What Made Danes Superior Warriors?
The Last Kingdom is a series that depicts the events which took place to fulfill the wish of King Alfred of All and One England. By overpowering the Danes who raided England and conducted mass killings. As all other kingdoms were too weak to fight the Danes, King Alfred was the only true King who could take the stand. But not without the help of a Dane. The show has a rating of 8.4/10 on IMDb.
In war, there is no good or bad; it is either the living or the dead. King Alfred (played by David Dawson) preferred Uhtred (portrayed by Alexander Dreymon) as his top general because he was raised as a Dane and knew everything about them. Unlike Saxons who believed in one God and peace, Danes worshiped Gods of war; the latter seemed barbaric but were better war planners and tactical strategists.
Although Uhtred is a fictional character, he is the only reason Saxons could defeat the Danes in The Last Kingdom.
So, what made Danes better warriors?
Following are a few of those many qualities:
- Tactical strategies
- Shield wall
- The surprise element
- Guerrilla warfare
- Topography
- Timing
- Planning
- Ruthlessness
These tactics made Danes far better warriors than Saxons.
Saxons quickly understood the importance and incorporated most of these strategies and tactics but could not accept their Gods. They often addressed Danes as pagans due to their diverse religious beliefs.
Unlike most of the Saxons, the Danes were callous. Saxons thought of killing as a sin, whereas Danes enjoyed massacres, petrifying their enemies.
One of the advantages Danes had was the belief in Valhalla. This belief suppressed any fear of death. Instead, they thought of it as the ultimate goal and glory. The only fear they had was to die without holding a weapon. A weapon of any sort, without which they would rot in Helheim (Hell).
