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I’ve always been intrigued by the sheer aggressive energy manifested by the Normans in everything they did, and especially in matters military, political, religious, and cultural. I find just reading about their exploits exhausting - exploits all the more impressive for being generally conducted by relatively small groups of adventurers. It’s like they were on uppers all the time. I guess it must be the Viking genes.

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They were Vikings at heart, and their conquers a few generations before were literal Vikings. Many of them were of literal Viking blood. (Rollo and all, if you are into that.)

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Vikings with a veneer of Latin civilization. Conquering barbarians often tend that way for a few generations, absorbed by the culture of the conquered, which can prove useful as well as comfortable.

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If I recall correctly, Viking ancestors had "berserkers" as warriors. Following that thread through history and literature is quite fascinating.

Not to mention the genetics--redheads in Sicily.

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