Did the Vikings have African slaves?

[Äike]

I am not doubting you, but do you have any references to these claims?

You should ask the person who wrote the Wikipedia article about Bengt Gottfried Forselius.

Forselius is seen as a "hero" of some sorts, as he founded the Estonian education system and is responsible for the absolute majority of the Estonians being literate in the 17th century, while the majority of the Europeans were illiterate and didn't know what a book was.

There are monuments dedicated to Bengt Gottfried Forselius and so on.

I imagine a literate serf is quite useful for menial tasks. Not that 17th century literacy rates are anything to be proud of, if your people exist in a state of serfdom. Though perhaps 'serfdom' is something of an inaccuracy, as 'serf' implies - at the very least - some sense of dignity and person-hood, which appears to have been denied of the Estonians and Latvians by their German lords:

The difference is that the Estonians liberated Latvia from Baltic-German occupation in 1919, by destroying the Baltic-German army and marching to Riga.

The Latvians were always too weak to do anything, but the Estonians repaid for their "serfdom" in 1919, while the Latvians were a different bunch of people. This probably has to do with the Latvians being Balts and the Estonians being out of completely different (Finnic) stock.

[Wyn]

while the majority of the Europeans were illiterate and didn't know what a book was.

I think most Europeans knew what books were, Karl. For example, we here have a poetic tradition dating back to Caedmon (b. c 650s), a historiographical tradition dating back to Bede (c 670), a history of methodical science dating back to Roger Bacon (c 1214) and a philosophical tradition dating back to Roger Bacon, John Duns Scotus (c 1265) and William of Ockham (c 1288). So whilst we weren't always all literate, when we were, we put it to good use!

The difference is that the Estonians liberated Latvia from Baltic-German occupation in 1919, by destroying the Baltic-German army and marching to Riga.

Ah, that explains why Eriks is so grateful to you.

The Latvians were always too weak to do anything, but the Estonians repaid for their "serfdom" in 1919, while the Latvians were a different bunch of people.

Good. No people should be reduced to serfdom.

This probably has to do with the Latvians being Balts and the Estonians being out of completely different (Finnic) stock.

Possibly, aye.

[Äike]

I think most Europeans knew what books were, Karl.

In the 17th century, most Europeans were illiterate peasants, while most Estonians were literate peasants.

Ah, that explains why Eriks is so grateful to you.

lol, could be so. If it wasn't for the Estonians, Latvia would have been occupied by Germany or the USSR in 1920, not 1940.

[Aces High]

And then you helped the Soviets enslave half of Europe. With the Yanks.

Freeing half of Europe in the process....you cant have it all.