The Vikings decide to convert to Islam.

[Maxamillion96]

Let’s say that the Vikings get so offended by Charlemange converting the Saxons to Christianity that they decide the best to spit in his face and the Catholic Churches ( and keep their concubines) is to convert to Islam. Around this time, there was the (now extinct) Zahiri school, which the Vikings might have come across, that claimed that alcohol was only prohibited if it came from wine grapes.

let’s say that Vikings convert to it to keep their mead. How does the future of Europe change?

 

[Ato]

Let’s say that the Vikings get so offended by Charlemange converting the Saxons to Christianity that they decide the best to spit in his face and the Catholic Churches ( and keep their concubines) is to convert to Islam. Around this time, there was the (now extinct) Zahiri school, which the Vikings might have come across, that claimed that alcohol was only prohibited if it came from wine grapes.

let’s say that Vikings convert to it to keep their mead. How does the future of Europe change?

I could see it happening via Russian and Eastern Europe. If the Kievan Rus convert to Islam instead of Christianity, that could then be route of contact to Scandinavia.

If the Norse do end up being predominantly Islamic There would definitely be some large religious conflicts with Christian Europe. Perhaps if there is s till a viking invasion of Britian the continental powers could be convinced to lend aid against them.

 

[Analytical Engine]

Whilst the "no eating pork" thing might be difficult*, I believe that the "unless your life depends on it" clause would still apply.



*pigs being an important part of the diet of northern Europeans

 

[riggerrob]

Hmmmm!
OTL considering that Vikings traded extensively with Constantinople/Istanbul, and that Islam is basically a a revival of the Judeo-Christian faith ...
How would Vikings inter-weave their old multi-god religion with a new mono-theistic religion?
Would Islam become a minority religion nly practiced by Viking over-lords?
How long before Vikings imposed their new faith on all their (Crimean, Ukrainian, Muscovy, Polish, Lithuanian, etc) subjects?
Also consider that Vikings converted to Christianity around the same time that they gained control of England and Kievian Russ, countries that eventually conquered huge empires.

 

[Talus I of Dixie]

As already said, counting in that the "unless your life depends on it" clause applies (and you can always say that there's worse cases of muslims disobeying islamic law, like the andalusians shamelessly consuming wine), i think that you can see some viking groups converting to Islam. But i find highly unlikely that all of Scandinavia would be muslim by that, IMO you can make a case for an muslim Sweden and Muslim Rus can be considered "vikings", but places like Norway, Denmark and Viking England (this one in highlight) are just nope. Another interesting case could be (pagan) vikings conquering Sicily converting to Islam.

But with only that you manage to have striking consequences, especially with a Muslim Sweden, this would just make the Dano-Swedish rivalry an existential conflict, while an great muslim slav population and state in Eastern Europe might result in Islam spreading to the Baltics as well. While muslim viking Sicily can make, heh, interesting things in Italy.

But just reasserting my point, IMHO all of Scandinavia turning muslim isn't feasible at all.

 

[riggerrob]

.... Perhaps if there is s till a viking invasion of Britian the continental powers could be convinced to lend aid against them.

Given transportation technology in 1066, I rather doubt that any European power could raise an army fast enough or march/sail it far enough to halt William the Conqueror. Remember that William was a third great grandson of Rollo the Viking. William took defeated an exhausted King Harold who was too busy suppressing a Viking civil war along the Danelaw (east coast of England dominated by Vikings).

 

[JanWellem]

Whilst the "no eating pork" thing might be difficult*, I believe that the "unless your life depends on it" clause would still apply.

*pigs being an important part of the diet of northern Europeans

They'd also need to do something about the fasting rules for the Ramadan, as in early summer it never gets dark enough in Scandinavia to not be able to discern a white thread from a black one, the moment after sunset until which the fast can be broken and while not eating for an entire month might be survivable if you are normally fed well enough, not drinking for more than a few days most definately isn't.

 

[Analytical Engine]

They'd also need to do something about the fasting rules for the Ramadan, as in early summer it never gets dark enough in Scandinavia to not be able to discern a white thread from a black one, the moment after sunset until which the fast can be broken and while not eating for an entire month might be survivable if you are normally fed well enough, not drinking for more than a few days most definately isn't.

There's probably going to have to be some doctrinal finagling around this. IIRC, there is for Muslims that live at higher latitudes IOTL.

 

[JanWellem]

There's probably going to have to be some doctrinal finagling around this. IIRC, there is for Muslims that live at higher latitudes IOTL.

Today Muslims living in areas with less than 6 hours from sunset till dawn during Ramadan can use the times of sunset and dawn in Mecca to determine when to break the fast and when to take the last meal before starting it once again, but that's only possible with media publishing the timetables and reliable timepieces, both unavailable during the dark ages.

