 Writing for Thrash <unk> , David Keevill argues that the explicitly anti @-@ Christian attitude of most Viking metal artists is an anachronistic view of the Viking Age . Keevill explains that " while bands have used [ Viking mythology ] as the basis for their musical existence ... the historical reality of the Viking Age ( late 8th century to the 11th century ) is a chequered backdrop of a multitude of belief systems and disparate political mechanisms . " As an historical example , he cites the raid on Lindisfarne in 793 , an event considered the beginning of the Viking Age and celebrated by the band Enslaved in its song " 793 ( <unk> Om Lindisfarne ) " . He contends that this attack was merely an opportunistic raid , not a concerted attack on the growing power of Christianity . Likewise , he clarifies that the terms " heathen " and " pagan " historically did not necessarily mean " anti @-@ Christian , " but that the persons in question did not fit under a denominational label . Furthermore , Norse religion and Christianity intermingled and influenced each other throughout the era , and Christianity was often imposed through monarchical regimes such as Harald <unk> and Harald Bluetooth or conversion movements such as those initiated by Ansgar . Keevill concludes his article by stating , " It 's not that bands like Amon Amarth shouldn 't flout their Norse heritage , the bellicose nature of the ancestors or the kind of practices that would have taken place in far flung tribal societies , it 's just that ruling out the presence of an overbearing Christian influence on the Viking Age is incredibly close @-@ minded . " 
