwestermann434]

Amazing👍👍👍Well done. Love it✌😎

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks pal! Glad you enjoyed it

[@Ibian666]

A faithful delivery. My thanks from Denmark.

[@happycamper3561]

Jesus is Lord

[@Ibian666]

@@happycamper3561 Prove that this jesus person existed in the first place.

[@happycamper3561]

@@Ibian666 Aside from the Biblical New Testament, there are many sources that confirm Jesus of Nazareth. His life, death and resurrection are reported by The Roman reports of Pliny The Elder, and Tacitus, as well as in the Jewish writings of Josephus and in the Talmud. Even the Koran acknowledges Jesus however they do not acknowledge that He is God and is a person of the Trinity. Jesus was absolutely a historically proven human that existed. The real question was, who do you say He was?

[@Ibian666]

@@happycamper3561 A book of fairy tales does not count as evidence of anything, except mental deficiency in the person who attempts to provide it as evidence. Link the supposed sources you have, let's see them.

[@kevinclayton1656]

I've found my self listening to the voices of the past alot..you only after know abit about the subject to imagine the activities been listed.amazing our history is and the different cultures we have.whats the norm for one civ is idotic to the other lol...very interesting

[@markmcarthy596]

Oh the smells

[@vikingsven5756]

jajaja,...smells like seafood!!

[@snooks5607]

@array s maybe soup instead? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXvLq5yqg9-UbNU

[@dflatt1783]

It is the old way, you will not see this again.

[@dflatt1783]

It looks like all 13 of the warriors saw my comment.

[@rrraynoorrr]

Thank god for that!

[@Romanovhundreds17]

That's the best one you've done 👍

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks pal! Enjoyed making it

[@Romanovhundreds17]

I'd love to hear about the jacobite/english conflicts. Participants on both sides I find it so interesting,but would that be to recent?

[@deanbuss1678]

Probably the most unusual ceremonies I've ever heard of.🤔👍

[@MiilosVarcakovic]

Hey @Voices of the Past. Glad you gave this account, but Ibn Fadlan did say more about the Rus, he gave a rather good explanation on the "nation" of Rus vis-a-vis the nation of slavs that were living with them as their subordinates for example. He also gave great accounts of the Rus and the slavs, their customs and their looks. Btw, can you give an account of south slavs and serbs by the arabs? I don't know if it was Ibn Fadlan, it could very well have been Ibn Battuta or Ibn Yaqub. But they had some weird shit to say, to say the least.

[@kareemtheeb1478]

Yeah😂. We did not like the Slavs in the past for some reason. While we really liked the Greeks.

[@MiilosVarcakovic]

@@kareemtheeb1478 "tall as date palms and beautiful, but do not get fooled. These are savage like the fiercest of lions " or something like that. No idea why lol.

[@morceen]

Can't be Ibn Battuta, he never traveled to a none Islamic country, he kinda... Feared none Muslims, the only none Muslims he encountered were Chinese Buddhists, while we was traveling to meet Chinese Muslims, he liked their culture overall, but kept spamming about their cuisine. That's what I understood from his book.

[@andycopland3179]

This was particularly fascinating

[@karakhan2070]

And hilarious at the same time. 🤣😂🤣

[@zahiddogan]

Great descriptions , he wrote like he time travel back to enlight us

[@Quazi-moto]

What a strange, harsh, and brutal people.

[@Quazi-moto]

@Axios .king hehe apparently

[@vikingsven5756]

We are still like that!! Where do you live, to show you ,our ways!!,..jjejje!!

[@Maynard0504]

@@Craigx71 Why the fuck would you want to live in a society that vikings would tolerate. You hate civilization or what?

[@Maynard0504]

@@vikingsven5756 no you are not

[@vikingsven5756]

@@Maynard0504 are you nacked!!I will show you,what pleasure is all abouth!!!jajaja...

[@ferodrigues1211]

Brutal history. Amazing.

[@polmak1507]

Great vid. History is dope

[@VoicesofthePast]

Yes it is

[@somerandomrpgenthusiast8451]

I quite like the narration in this and Kelly's efforts to capture the tone Fadlan probably would've had when he wrote down his account.

[@IpernickTheGreat]

Read this at school back in 9th grade. Loved it

[@dbadagna]

This graphic and shocking text was part of your high school curriculum, or you just sought it out and read it for fun at that age?