 

[Ato]

Given transportation technology in 1066, I rather doubt that any European power could raise an army fast enough or march/sail it far enough to halt William the Conqueror. Remember that William was a third great grandson of Rollo the Viking. William took defeated an exhausted King Harold who was too busy suppressing a Viking civil war along the Danelaw (east coast of England dominated by Vikings).

I was thinking more the invasion of the great Heathern Army than William the conqueror. If Rollo and friends had been Muslim when they raided Nrothern France I doubt that Count Odo would have been so accommodating with them, considering that repelling the Islamic invasion of France at Tours a hundred year prior was one of the foundational moments of the Carolingian Empire.

It might be possible that if the Great Heathen Army there is instead a Great Northern Muslim Army, envoys from Wessex and Mercia might ask for help from the Carolingians. (who would probably have just been raided as well) If the Franks accept, they might be able to use it as way of tying the Saxon Kingdoms of Britain to them politically.

 

[snassni2]

I was thinking more the invasion of the great Heathern Army than William the conqueror. If Rollo and friends had been Muslim when they raided Nrothern France I doubt that Count Odo would have been so accommodating with them, considering that repelling the Islamic invasion of France at Tours a hundred year prior was one of the foundational moments of the Carolingian Empire.

It might be possible that if the Great Heathen Army there is instead a Great Northern Muslim Army, envoys from Wessex and Mercia might ask for help from the Carolingians. (who would probably have just been raided as well) If the Franks accept, they might be able to use it as way of tying the Saxon Kingdoms of Britain to them politically.

Wouldn't the Vikings then ally with the Andalusis and invade in multiple areas and with much greater mampower?

 

[Revachah]

As long as there are whirling dervish Sufi orders of Norsemen I'm all in.

 

[Nivek]

Let’s say that the Vikings get so offended by Charlemange converting the Saxons to Christianity that they decide the best to spit in his face and the Catholic Churches ( and keep their concubines) is to convert to Islam. Around this time, there was the (now extinct) Zahiri school, which the Vikings might have come across, that claimed that alcohol was only prohibited if it came from wine grapes.

let’s say that Vikings convert to it to keep their mead. How does the future of Europe change?

A very unique idea and yeah the franks might shit a brick now with this

Wouldn't the Vikings then ally with the Andalusis and invade in multiple areas and with much greater mampower?

Another unique idea

 

[Mitchell Hundred]

Would the Vikings have taken to male circumcision along with the pork and alcohol prohibitions (though OP references this one)?

 

[JanWellem]

And would proud shieldmaidens and other free and relatively equal Norsewomen have been willing to convert to a religion that would force them into total subserviance?

 

[TyranicusMaximus]

Instead of the Crusades being directed towards the Baltics, TTL's Teutonic Order could be dedicated to smashing the "heretics" in the north. Whether they would be successful is another question.

There's also the issue that the Church is much closer and any Scandinavian king worth his salt would find the Church's help indispensible. Catholic Christianity does that while Islam unfortunately does not.

If you're being strict with "Viking" here, this could probably be considered OTL, as there's little doubt that Norse who ended up in Muslim service in places like Andalusia or the Bolghar Khantate ended up converting as their Norman/Varangian/Russian counterparts did with Christianity.

 

[Alexander the Average]

And would proud shieldmaidens and other free and relatively equal Norsewomen have been willing to convert to a religion that would force them into total subserviance?

They converted to Christianity didn't they.

 

[Revachah]

Would the Vikings have taken to male circumcision along with the pork and alcohol prohibitions (though OP references this one)?

They could be lax about it, up until the latter 20th century in Sennar pork was eaten publically but not sold. In rural North Africa its hunted to this day and there is much info on it. Hell in the Nuba Mountains pig is still raised.

Norse supporting forest lands especially on islands rich in nut shrubs and trees could passive raise "abandoned" hogs until they go feral and hunt "wild boar" seen as being distinct.

 

[Revachah]

And would proud shieldmaidens and other free and relatively equal Norsewomen have been willing to convert to a religion that would force them into total subserviance?

*Khawlah bint al-Azwar has entered the chat*

 

[lerk]

Around this time, there was the (now extinct) Zahiri school, which the Vikings might have come across, that claimed that alcohol was only prohibited if it came from wine grapes

The Zahiris were weird. Had a very literal interpretation of the Quran (which distinguished them from other Islamic schools), and this literalism led to them believing only wine was bad (Quran verses regarding alcohol mainly talked about wine and not other alcoholic drinks). They had some influence on Salafi thought even after they went extinct, though Salafis, like most Muslims, believe that all alcohol, including wine, is not allowed.