[playa]

Okay well in the viking times it was a belief you were NOT supposed to get drunk because their God Odin told them not to. And told the a little was poetic but more would be bad for you.

[nora22000]

- Their beer was not very alcoholic...

[winona m]

I don't think they "got" into alcoholism

sure, they drank a bit. But weak beer is much healthier than non-purified water- which is how most westerners managed to survive in cholera-infested areas. The main killer in those times was not the enemy warrior, but diseases. Drinking grog or beer kept men healthy on war campaigns and expeditions and the habit was spread to home areas

Of course not every army in the world could do the same- some because of moral objections, others because of metabolic differences. But having a healthy liver is not a disease

[JOANNE M]

Most people enjoy a drink, some more than others.

Perhaps the long cold Scandinavian Winters and hours of darkness encouraged people to stay in and drink more.