[@tehdreamer]

There is a huge fascination and revival of paganism in Russia recently. Perhaps more with the peoples romantic idealization of how the Rus pagans were. If they actually study the historical sources on how these people lived, I don't think they would be so positively inclined anymore.

[@lostplanet1931]

There are some weird people out there

[@fernandonovo6149]

Incredible first hand account.....thanks

[@VoicesofthePast]

Thanks for watching 😁

[@faisalalkhedhrawi7311]

This is very interesting ,i love the narration .

[@ulfpe]

A brief look back in history. And this is just a short blink back compared to 100 000 years of history

[@wokeeye6441]

What??? 96,000 years of prehistory

[@ValensBellator]

Yeah, I like traditions as much as most but I think it’s fair to say a little cultural evolution through time is probably a good thing heh

[@ShakeOneOfficial]

The movie 13th warrior with actor Antonio Bandaras shows the true story of Ibn Fadlan and the Rus Vikings

[@jeffstevens156]

Very interesting! Earned a sub.

[@desssval]

Excellent channel

[@jeffreysmith8789]

You know, with the Northman releasing, God of war, marvel movies with Thor, the show Vikings, The Mythical Norse stuff almost feels played out. But this makes it all feel real again. That quote 16:29 is pretty incredible

[@SMydland]

Putting sick people in essantially quarantene makes sense

[@danielmartins4684]

bruh too real, what a prediction

[@-TasyaNabila]

@@danielmartins4684 except that now everyone, sick or not, is in quarantine 🤭

[@ryaneccles4020]

Hello fellow time traveler

[@mss1171]

Very good is there any more viking eyewittness acounts like this. Its fantastic!

[@Yanzdorloph]

vikings didnt care to record their hostory or their way of life, if it wasnt for these few ppl who recorded what they saw, we would have no idea about how the viking existed, or we would prob have forgoten them ike we did with many many other civilizations, so thx ibn fadhlan

[@MN-vw3rp]

I only know of idrissi and ibn fadlan , maybe they ain't enough but still, few unfiltered truthful words better than thousands pages of legends regarding the topic

[@faramund9865]

Comimg back to this, great that you made a recording of this. If these are indeed people of a Germanic tradition, could it be that the 'angel of death' is what we would call a Walkyrie? Or is the Walkyrie too much of a mythical person to be represented by a real person? I wonder. Maybe she's simply a priestess, who knows...

[@ironkong26]

Inspiration for the eaters of the dead book and by extension the 13th warrior movie

[@remalm3670]

... We now know where the opening scene of the 13th Warrior comes from (1999)...

[@elsakristina2689]

If he lived today he'd probably film his reaction to that "Midsommar" movie

[@faramund9865]

Interesting thing about the dogs eating the meat for the god. In Grímnismál, Geri and Freki are Wens dogs and they eat for him. And that he drinks only ‘wine’ which I assume to be blood.

[@brandonbranham7833]

Well, they sound like very charming people.

[@JW20236]

Really enjoyed this, great insight into the Vikings!

[@iamtroll8334]

So this is where the idea of gel came from! Bravo Vikings Bravo 👏👏👏😆😆

[@nerthus4685]

So Russian women endlessly demanded jewelry and gifts from supplicant husbands, demanding greater and greater symbols of status. So nothing has changed.

[@jackhakken]

Yes.

[@fnatteanka1842]

The "Rus" is what Vikings premarely from Sweden where called

[@beverlybalius9303]

They were not Russian but Norwegian, Swedish, Ice Landic...... they called them Rus or Dane

[@anteskojo5959]

@@beverlybalius9303 they are also here in Ireland, I see them every time I talk to them, you can see them by the eyes, Saoirse Ronan is one example of a norman.

[@nonochanyeppoyo2490]

🤣

[@captainmaxwell5017]

Fascinating account. I sure would dislike being at the end of the cleaning bucket line.

[@vikingsven5756]

You are a brave bastard!!...sure you could take it!!..I got plenty of snot left for you!!jejeje...

[@user-zm8nb8pk4n]

As we can see real Vikings were not the same like modern vikings in Netflix serials ..... xD

[@colonelkilling2425]

Great video!

[@thebrocialist8300]

Lo there do I see my father...

[@childrenoftheash874]

The Brocialist lo I see a line of my people back to the beginning

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Thank you for the 13th Warrior reference "met you match have you? met your match"

[@iamkurgan1126]

You know that Chrichton based "eaters of the dead" on this right?

[@ShredForth]

WHERE DID YOU LEARN OUR LANGUAGE!!!???