Good Guys and Bad Guys

The face of this Earth has been home to a multitude of civilizations. Within these civilizations there have been certain groups or people who can be said to have shaped history. They may have molded their world by force or by peaceful methods but there is no doubt that both types of people are still remembered and will be for eternity. The “good guy, bad guy” debate over this select bunch of renegades will never be won but we can certainly have our own opinions. Depending on certain circumstances or points of view some things may be right, but out of context may seem brutal and harsh. The fact of the matter is that there were both good guys and bad guys in history and neither is more important than the other.        
                                                                                                                                                                                             A prime example of how differing viewpoints affects if a group is labeled bad or good is the Vikings. The Vikings were people of the north. In the ninth and tenth centuries they took to pillaging the coasts of Western Europe until they found places to settle. Vikings are most well-known for their magnificent woodworking and ship building. The raids, though, were a very prominent part of Viking culture that defined them as a population. One such raid occurred in the area of the Franks. The Viking raid was recorded in the Frankish Chronicles. Paragraphs 846 and 849 describe a certain few raids: “According to their custom, the Northmen plundered The Northmen eastern and western Frisia and burned the town again in Frisia Of Dordrecht, with two other villages, before the eyes of Lothair, who was then in the castle of Nimwegen, but could not punish the crime. The Northmen, with their boats filled with immense booty, including both men and goods, re turned to their own country… The heathen from the North wrought havoc in Christendom as usual and grew greater in strength; but it is painful to say more of this matter” (http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Chron9.html). The Vikings were referred to as Northmen and men from the North. The people, as could be expected, did not welcome the Vikings and did not enjoy having their villages being plundered or their wealth stolen. According to those on the “wrong” side of the Vikings plundering viewed the Vikings as barbaric monsters; all around bad guys.                     
                                                           


There are two sides to every story, however, and the story has to be told from the Viking’s perspective.  First off it must be understood that the term “Viking” refers to a profession which consisted of raiding and plundering (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A330788). Most of the Northmen who we call Vikings were actually farmers who only plundered for one of the three seasons. The Vikings felt justified in doing what they were doing because it was stated in their religion. While scholars may refer to what the Vikings did as theft, this is easily disproven. “According to the Norse mythology, theft was one of the few acts that would condemn a man to a place of torment after his death. On the other hand, raiding was an honorable challenge to a fight, with the victor retaining all of the spoils” (http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/raids.htm). While this could have major consequences and make a situation more brutal than it needed to be, the Vikings themselves felt as if they were right in what they had done.                                                                                                                              

There are times, though, when it becomes harder to recognize who is good and who is bad as the situation is a bit more obscure. Such is the assassination of Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus took a lead role in the conspiracy and even had a hand in assassinating Caesar himself. There are many views to this event but the two main ones are the conspirators’ perspectives and opinions against the murderers. The conspirators believed that they were benefiting Rome by putting an end to Caesar’s reign of terror. They could have very well been in the right. The views against them are also as powerful. After the murder of Caesar Brutus stepped forward to make a speech but the commoners fled the scene out of fear. They would not have fled if they thought the conspirators had been right in what they did.                  


Perspective is a magnificent skill to have obtained and can alter the way an entire culture is viewed. There have been so many historical events that have many facets. People tend to take sides and opposing viewpoints are formed. Both may be right in different ways. Bad guys and good guys have graced the world with their presence. It is something else entirely to determine which is which, and perhaps no one shall ever know.  

"File:Gerome Death of Caesar.jpg -." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gerome_Death_of_Caesar.jpg>.

"File:Viking Funeral.jpg -." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viking_funeral.jpg>.

"Hurstwic: Viking Raids." Hurstwic, a Viking Age Living History Society. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. <http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/raids.htm>.

"PE Html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"  BBC - Homepage. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A330788>.

Sam Houston State University - Texas - Carnegie Research Doctoral Univ. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. <http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Chron9.html>.