However, the Danes’ population now exceeds the capacity of their lands, forcing them to turn to raiding and pillaging for sustenance.
Now, troubles within and without have transformed the prevailing attitude into one of open belligerence and disregard for Christian borders. For centuries, the Scandinavian warrior societies were defined by their highly aggressive nature, but until now, their relations with the rest of the world have been primarily peaceful – defined by the unusual trading reach their superior vessels provided them. The Danes, hemmed into the Jutland Peninsula by the belligerence of Charlemagne, swindled by Christian merchants and failed by their crops, represent just such a kingdom.
The only thing more dangerous than a cornered animal is a cornered, warlike kingdom.
