Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

In his novel, Eaters of the Dead, author Michael Crichton shows how the Volga Northmen were able to defeat their foes, the wendol, by using their intellect instead of their weapons. This is seen in four aspects. The theme of the novel is that physical courage is not enough to preserve your culture and lifestyle: intelligence and superior knowledge are absolutely essential. Conflict between the wendol and the Northmen shows which group has the intelligence to eliminate the other. Symbolism of wisdom, knowledge, and the lack of such things are used by Crichton to illustrate this moral. The juxtaposition of characters emphasizes the cleverness of the Volga Northmen compared to the Venden Northmen.

The theme of the story is that applying intelligence and knowledge is essential in order to keep one’s culture alive. A good proof of this is the lack of knowledge of Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, the narrator of the story. He is an Arab who “knows nothing of the ways of the world” (p. 77) because he has never truly experienced the world before that day, since he does not care for adventure. Having no experience with the world and having no knowledge, Ibn Fadlan slowly learns the Northmen’s wa

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Some common words found in the essay are:
King Rothgar, Rothgar Vain, Ibn Fadlan, Volga Northmen, Crichton Cleverness, Northmen Venden, Buliwyf Wiglif, Venden Northmen, Ragnar Herger, intelligence knowledge, Buliwyf Venden, king rothgar, wendol northmen, angel death, mother wendol, defeat wendol, volga northmen, lack intelligence, physical strength, battle intelligence, lack intelligence causes, causes wendol lose, cave thunder mother, knowledge helps northmen, dwarves caves venden,
Approximate Word count = 1855
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)