The Viking Cross

[WestVirginiaRebel]

WI the Vikings had been converted to Christianity earlier and become "Warriors of God", so to speak? Would the Catholic Church have been able to reign them in and us them as mercenaries? Would this have limited or even prevented their raids in Europe (no Norman French, perhaps?)

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

WI the Vikings had been converted to Christianity earlier and become "Warriors of God", so to speak? Would the Catholic Church have been able to reign them in and us them as mercenaries? Would this have limited or even prevented their raids in Europe (no Norman French, perhaps?)
"reign them in and us them as mercenaries" No.

Set up militant orders (a la Teutonic Knights), certainly.

My best guess is that the 'Normans' (who were Frenchified Vikings, remember), would be multiplied (not reduced), in effect.

[Redbeard]

WI the Vikings had been converted to Christianity earlier and become "Warriors of God", so to speak? Would the Catholic Church have been able to reign them in and us them as mercenaries? Would this have limited or even prevented their raids in Europe (no Norman French, perhaps?)

It doesn't appear like Christianity did that much to "reign them in" in OTL. Christianity became the official religion in Denmark in the late 900s and it was only after that the relatively anarchistic Viking raids for serious turned into campaigns of conquest organised and led by royal power - and had success. The culmination being Canute the Great being King of England from 1018-35.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

[stevep]

If their converted earlier, as other people have said, its unlikely to make them more peaceful and as Redbeard says could make them more organised attackers. Another point is who converts them? Even presuming no other parties, such as Jews or Muslims as occurred in Rus, might Sweden at least go Orthodox rather than Catholic. Since they have strong trading and cultural contacts with both the Rus state and via it Byzantium. Also, for much of this period Byzantium and the Orthodox region was expanding and reasonably successful while the Catholic world continued to be plagued by external attacks and internal splits so the former might appear a far more suitable model for a would be converting monarch.

Steve

[freodhoric]

Another point is who converts them?
Surviving Celtic Church sounds good to me.

[tehShifty]

All I'm hearing is crusader Vikings.

[Farfromhome]

Big Crosses, Big Beards and Big Axes..... Oh let the fun begin