Were Vikings Muslims? Burial costumes from Norse graves show word ‘Allah’

Burial costumes from ancient Viking graves have been unearthed with Arabic script showing the word ‘Allah’.

The patterns were spotted by experts from Uppsala University in Sweden – who found that Viking woven bands from 10th-century graves contained Kufic characters.

Researchers previously claimed that Eastern objects found in Viking graves must have been looted – but the frequency of their appearance suggests that Viking burial practices may have been influenced by Eastern ideas.

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Annika Larsson of Uppsala University, said: ‘It is a staggering thought that the bands, just like the costumes, was made west of the Muslim heartland.

‘That we so often maintain that Eastern objects in Viking Age graves could only be the result of plundering and eastward trade doesn’t hold up as an explanatory model

‘The inscriptions appear in typical Viking Age clothing that have their counterparts in preserved images of Valkyries.

‘Presumably, Viking Age burial customs were influenced by Islam and the idea of an eternal life in Paradise after death.’